Evening star., 1933-06-11
RACKET SUSPECTED
IN PLANT TRAGEDY
Death of Eight in CeIIuIoid
Explosion May Be Shown
Incendiary's Work.
Nv the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NORTH ARLINGTON, N. j., JUNE
10-Weighing the theory that the dis
aster may have been caused by busi-
ness s-racketeering incendiarism, local
county and State authorities tonight
pressed investigations into last night:
celluloid factory explosion that left
toll of eight dead one missing ano
more than rs injured. 9.
Lieut.. John E. Guidetti, county
detective, announced that a prelim-
tnary search of the wrecked plant hac
produced evidence of arson. At the
same time he said he had been in
formed that Alex Scheinzeit, operator
of the plant had recently been threat
ened by celluloid business rivals with
a bitter fight" to decide which Of
them would remain in the business
longest.
"Knife Switch" Used.
Deputy Comm .sioner John Roach OF
the State Depar nent of Labor said his
survey of the W ,cked factory disclosed
use Of a "knifc switch" in the elec-
trical system, although, he said, such
q device is forbidden by State labor
laws. Roach also said the switch was
on when the blast occurred last night
spreading death and terror along the
banks of the Passaic River, where hum
dreds were seeking relief from the heat
Five Of the injured were given slight
chance of recovery at two hospitals tc
which they were taken suffering from
serious burns, inflicted by blazing Gel
luloid from the explosion
Mayor Daniel Rentschler called a
special meeting of the Borough Council
to plan relief for the injured and home
less in the devastated factory neigh
borhood.
Besides the plant operator Schein-
zeit, who is being held on q technical
charge of nlanslaughter, authorities to-
day questioned three men, two of the
business rivals and one a former en-
ploye of the destroyed PyroXylin Waste
Co. The three men, picked up as ma
terial witnesses, were subsequently re-
leased with orders to hold themselves
in readiness for further interrogation.
viii Go to Grand Jury.
Prosecutor Schmidt announced he
would present the explosion case to the
Bergen County grand jury Tuesday. He
termed Scheinzeit's story of war threats
by business rivals serious matter
and said the investigation into this
phase Of the holocaust would be pressed
energetically.
At the time the explosion occurred
more than 800 persons were bathing in
the river across the street from the fac
tory. The roof of the one-story plant
was lifted and a sheet of flame shot up
ward, scattering burning debris.
A second mass of flames spurted
Through the roof, as the bathers, some
severely burned, fled panic stricken
into the river. Another explosion, that
of a gasoline tank, sprayed the area
with liquid fire. Nearby houses and q
garage were enveloped in flames. In
one house an elderly couple and a child
of 8, trapped, perished by fire. In an
other mother and daughter died in
the flames
In the river men, women and chill
dren, many with their bathing suits
afire, fed far out into the water. One
woman drowned.
When f1remen and relief workers ar
rived from nearby communities they
were unable to get within 200 feet OF
the factory and surrounding dwellings
So suddenly had flame wrapped the
factory area that few in the territory
escaped without burns.