Evening star., 1940-07-31
IS Overcome Seeking
Bodies in Ruins Of
Camden Fire
Two Deod, Seven Missing;
$1,000, 900 Bloze Rozes
Plunt and 81 Homes
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
CAMDEN, N. j., July 31.-Gas
fumes sickened fireman after fire.
man today as they tried to cool still
smoking ruins to search for bodies
of missing dead in a fire and ex-
plosions which destroyed the mil
lion dollar R. M. Hollingshead Co.
paint plant and at least 81 midtown
homes yesterday.
Fifteen were treated within few
hours. The fumes, rising from
smoldering chemicals, drove all
others from the four-block area.
Firemen wearing groteSque asbestos
suits worked in 15-minute relays.
Mrs. Mary w. Kobus, director of
public safety, expressed fear the
death toll might exceed the number
indicated in still incomplete checks.
She said insurance underwriters
thought probably seven persons"
were dead.
But I am not so hopeful" said
Mrs. Kobus, who remained at the
scene all night.
With the picture still far from
clear, unofficial reports on the ST.
100000 disaSter-worst in Camdens
history-showed:
Two known dead:
-Four women and three men def
nitely missing.
Others Unaccounted For.
Possibly four or five more I'M
accounted for-subjects of inquiries
at hospitals and relief stations, but
not given up.
Upward of 200 injured or affected
by heat or smoke, many treated at
the scene.
OF those in the hospitals, attend
ants said four were in critical condi-
ton.
An army of volunteers undertook
the task of caring for scores of
families made temporarily homeless.
Most of these-about 20O-were
sheltered in dormitories of Camdens
g, Naval Militia Armory. The Saliva
ton Army, nearby hotels and the
Red Cross housed others. A soup
company supplied food.
The Red Cross set up an emer-
gency station in house near the
fire scene. National headquarters in
Washington sent two disaster re-
lief staff workers here to aid in re-
lief work.
Pending arrangements to obtain
permanent homes for families COM
hy1r ~ f,,r
saved was stored in Camden's Con-
vention Hall.
Householders the city over were
urged to use as little water as pos
sible, with the supply feared run
ming low at the roaring blaze. 1t
was near dusk before the fire was
brought under control. Smoke still
overhung the blackened scene today.
The known dead: Raymond Har-
ter, 38, Hollingshead chief inspector
and general storage manager, burns
OF the entire body; William Mer-
rigan, 40, fireman, died last night
from heat exhaustion and heart
disease.
The missing:
ioOl odCOUOWSkl, a MIS-. blud
Babcock, 80; Agnes Miller, %; Mrs.
Bessie Busa, 80; James A. Bordeaux,
SIS; Nathaniel Banks, all company
employees, and William P. Bennett,
Ga, plant engineer.
Mrs. Kobus arranged for searching
parties, driven back by intense heat
during the night, to get to work as
soon as the ruins were cool enough
some equipped with asbestos suits
and gloves.
Officials Scout Sabotage Theory.
White officials of the company
which is one of the worlds largest
manufacturers of automobile Paints
and polish, were inclined to ridicule
any suggestion of sabotage, Mrs.
Kobus said the idea would not be
dismissed. She would not amplify
that comment.
Five hundred National Guardsmen
patrolled the area to prevent loot
ing.
One of the victims, Mr.. Harter,
died without learning he had been in