Evening star., 1942-06-05
II Known Dead, f,
Score Hurt in
Arsenal Blast
Explosion Is Felt
In Rudius of so Miles
From EIwood, Ill.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
JOLIET, ILL, June 5.-An ex-
plosion rocked the mammoth Ell
wood Arsenal, one of the largest
in the Nation, early today, leav-
ing at least "21 known dead"
Capt. David P. Tunstall, Army
press relations officer, an
nounced.
More than a score were injured.
and 28 others working in the ship
ping building escaped unhurt.
Three of the dead were identified
but Capt. Tunstall did not announce
the names of any of the casualties.
The blast, heard for a radius of
so miles at 2:45 am. Central War
time), destroyed the shipping build
ing of group two of the Elwood
Ordnance shell loading plant, de-
scribed by its director as the largest
in the world
Capt. Tunstall said there was no
hint of sabotage. but that its pos
sibility would be investigated by
board Of inquiry.
Will Convene Board.
1t. Col. Don M. Hoffman, COM
manding oficer, probably will con-
vene the board of inquiry, but Capt.
Tunstan said the time and place
had not been set.
DR.. H. L. ShultZ. medical direc-
tor, was in charge of rescue opera
tions.
Capt. Tunstall emphasized that
operations in the one group would
be interrupted only a short time.
The plant was designed with the
view OF preventing and minimizing
explosions and was scattered over a
large area of Southern Will County
south of Joliet.
About so persons were working in
the building that was demolished,
according to Fred Elias, who said his
brother. Edmund, 10, was among
them.
Whole Building Went Up.
Fred Elias said he was working In
building when he heard the ex-
plosion in one about a mile away.
The whole building went up"
he said, "and the roof of three
other buildings were blown Off"
The explosion broke windows in
dny7c T.t aynt efnrne ~,
miles away. and aroused residents
Of communities throughout North
eastern Illinois.
Capt. Tunstall said the wrecked
building, brick-and-concrete one
story structure about rs feet wide
and 275 feet long. housed only the
shipping facilities of one unit of the
vast plant. Loading operations in
three other buildings in the vicinity
will not be interrupted. he said.
Under censorship, there was no
information about the total number
of units in the $50, 0,000, 900 Elwood
Arsenal, which covered a 1,650-acre
manufacturing area and has IS
miles Of railroad tracks within A
miles of fence.
More Than 10000 Employed.
The factory, covering 23 square
miles. began production of high
explosive bombs August 80, 1941.
two months ahead of schedule. It
was constructed in 10 months. More
than 10000 persons are employed on
three shifts.
Chicago Exchanges Flooded.
Together with the Kankakee
Powder Works and the Momence
Loading Depot, the munitions lay
out represents a s75,000, 900 project
At 2:46 am. telephone exchanges
in Chicago became flooded with in
quiries. Five hundred calls regard
ing the shock were received at
Chicago police stations.
Numerous persons telephoned the
Chicago Weather Bureau. believing
an earthquake had rocked their
homes. They reported pictures had
been knocked askew on walls and
doors ratified. The Army intelli-
gence Office in Chicago said the
sound and shock had been heard
and felt as far east as Hammond,
Ind, and as far north as Waukegan,
Ill.
Damage to windows in Whining
ton and Joliet was severe, but by an
odd quirk windows in Elwood for the
most part were undamaged.