Evening star., 1942-05-02
Mystery Hides Cause
OF Blast That Killed
Eight and Injured Il
RoiIwoy Torpedo PIont
Wrecked in Pennsylvania
a Agencies Investigating
Nv the Associated Press.

Nv the Associated Press,
McKEESPORT, Pa, May 2-The
cause Of an explosion at the Gen.
trail Railways Signal Co. plant in
nearby Versailles borough, which
killed eight women employees. in
iured 10 others. and wrecked a
building in which railroad signal
torpedoes were being made, re-
manned a mystery today.
Three F. B. I. agents, State, county
and local officials. who began in
vestigations after the blast blew the
roof off the torpedo building and
hurtled the workers bodies against
the concrete walls late yesterday
said no evidence as to the cause was
found.
The plant, comprising four single
story buildings, makes torpedoeS,
flares and other signaling devices
used in railroad operation. Inves-
tigators said that as the company's
output is wholly for private indus
try. they knew of no reason for sab
otage
In Washington. Secretary of La
bor Perkins ordered william T.
Cameron, chief safety engineer of
the Labor Department. to the scene
about Is miles southwest of Pitts
burgh.
Blast Heard for Miles,
The tremendous detonation as the
torpedo building blew up was heard
for miles. Pieces of its steel roof
were thrown several hundred feet.
windows in buildings blocks away
were knocked out. Fire following
the blast was quickly extinguished.
The company estimated the total
loss at s25 900.
Gust Bassler. so, a railroad brake
man, who was the first to enter the
blasted building. said:
TT was terrifying. Girls were
running about screaming, blood
gushing from wounds in their legs
and arms We began dragging out
all those we could reach"
Paul Bodnar, whose sister, Helen.
was among the dead, was standing
near the plant. He rushed into seek
her and stumbled over her body.
Smoke and flames drove him out.
Helen Maravic. 80, an employe
who escaped injury. thought the
plant was being attacked by enemy
planes.
ut sounded like bomb" she re-
lated. Il thought we were being
attacked just like in the movies
Then everything went to pieces as
/ rushed out the side entrance"
Powder Room Imperiled.
Had the fire spread another ex-
plosion would have occurred, Cor
oner w. D. McClelland said. because
several big boxes of powder were in
the powder room; paradoxically, two
girls who were working in this sec
ton were unhurt.
Chief OF Police w. o. Kennedy
of Versailles said a similar blast at
the plant several years ago had
taken a dozen lives. He said there
were 40 persons working in the
tnree DullOlnRS, TWO OF WnlCn were
not seriously damaged.
Mrs. Mary Rupinski, who lived
across the street from the plant,
said the explosion frightened her
almost to death"
Il thought it was the first air
attack of the war here" said Mrs.
Rupinski. Il had a daughter and a
sister in there, but they're safe,
thank God"
The dead were: Helen Bodnar,
23 Versailles; Elizabeth Slaney. Nc
keesport. daughter Of the plant
superintendent; Susan KoSsuth,
Versailles; JEANNE Sudaric, 35, Nc
Keesport; Elizabeth Haberjac, 21,
NICK Keesport; Helen Rosak, 80, Yer
sailles; Bertha Kossuth, SO, and
Anna Rosak, 80, a sister of Helen
Rosak, who died in the hospital.
Four Of the seven who remained
IN the hospital here were reported
In serious condition. They were
Julia Shaffer, "a. McKeesport; John
Wall, SO, Versailles; Olympia Eng
land. 26, McKeesport, and Myrtle
Weiner, 80, Boston, Pa.