The Wilmington morning star., 1947-02-21
Is KILLED WHEN
PLANT EXPL0DES
Continued From Page one)

o4DoStCl S1l1lC
the earthquake. of March 10, 1888,
when more than 300 were killed.
Chemicals Blamed
Earl H. Richardson, chief of the
city fire prevention bureau. at
tributed the explosion to chemicals
in the plant.
Richardson said the plant, when
Inspected only two weeks ago,
was found to be practically free
OF gas hazards. At that time, he
said, the company was told to
have a small fire extinguisher re-
charged. He theorized that the
firms large supply of acid caused
the blast.
The blast occurred in an indus
trial district only a mile from the
civic center.
William lyman, battalion fire
chief who witnessed the explosion,
said the area seemed to 60 I'D in
smoke similar to the pictures we've
seen of the atomic bomb expli-
sions."
Elevators in buildings several
blocks away were pammed in their
shafts by the terrific force of the
blast.
A Catholic priest, Father Luis
Antliz, said he administered the
last sacrament to Is of the dying.
Some of the witnesses told rescue
squads Of hospital and Red Cross
workers that they Thought the
end of the world had come" They
walked for a time in a daze. One
man said he simply couldn't move,
and although he apparently suf-
fered nc injury, his legs and arms
wouldn't function for a long time
after the explosion.
Emergency hospitals were
swamped as ambulances took the
injured from the area.
Marines Give Aid
When the extent of the disaster
became known at the U. S. Recruit
ing headquarters, a detail sof
Marines headed by M-Sgt M. H.
Cooper and S-Sgt w. P. Dimmick
was sent to the scene with in
structions to render all aid pos
sible. Marines, aided by many
soldiers, assisted in extricating
several persons from the wreck
age and giving first aid.
Firemen said the explosion APP
parently took place in a large
tank containing some chemical as
yet unidentified. The tank was
practically obliterated and frag-
ments of it were found more than
a block away.
Police said looting of wrecked
homes in the neighborhood start
ed soon after the blast, and extra
officers were called to patrol the
area.
Several of the injured were
struck by metal helmets which
were being nickel-plated in the
establishment, and rained from
the air after the explosion.
A hasty check by police indi-
Gated that some 800 homes in a
mile-square area we're more or
less damaged. In the entire area
firemen and police ordered office
buildings and other business es-
adjustments vacated in the fear
they might collapse.
Lines Clogged
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Los Ange.
les at first thought that a first
rate tremblor had struck, and in
a few seconds lines into neWspa-
pers, police and fire departments
were clogged.
Police said some Of the bodies
were so badly burned they never
would be identified.
One of those critically hurt was
Mrs. Olive Wafer, 70, who was
brought home from a hospital only
yesterday. The blast struck through
her cottage where she lay in bed,
| attended by a neighbor, and in
flicted injuries from which she
may die.
Los Angeles county's towering
general hospital was inundated
with the injured, who overlooked
from wards into the corridors.
Attendants were making no i'm
mediate attempt to identify the
injured, SO busy were they trying
to save the lives of the critically
hurt and patching up the less
serious casualties.
Hamilton Burke was almost
buried under debris from a col
lapsing building next door, he said,
but despite superficial injuries
helped carry eight injured from the
wrecked structure.
Dewayne Bearss, q. said he had
been sitting at a desk in the cleo
tro-plate plant with his. father,
Frank, A. Failing wreckage crush
ed the elder Bearss to death while
his SUI oCdpc Will AAiAoA
wounds, police reported.
Area Roped OFF
Police said it was possible that
several persons had been burned
to death in the fire which follow
ed the explosion. Intense heat
kept firemen at a distance Tor
some time after the blast. 1t was
only a matter Of moments before
thousands of persons some curious,
some anxious to help, flocked to
the scene and police roped off a
six block square area to keep out
onlookers and protect the remain
der of the ruined houses.
Many service men and war vet
Grams were on hand and were
credited by police with valiant
work in extricating the injured.
Mayor Fletcher Bowron descrlb-
ed the explosion as zone Of Los
Angeles most terrible calamities,'
and voiced high praise for the
way the police and fire depart
ments, as well as other city en-
ployes rose to the emergency.