EXPLOSIONS IN U.S.A.

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 43, 14 November 1940, Page 10

EXPLOSIONS IN U.S.A.

Three Powder Plants

SEVERAL MYSTERIOUS HAPPENINGS Number Of Lives Lost XEW YORK, November 12. Fourteen lives have been lust in several mysterious occurrences connected with projects actually or potentially useful lor defence, lhe damage caused is estimated at 1,500,000 dollars.

Eight persons were killed and -m injured by an explosion at Moodbridge, Xpw Jersey, in a factory mamitaetming detonators for railways, but winch is reported, without confirmation, to be making torpedoes for the Government. The blast broke windows 15 miles disThree persons were killed by an explosion in the Burton Powder 1 hint . t Edinburgh, Pennsylvania, when 1000 lb. of dynamite exploded. Xt Allentown, Pennsylvania, tmee persons were killed in an explosion in the Trojan Powder Company’s works. The three explosions occurred between S o’clock and 9 o’clock in the morning. All shook the surrounding countryside. , The Seattle county prosecutor at-le'-ed that emery dust had been placed in’machinery in the Seattle dry dock where two vessels were being converted into naval transports. In Atlanta (Georgia) the National Guard is investigating the cause of a fire in the Municipal Auditorium where United States Army equipment valued at 1,000.000 dollars was destroyed. The manager of the auditorium claims that the lire was due to sabotage.

The last big explosion in an American munitions works and the greatest tor many years occurred on September when 42 people were killed during a lire which swept the Hercules Powder Company plant in Kenvil New/ersej, following two major explosions, ihi. blast was the worst of three which had occurred in American explosives plants in about a montn. American munitions explosion*, cans ing untold millions of dollars in damage and often loss of life and nijui) scores, have been frequent, specially in wartime. When the United States was .supplying the Allies with war’s sumws in 1914-18 in their first great with Germany there were severe, munitions explosions. In the last year there have been a number in various parts of the Um eu States, but none to compare with tiic great Black Tom and Kingsland disasters of the World War period. With the exception of these two. few of t explosion mysteries have been solved. . Frequently, in World War dajs, Geiman agents were accused of <">•’««» the earth-shaking explosions and skjerimsoning tires which followed them in American war material factories. In the years between the two wars there have been many exp.osions 1 n munitions plants, though few- rivalled those of the World War periou. (Picture on page 7.)