Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 May 1919 — 20 DIE IN IOWA BLAST; 100 HURT [ARTICLE]

20 DIE IN IOWA BLAST; 100 HURT

Score of Persons Are Killed in Cedar Rapids Starch Works Explosion. PROPERTY LOSS $3,000,000 Either a Dust or Boiler Explosion Wrecks Plant of the Douglas Btarch Works—Windows In City Blown Out. Cedar Rapids, la., May 23. —A score of persons were killed and a hundred Injured by the explosion at the Douglas Starch works. Of the 150 men and boys who had Just gone to work on the night shift few escaped Injury or death. The loss In the Are that followed la $3,000,000. The cause of the explosion is unknown, but It Is thought to be either a boiler explosion or spontaneous combustion. Twenty Bodies Found. The loss of life cannot be determined as yet, but 20 bodies were removed within half an hour. ’ Scores of persons on the streets and about the works were Injured by flying wreckage and broken glass. Windows in the business district were blown in and people in office buildings cut by flying glass. At eight o'clock at night cries were still heard from the drying room of the starch plant. The fire was so Intense that it was Impossible for the firemen to cut their way In. Several overseas soldiers volunteered to get Into the building and do what they could, but were driven back by the flames. Manager la Mystified. General Manager Lenders, who was at the plant five minutes after the explosion, would advance no theory as to Its cause. Others said It was a dust explosion. An engineer who was blown out of the building said he believed his boiler had exploded. Every window in the central part of the city was blown out. Chimneys caved In on families at the supper table and several persons were seriously hurt. Guests in the dining rooms of hotels were thrown from their seats. A Chicago traveling man seated In the Magnus hotel was blown from his seat and his nose was cut almost off. At nine o’clock It wap said that the vacuum was not turned on the starch dryers, which caused the dust to accumulate. Another theory was thtft some person was smoking in the btflldlng. The front of the city hall and the Y. M. C. A. building were shattered Ticket sellers In picture theaters were Injured by falling glass. All water mains were cut by the force of, the explosion and it was Impossible to fight the flames.