Show MANY KILLED BY EXPLOSION IN BRIGGS CO 0 PLANT DETROIT 25 2 In Hospital and nd Two thirds May far Succumb BIG FIRE billE RAGES Short Circuit t In Ill Motor Is Blamed for Disaster April By 23 CB By The Associated As Press At Press At least a score of or m mm men n arc are believed ell to have been killed and 50 or more others burned and Injured some probably fatally in a a. fire tire that swept the main building of ot the Briggs Man Ian Manufacturing Manufacturing company compan plant after an explosion in the paint shop this morning Ambulances took a dozen or more loads ot of injured to various hospitals At It receiving hospitals hospital where 25 S Injured were brought Dr Thomas K IC Gruber superintendent said that probably two- two thirds of or them would die The dead were believed belle to b be burled buried under the wreckage of or the building More than an hour after the explosion search still sUIl was was- be being be- be beIng being ing made ma e for victims 2000 AT WORK A strong wind and the fact that the plant contained largo large quantities quantities ties of paints and varnishes used in automobile body finishing ham ham- hampered hampered hampered efforts at rescue work More Jore than 2000 persons were at work in fn inthe inthe the building at the time of the ex ex- ex Many Ian of ot the injured were treat treat- treated ed in the plants plant's first aid station but this had to be he abandoned when the flames spread to that part of the building Most of ot the Injured were victims of the heavy smoke and fumes Cumes that spread throughout the building soon after the explosion sion As the fire continued more than an hour and a half after the ex- ex explosions occupants of or near by houses and stores were directed to vacate immediately it being ap ap- apparent apparent apparent parent the walls wall of or the plant would collapse SnORT SHORT CIRCUIT SUSPECTED The cause of the explosion was not immediately determined but a II workman expressed the belief bellet a short circuited motor was as responsible sible Adolph Hussey Husse a truck driver described the tho explosion as follows I had Just delivered an order to a store across the street from Crom the plant and anI was coming out o othe of the store when I heart the explosions There were two of them one after the other The whole hole wall seemed to crumple up and fall into the tho street and bricks and stones were everywhere A man was h b. hewn hwn wn through the glass ot or one of ot the large r windows along alon the street Another nother man and I helped to pick him up and send hint him to tho the hospital He lie was ao injured seriously serious but still living |