NO SABOTAGE?

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 17, 20 January 1940, Page 9

NO SABOTAGE?

LONDON EXPLOSIONS. Warnings That " Accidents" Might Happen. WORKERS INTERROGATED. United Press Association.—Copyright. 1 (Received 10 a.m.) LOXDOX, January 19. It is officially stated that ®on present information there is 110 reason to suspect that sabotage caused the two explosions at the Royal gunpowder factory, Walt ham Abbey. Five were killed and many injured by the explosions. It is understood that the authorities received anonymous information that •'accidents" might happen at the factory and at others throughout England, said an earlier cable from London. The senior Scotland Yard officials engaged in the investigation- have made their preliminary reports, to the authorities. Police and soldiers arc guarding the district. It is understood that three attempts were made to damage the factory recently. The police had interrogated hundreds of workers in the past few days and their inquiries were extended to other Government factories. Considerable destruction marked the course of the furious blast from the two explosions. Steel girders were thrown 500 yards. Doors were wrenched off their hinges in buildings one and a half miles distant. The shocks were felt 25 'miles awny and reverberations were heard 'JO miles from London. The damaged part of the works covered a circumference of seven miles, but windows were shattered and doors and fences were torn down far beyond that. Scores of people were thrown off their feet. Thousands believed that an air raid had begun.