Incident Report: Explosion at Ag Building, 03:55 a.m., Tues. 07 May, 1968

• Case No.: 8-0941
• Reported by: Officers Mifflin & Wilson
• Incident Location: Agriculture building
• Type of Incident: Arson [bombing], Criminal Damage to Property
• Date Occurred: 1968-05-07
• Day of Week: Tuesday
• Time of Day: 03:55 [a.m.]

Details of the Incident

Officer Mifflin called the Security Office by radio and asked if anyone had felt a tremor or heard an explosion. He said that the car in which he and Officer Wilson were riding was shaken to such a degree that they stopped the car and got out of it. Their first thought was that a jet plane had caused the tremor but they heard no sound of a plane. They were convinced that what had happened was caused by an explosion of some kind. The officers, along with other officers, using their car radios and packs, then made a check of the Bursar's, Parkinson's Lab, and other likely places that this might have occurred. Officer Wilson then said he believed the noise came from the area of the Ag Building. Officers Mifflin & Wilson went to the Ag Building and noticed immediately that no lights were on in the building. They checked and at this time located the scene of the explosion. It happened in the North and East area of the Ag Building. Sgt. Presley arrived at the scene and requested that the Carbondale Fire Dept. be called. This was done at approximately 4:05. Mr. Leffler, Mr. Nigg, and Capt. McBride was also notified. The Physical Plant was advised and reported that it would notify Mr. Summers. This office also contacted Mr. Futrell of the Gas Company who stated he would come to the scene as quickly as possible. Mr. Halderson, Safety Co-ordinator, and Mr. Hudgens, Director of Services Division, were also notified.

Upon arriving at the Ag Building, the investigating officers found the glass to have been blown out of a large number of windows and doors in the Eastward-extending wing of the North half of the building. Upon entering the outside door of Room 155, a strong odor of gas was noted in the room, and it was found that 20 gas jets at 10 different stations at the lab tables in the room had been turned on. The point of entry was apparently the windows on the West side of the outside door to Room 155. Footprints of someone wearing gym shoes were found underneath the window on the outside and on the lab table under the window on the inside. The window itself was pulled loose from the restraining rod. The explosion, however, was not centered in Room 155, but at the corner of the East inside entrance door to the East half of Muckleroy Auditorium, adjoining the elevator shaft. A strong odor of burnt powder was evident in both halves of the auditorium. All of the doors in the immediate vicinity were blown back into the rooms, except for the elevator door which was blown outward. A depression was blown out of the floor at the base of the wall about 6 inches by 12 inches and 1 1/2 inches deep and a football-sized hole was blown in the adjoining portion of the elevator shaft wall. The floor is poured concrete and the wall is brick. The ceiling supports were bulged upward directly over the hole and over the wall across the hall from the corner. Damage to the ceiling tile, fixtures, and doors in the hallway extended to the lobby by the vending machines and to the East doors. Outside windows were blown out of rooms on both the North and South sides of the wing, with the most damage to the rooms directly across from the blast site. It was thought by the officers that the blast was set, possibly of dynamite, and that the gas jets were turned on [to] enhance the possibility of fire. The building doors had just been checked at 2:30 a.m. and found to be locked. Since the windows in this building are left open with the approval of the department chairman at all times, these were not noted. Small bits of paper and burnt bricks from the blast site were placed in an envelope I left at the desk for Mr. Nigg. The affected parts of the building were roped off and chained, and a guard posted to prevent entry by unauthorized persons. The area of the footprints and at window entered were roped off to avoid contamination of the evidence.

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