VIEWPOINT : Trying to be No . 1 off the field

KANSAS CITY, M o .Con­ struction tra ile rs loaded with 45,000 pounds of a chem ical used in dynam ite exploded T uesday, killing six firefigh ters, ripping large c ra te rs in the ground and sh a t­ te ring windows up to 10 m iles aw ay. The firs t tra ile r w as filled w ith an estim a ted 30,000 pounds of am m onium n itra te , w hich is used to m ake dynam ite explode m ore even­ ly, au thorities said. The second tra ile r w as storing about 15,000 pounds of the m a te ria l. A th ird explosion occurred m om ents la te r in w hat w as believed to be a portion of the firs t tra ile r th a t had been blown ap art. D ebris w as sca tte red over sev e ra l a c re s around the con­ struction site and onto nearby U.S. 71, said police spokesm an Sgt. G reg Mills. The b lasts left two very la rg e c ra te rs , 30 to 40 feet w ide and 6 or 7 feet deep, and a sm aller one about 15 feet across and 4 feet deep. “ The rem a in s of one fire tru ck is s itting very close to one c ra te r , ” said F ire D epartm ent spokesm an H arold Knabe. “ T here is ano ther vehicle of som e sort, a la rg e red truck. The o ther fire truckth ere is absolutely no evidence th a t it w as ev er th e re .” Windows, som e of them large p late-g lass panels, w ere bro­ ken in scores of businesses and