Dow tumbles

Investors showed a growing lack of faith in corporate America’s accounting practices today, sending the Dow Jones industrials tumbling nearly 250 points on worries that more companies might be vulnerable to bookkeeping scandals.

Analysts said Wall Street, already jittery about the timing of an economic recovery, was concerned that companies including the conglomerate Tyco might suffer from the same type of balance-sheet irregularities that brought down Enron. Even stronger-than-expected consumer confidence figures failed to stop the selling.