Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1878-05-10
MINNEAPOLIS HOLOCAUST.
Burning Of the Great FIGURING Mills of
MaShhnrn l. Co.


ming Of May End, says that ut sew
en- O'Clock this evening the city Was
shaken as by an earthquake hy i ter
rifle explosion which was promptly
traced to the groups of great Touring
mills in what is known is tile PLAT
form, Just above St. Anthonv's Falls,
where the entire Touring interest Of the
city is concentrated. Theexplosion came
from the great Washhurn mill, from
which 4 column Of flame was seen Is
shoot UP several hundred feet followed
by i crash which crushed ,hc immense
structure like an egg shell \ second
airy explosion Instantly destroyed the
Thompson 4 Hoyt and Humboldt mills
and the flames Immediately burst
out communicating ~ the Gal
aXy mills. those Of Petit
Robinson 4 Co, Cahill, Ankeny 4 Co.,
Day 4 Sons, Day 4 Rollins, Buell., New
ton K Co., Gerton, Hayward ( Co., the
Washburn A and b mills, and lesser
structures down the hank Of the river
nearly to the Minneapolis and st. Louis
railroad shops. The destruction from
the shock of the explosion extended
much further. glass being wrecked for
several squares, and buildings shaken
| throughout the city. At $50 the fire
was raging within these limits, and the
firemen were working valiantly to sub
! due the flames. The immediate
theory Of the explosion is that
it took place i'll the gas generated
III the patent middlings purifier pro
cess. The loss Of life is undoubtedly
great, but full details are lacking in the
confusion that surrounds the scene.
! First rumorS made the dead seventy to
eighty but this is not borne out hy in
quiry. The explosion took place nj the
hour Of changing day for night hands,
and many Of both were undoubtedly
in the building Twenty-Five men went
on in the Washburn mill at $50. none
Of whom have been heard from up to
$50. Many others, of the day force,
must have been III the buildings.
Up to 9 o'clock, the list of killed and
injured, SO far us ascertained are as
follows: Big grinders, Charles
Henning, Frederick Merrill and
Clark Wilbur; oilers, William Leslie,
Cyrus Ewing; machinists-Ole SHE,
Walter Savage, Patrick Judd, Ed. Mer-
rill; watchmen-Harry Hicks, +. w.
| Burbank; one unknown. Aug. Smith
was blown out Of the window. hurt but
not killed. AT the Diamond mill John
Bayer was killed David Ward had
gone out after II pail Of water and cs-
capped unhurt At the Galaxy mill
Joe Mamie. in the third story,
after the wall was blown
out jumped down into the canal and
escaped unhurt At the Zenith mill
two men were killed Widstrum and
Fred George. In Petit, Robinson &
Co.'S mill. Dean Day was thrown out
ofthe window and injured.
Investigation confirms the opinion
that the first estimate OF loss of life were
exaggerated. The number Of dead is
now placed at seventeen. There
were many thrilling incidents
and narrow escapes. Daniel Day was
blown the whole length of the Pettel &
Robinson mill and through the rear
window and escaped. One poor fellow,
who could not be recognized, had es-
capped alive from the explosion, and
was observed crawling through the dart
ing, hungry flames towards the track Of
the Minneapolis and st. Louis railroad,
directly in the rear Of tho Washburn
mill. He managed to reach the rail
and there evidently became exhausted
and fell back into the raging hell be-
hind, where his agonies instantly ended.
1t now appears that most Of the day
force had gone home and only the
smaller night force remained. The loss
/ tN fxr
fusion is too great for intelligent esti-
mates. AT present rough calculation
pllces it at Sl5OO,0OO oi
which $1,000,000 will fall on the mil
ling interest, The loss throughout the
city. by the breaking Of glass, etc, is
100000. Five Touring mills and n
planning mill were destroyed; besides ad-
joining property, including 81 out of
the l97 runs Of stone in the city
The insurance cannot be obtained TO-
night.
| FIVE MILLS DESTROYED.
IATER-A Minneapolis special Of
May 3D. says there were five Touring
mills involved in the great disaster Of
last night. These mills comprise the
heaviest concerns in the state, chief
among which were the two Wash
burn mills, the property Of ex-Goy-
ernor G. G. Washburn, Of Wiscon-
sin, Of which the one in which
the explosion occurred Was the
largest Touring mill in the country, and
the largest but one in the world. 1t
was built in 1870, included forty-one
run Of stone, and was worth 100000
1t is now a smoking mass Of ruins, with
its companions on "the platform" The
destruction is complete, so far as
the limits above named, and serious
within much wider bounds The flames