The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1883-11-02
A FATAL EXPLOSION.
FIVE YOUNG PEOPLE KILLED OUTRIGHT
AND MANY OTHERS MORT ALLY HURT.

FIVE YOUNG PEOPLE KILLED OUTRIGHT
AND MANY OTHERS MoiirALLY HURT.
WuKEsDAREE. Pa, Oc;. 3S.-About l
o'clock this afternoon The mining town OF
Plymouth, four miles from this city, was
the scene OF great excitement. The Elk
celsior gas squlb factory exploded with ter
rifle force. As soon rs the explosion &C.
Cured those near by ran to the rescue OF
the operatives who were buried In the de-
bris. Sympathetic hands were soon en-
ployed in removing as tenderly as possible
the blackened and disfgured victims. Five
dead bodies were found. One girl. Matte
James, aged 10, when found had nothing
on but her cOrsets and shoes, her clothes
having been literally torn to pieces. She
was burned to q crisp. The others pre-
AS the injured all resided near by they
were taken to their respective homes as
quickly as possible and medical aid sum
mOned. All the local physicians. and one
or two from q distance responded prompt
ly to the call, and everything was done TO
ease the
TERRIBLE sUFFERINGs
of the unfortunate children. The scenes
in their homes were heartrendng. Moth
ers tainted and fathers trembled with
grief as the black and .disfigured forms OF
their loved ones were borne by sOrrowing
neighbors into the house; The news OF
the disaster spread rapidly, and mechan-
les, miners, and men engaged In other EN-
ploymenJ quit work and hurried to the
scene. In some of the houses 1t was diff
ficult to get through the crowds that filled
them. Women thronged the apartments
where the sufferers were placed. The
mother of Mamie Norris, aged III, whose
body Is one mass of
sCARIyIED FLESH,
and who can not live through the night,
said that her daughter said when she
came home to dinner that just before she
left the factory little bird flew in at an
open window and alighted on her shoulder.
This the poor girl considered a Fremont
ton of death, for she said to her mother as
going to die to-day, 1 know l am" Miss
Norris home Is one of apparent culture
and refinement. A fine upright piano, a
gift to Mamie, stood in the handsomely
furnished parlor. She Is an only daughter.
She was conscious when last seen, and was
apparently resigned to her fate. AS stated
above, eight hands were employed In the
| factory whose ages ranged from III to III.
Matte James, whose body Is crisp and
| filled with powder, Is about ID. She Is I'M
conscious and Is wrapped in cotton. Her
death Is hourly expected. In another room
lay the body of her brother, aged II, who,
while terribly burned, is not thought to be
| hurt internally. The doctors think he will
| recover. Above the children moved the
| forms Of their gray-haired parents,
TREMBLING WITH GRIEF.
| In the sad disaster at Avondale they lost a
| son.
Mary Quinn lay In her home on the hill,
| above the iron bridge, blackened and
burned like the rest of her companions.
| Sne Is ~ years old, and can not live. Hat
| tie Moss, aged Is, was blown into creek
which runs behind the factory, and,
though her feet are badly burned. 1t Is
thought she will recover. John Evans,
<Nfa xniII nj tyl
burned severely. James Steele, aged a.
is terribly mangled, and his life Is despair
| ed of. Lizzie Edwards, was lying
bandaged from head to foot, but she said
the physicians had hopes Of her recovery.
No one appeared to know what caused
| Of the factory, had not returned from din
| ner, and could not explain how 1t hap
| pened. He said that besides a quantity
| Of powder used for manufacturing the
| squibs, there was about q key and hall
emit kegs Lizzie Edwards told her mother
that they were burning wood In the stove
| and that
| A SPARK FLEW OUT
and ignited some straw on the floor which
| set fire to the powder. Mr.. Smith coull
not estimate the loss sustained. The fac
tory was located In an old shed that stood
on Skeer's property, about one hundred
feet from the road leading to Rundown
| 1t was started last April.
| LINCOLN. ILL.,, Oct. 90. A. Carpenter
| has been committed to Jail as the MURDERS
| of Fora Burns, on the alleged discovery
| of human blood on the handle Of his rid
| ing whip and the lines Of his harness. TIL,
| latter articles are on the way to Chicago
/ where microscopical tests will be made
The sheriff has gone to Kewanna, Indiana
| to secure Thomas Dukes, who was EN-
gagged to be married to the murdered girl
| LINCOLN, ILL.,, Oct. 22.-The fact has de
| veloped that Thomas Dukes, the younl
man in Indiana who was engaged to mar
ry Fora Burns, came here last Thursday
night, placed himself under surveillance
/ by the sheriff, and attended the funeral o
who has examined the reins used by o. A
Carpenter, Is of opinion that they ar
spotted with human blood.