Huntsville gazette., 1889-03-02
FEARFUL HOLOCAUST.


Terrible Explosion In squib Factory at
Plymouth, Pa, In Which Eleven Young
0Women Lose Their Liv es, Their Bodies
Being Nearly Consumed in the Resultant
Fire-List of the Victims.
WILKEsBARRE, Pa, Feb. 26.-Eleyen
girls, varying in age from thirteen to
twenty-five, lost their lives in Powell's
squib factory at Plymouth yesterday
afternoon. Powder squibs are manufact-
ured at this place for the use of miners.
The squib is a sort of fuse which is in
serted in the drilled hole. Girls are en-
ployed to make these squibs because their
labor is cheaper and they can do the wor k
more satisfactorily than men. Powell's
squibs are used in probabably every mine
in the United States and Canada and
some are exported to the British collier
les. When7trade Is good the factory en-
ploys about eighty girls Latteriy, how
every, trade has been somewhat slack,
and last week part of the machinery broke
down, and the superintendent was COM
peeled to lay off forty of the girls. Yes
terday morning all hands reported for
work, but the machinery was not yet in
order, and all were sent home with the
exception of about seventeen, who were
When the twelve O'Clock whistle blew,
six Of the girls, who lived near by, went
to their homes for their midday meal; the
remainder, eleven all told, ate their din
ner in the factory. After all had dined,
the girls adjourned to an ante-room con-
tanning a stove. Here they all sat and
chatted on various topics. Maggie Lynch
said she had an invitation to a social in
the evening. Charles Beatley had asked
her to accompany him, and she said
she guessed she would go. All the
other girls urged her to do so, saying she
would have goodtime. What passed be-
tween the girls after that is not known.
There the story stops short. Alice Reese,
who carried dinner for two of the work
ers, left for home after Miss Lynch had
told of her intention Of going to the social.
A few minutes before one O'Clock, al
most starting-up time, John Thomsa, who
resides near the factory, was sitting at a
table eating his dinner when a violent
explosion shook the dishes from the table.
At first he thought it was an explosion in
the mines, but looking out Of the window,
he saw the roof Of the factory shooting up
in the air, and when it fell back again the
sides Of the building were falling in.
Then fire enveloped the debris, and in ten
minutes time the structure was reduced
to ashes. The speed of the flames was so
rapid that it was impossible for any one to
enter the wrecked building.
The miners from the Gaylord slope
rushed to the burning building and
heroically attempted to pull away the
burning timbers so that they might enter
and possibly save the lives Of some Of the
imprisoned girls, but the flames had
gained too much headway, and the men
were absolutely powerless.
When the freInen arrived they found
that their hose was not long enough to
reach the fire from the nearest water sup
ply, so that they were also unable to rem
der any material assistance.
When the fire finally died out for want
Of material to feed upon, the bodies Of
the unfortunate girls were dug from the
debris. Their heads, arms and legs were
gone; nothing remained but their charred
bodies which were entirely unrecogniz-
able, Miss Maggie Lynch's body being
recognized only by its large size.
Thousands Of persons had gathered
about the wrecked building; and the pit
eOus cries Of the relatives of the dead
girls were heart-rending.
All of the bodies that could be found
were placed in blankets and taken to I'm
dertaker Williams establishments, where
the relatives gathered and vainly endeav-
ored to recognize the charred remains:
The following is a complete list Of those
who lost their lives:
Katie Jones, aged twenty years.
Maggie Lynch, twenty-one.
Hattie Jones, sixteen.
Gladdie Reeves, fifteen.
Mary Walters, seventeen.
Maggie Richards, seventeen.
Mary Ann Lake seventeen.
Ruth Powell, twenty.
Esther Powell Ia sister Of Ruth), twen-
ty-two.
Charlotte Humphreys, seventeen.
Jane Ann Humas, seventeen.
The only person who was in the build
ing at the time Of the explosion who re-
mains to tell the story is Foreman Reese,
and he is fatally burned. He says he was
standing by a stove when the first explo-
sion was heard. He rushed to the door to
notify the girls, when several explosions
occurred, and he next found himself in
the cellar. He managed to crawl out into
the open air, but is 50 terribly burned that
he can live but short time.
The cause Of the explosion is not yet
known. Mr.. Powell says there was but a
small quantity of powder in the building,
a magazine near by being used as stor-
age-house. One theory is that box Of
squibs became ignited from spontaneous
combustion, and exploded.