River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-02-28
BLOWN INTO ETERNITY.
Eleven Girls Killed by the Explosion of a
Squib Factory at Plymouth, Pa.

tieNen Girls Killed by the Explosion of a
Nquib Factory at Plymouth, Pa.
! WliKEsBARRE, Pa. Feb "a terrible
disaster occurred at Plymouth a few miles
/ from here, Monday afternoon, by which
eleven girls We're killed and two men dan
gerously injured Back of the Gaylord shaft
stood the factory of John Powell used for
the manufacture Of squibs, used by miners
In loosening coal in the mines The factory
employed eighty four girls ranging from
Il TO - years of age. and several woTkmen.
While the majority OF the girls were at
their homes eating dinner the people were
start ell by the deafeuing thunders OF a ter
rife explosion. They rushed terror
stricken 10 their doors and windows.
and in the distance saw clouds of
smoke ascending from the squib fac
tory, Soon a large crowd had gathered
around il and women began wringing their
hands. and men turned away from the sight
presented when the eharred body Of a
young girl was seen lying in one of the
rooms and the fact became known
that at least twenty persons were in the
building at the time of the explosion eat
ing their MONDAY lunch The scene was
| fraught with terror, the girls some of
| them bleeding, others gasping for few
breaths of fresh air. rushed TO the windows
and screamed frantically for help About
this time dozen miners from the adioin-
ing colliery came upon the scene and a.
soon a. they saw the bleeding forms of
the girls calling for aid they rushed
toward the building in a body. but fate
prevented their proffered succor As
soon as they stepped near the door another
| terrific explosion took place and the entire
building collapsed, burying in the ruins the
forms that moment before stood crying for
assistance The Drawer of the men. when the
smoke and flying debris had settled rushed
I among the ruins. and one by one the bodies
We're found and taken out charred beyond
recognition, bleeding and mangled As moth
ers saw and recognized some familiar token
or piece of dress by which they could tell
their loved ones the scene was one that rep
resented the extreme throes OF SORROW The
bodies as fast as they were taken out. were
removed To an undertaking establishment,
where they were placed in a row. The
features OF the dead We're SO badly mutilated
that they were scarcely recognizable. The
killed so far as known are:
Kate Jones' aged Is; Maggie Lynch, aged q
Hattie Jones. aged 49, Gladdis Rees, aged 10;
Mary Walters, aged IL; MaRg II chards, aged
/ Il; Mary A. Lake aged II; Ruth Powell. aged
~; Esther Powell, aged -; Jane Anne
Thomas, aged -. Charlotte HUMPHREYS aged II.
John Powell, the proprietor. was badly
AilAANNts ~ NstN iOitHidu itttNt, anu II II
feared that a further search may result in
the nnding of other bodies
1T the main entrance TO the factory the
It mains o; five of the girls were found
/ They must have made On effort TO get
out after the first explosion, but were
caught in the debris before they could
reach the door Not one of the bodies
was recognizable. Some had their heads
blown Off others their arms, and a majority
were minus both legs and arms. The ar
rival of the relatives of the dead added
confusion to the scene Their cries were
heartrendering and pitiable, and what made
it more pathetic was the fact that mothers
and sisters were unable to recognize their
own dead. After working for hours the
rescuers succeeded in getting out all the
remains known to be in the ruins
which consisted of trunks, arms, legs and
skulls. Every one in the building at the
time of the explosion persisted with the ex-
ception of Mr. Powell and Foreman Reese.
Reese was standing at a stove when the first
explosion took place. He rushed for the
door to notify the girls, when the second
explosion Knocked him down into the base
ment. He managed TO crawl out of this
place.
The squihs made ia the factory are pieces
Of straw filled with powder and fitted with
fuses at each end The cause of the explo-
sion is a mystery