The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-02-26

and one man were hurled into eternity
Back of the Gaylord shaft stood tn
factory of John Powell, used for til
manufacture of squibs used by miner
in loosening coal in the mines.
The factory employed eighty fou
girls, ranging from II to 20 years O.
age, aud several male workmen.
| A DEAFENING REPORT.
While the majority of the girls wer
at their homes eating dinner, the peo
pie were startled by the deafeninl
thunders of a terrible explosion. They
rushed, terror stricken, to the doors anc
windows, and in an Instant saw clou(
of smoke ascending from the squit
factory. Soon a large crowd haC
gathered around. The women begaI
wrinaing their hands and the mer
turned away from the sight presented
when the charred body of young girl
Was seen lying n one of the rooms
and the fact became known that al
least twenty persons were in the build.
ing at the time of the explosion, eating
their MONDAY lunches.
BLEEDING AND GAsPING.
The scene was fraught with terror,
as the girls, some bleeding. others
gasping for few breaths of fresh air,
rushed to the windows and screamed
frantically for help. About this time a
dozen miners from the adjoining col
liery came upon the scene, and as soon
! ha of M
girls calling for aid they rushed toward
the building in a body. But fatespre-
vented their profereu succor, for as
soon as they stepped near the door an
other terrific explosion took place and
in The ruins the forms that moIs8enJ
before stood crying for assistance.
PUSHED INTO THE RUINS.
The drawer of the men, when the
smoke and flying debris had settled,
rushed among the ruins, and one by
one the bodies were found and taken
out. They were Charred beyond re-
cognItion, bleeding and mangled. AS
mothers saw and recognized some
familiar token or piece of dress, by
waich they could tell their loved ones,
the scene was one that represented the
extreme throes of sorrow and distrac
ton. The bodies, as fast as they were
taken out, were removed to an under
aking establishment. where they were
placed in a row. Their features were
so badly mutiIated that they were
scarcely recognizable.
LIST OF THE KILLED.
The killed as far as known, are: Kate
Jones, aged Is; Maggie Lynch, aged 21;
Hattie Jones, aged Is; Gladys Rose,
aged Is; Mary Walters, aged II; Maggie
Richards, aged II; Mary A. Lake. aged
IT; Ruth Powell, aged 10; Esther
Powell, aged %; Jane Ann Thomas aged
I6; Charlotte Humphreys, agedl7.
John Powell, the proprietor, was
badly injured. Business in the town of
Plymouth stands still. and death. like
a pail. hangs over the community.
Several kegs of powder caused the e1-
plosion; but how they were exploded is
as YET mystery.
0IEG THEIR DEAD.
at the main entrance the remains OF
five of the girls were found, They
must evidently have made an effort to
get cut after the first explosion but
we're caught in the debris before they
could reach the door. Not one was
recognizable. Some had their heads
blown Of, others their arms and a ma
jority were minus both legs and arms.
The arrival of the relations OF the dead
added confusion to the scene.
Their cries were heartrendlng. What
made il more pathetic was the fact that
mothers and sisters were unable to
rec ognlzs their dead.
A CHASTITY FIND.
After the working hours the rescuers
succeeded in getting out all the remains
which consisted of trunks, arms. legs
at the time of the explosion persisted,
He was standing at the stove when the
first explosion took place. He rushed
to the door to notify the girls, when the
second explosion knocked him down
into the basement He managed to
crawl out of this place.
The cause Of the explosion is a
mystery.
PLAYING WITH POWDER.
Reese says that squibs piled in box
must have exploded from spontaneous
combustion. He says be never allowed
any large quantity of powder in the
building. When the powder was
wanted it was taken from the magazine
100 yards away. Experts however
claim there must have been powder in
the building or the force of the explo-
sion would not have been so great.
There were three stoves in the building.
Il is stated that on several occasions
the girls in order to have little fun
would place powder on the stove "Iusr
te see it shoot eff"
Another theory adve n ed for the ex-
plosion is that pot OF sulphur on the
stove, which was used to dip squips
into, must have boiled over and ig-
nited some loose powder, which fred
the Kegs.
CRUEL SIGHT.
Tho acnna arnUnd the undarta ker,s