Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-02-26
TERRIBLE EXPLOSION.
Girls in a squib Factory
Cremated.
THE NAMES ON THE DEATH ROLL,
Two Boys Reported to Have Shared
the Same Fate-S0me Heart
rending Scenes.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD. |


PITrsBURG, February 25.-A Wilkes
barre, Pa, special says q terrible ex-
plosion occurred in squib factory at
Plymouth. Nine girls were burned to
death and thirteen seriously injured.
LATER.-It is now reported that nine
women and two boys were killed. The
cause of the explosion is not learned.
Everyth ing about the scene of the wreck
is confusion and excitement.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
WILKEsBARRE, Pa, February 25.-A
terrible disaster occurred at Plymouth, q
few miles from here, by which the souls
of ten girls and one man were hurled into
eternity. Back OF the Gaylord shaft
stood the factory of John Powell, used
tor the manufacture of the squibs used by
miners in loosening the coal in mines.
The factory employed eighty-four girls,
ranging from 12 to 20 years old, and
several male workmen. While the ma
jority of the girls were at their homes
eating lunch, people were startled by the
deafening thunders of terrific explosion.
They rushed terror-stricken to the
doors and windows, and in the
distance saw clouds of smoke ascending
from the squib factory. Soon large
crowd had gathered around it and women
began wringing their hands and men
turned away from the sight presented
when the charred body of 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 eating their
MONDAY lunch. The scene was fraught
with terror as the girls, some of them
bleeding, others gasping for few breaths
cf fresh air. rushed to the windows and.
screamed frantically for help.
MINERS TO THE REsCUE.
About this time dozen miners from
he adjoining colliery came upon the
scene, and as soon as they saw the
bleeding forms of the girls calling for
aid, they rushed towards the building in
a body, but fate prevented their preferred
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, a
moment before, had stood cry
ing for assistance. The brave
men when the smoke and flying
debris had settled. rushed among
the ruins, and, one by one, the bodies
were taken out, charred beyond recog-
milton, bleeding and mangled. AS
mothers saw and recognized some ia
miliar token or piece of dress by which
they could tell their loved ones, the
scene was one that represented the ex-
treme throes of sorrow and destruction.
The bodies, as fast as they were taken
out, were removed to an undertaking
establishment, where they were placed
in row. Their features were 80 badly
mutilated that they were scarcely recog-
| nizable. .--
THE NAMES OF THE VICTIMS.
The killed, so far as known. are Kate
Jones, aged 18; Maggie Lynch, aged q
Hattie Jones, aged 15; Gladdis Reese,
aged Is; Mary Walters, aged II; Maggie
Richards, aged IL Mary A. Lake, aged
II; Ruth Powell, aged 10; Esther Pow.
ell, aged %; Jane Ann Thomas, aged 16
Charlotte Humphreys, aged II. John
Powell, the proprietor, was badly injured
Business in the town OF Plymouth is at
a standstill and deathlike pail hangs
over the community. Several kegs OF
powder caused the explosion, but how
they were exploded is yet mystery.
| At the main entrance the remains of
five girls were found. They must evi
IDENTIFY have made an effort to get out
after the first explosion, but were caught
in the debris before they could reach the
door. Not one was recognizable. Some
had their heads blown off, others their
arms, and the majority were minus both
legs and arms.
The arrival OF the relations of the dead
added confusion to the scene, Their
cries were heartrending. What made it
more pathetic was the fact that mothers
and sisters were unable to recognize
their dead.
After working for hours, the rescuers
succeeded in getting out all the remains,
which consisted OF trunks, arms, legs and
skulls. Every one in the building at the
time OF the explosion perished, with the
exception of Foreman Reese. He was
standing at stove when the first explo-
sion took place. He rushed for the door
to notify the girls, when the second ex-
ploslon knocked him down in the base
ment. He managed to crawl out of this
place.
The cause of the explosion is a mys-
terry. Reese says that squibs piled in q
poA muoI uaVo oAplOuoU IRON BpODt8n-
eous combustion. He says he never
allowed any large quantity of powder in
the building. When powder was wanted
it was taken from magazine 100 yards
away. Experts, however, claim that
there must have been powder in the
building or the force of the explosion
would not have been so great. There
were three stoves in the building. 1t is
stated that on several occasions the girls
in order to have little fun, would place
powder on the stove, ''just to see it
shoot off,
Another theory advanced for the ex--
plosion is that pot of sulphur on the
stove which was used to dip the squibs
into, must have boiled over and ignited
some loose powder which fred the kegs.
The scenes around the undertaker's
tablishment, where the bodies of the
victims were taken, were heartrending.
Eleven bodies lay there, headless, arm
less and legless. From pieces of the
scorched clothing and small buttons the
victims were identified.
Great Rum at Billiards.
CHICAGO, February 25.-Frank Msgei-
ola was Jacob Schaeffer's opponent to-
night in remarkable four hundred point
\ uk