Evening journal., 1889-02-26
ONE CENT.
SWALLOWED UP BY FIRE.
Horrible Death Of Eleven Girls
at Plymouth, Pa.
cHARRED IIEYoND RECOGNITION.

Tseatl. Comes During a Pleasant After
Dinner chnt-A large squib Factory
Instantly Wrecked by Mysterious Ex-
pIosions--fs iacIxened Bodies and Bones
WILKEsBaKRE Pa. Feb 90 Eleven girls,
varying in age from i3 to 29 years, lost their
lives in Powells squib factory at Plymouth
yesterday afternoon Powder squibs arc
manufactured al this place for the use OF
miners. The Hquib is a sort Of fuse which il
inserted IN the drilled hole ia the coal Girls
are employed to make These squibs because
their abor Is cheaper and they can do the
work more satisfactorily than men. Powell's
squibs ane used in probably every mine in the
United states aud Canada, and some are ex-
ported % the English solleries. When trade
is good tae factory employs about eighty
girls Lately, however, trade has been some
what slack and last wanls part Of the ma
chinery broke down, and the superintendent
was compelled to lay OH forty "A the girls
Yesterday morning all hands reported for
work, but the machinery was not yet in
order, and all were sent home with the excep-
tion Of about seventeen, who were retained
70 do some odd jobs. Whcn the f2 o'clock
whistle blew six of the girls who lived near
by went to their homes Cor their midday
meal The remainder-eleyen all told-ata
their dinner in the factory After all had
dined the girls adjourned 10 an ante-roorn
containing steve. Here they all sat and
chatted.
Maggie Lynch said she had an invitation
10 social in the evening Charles Beatty had
asked her to accompany him. and she said
she guessed she would go. All the other girls
urged her 70 do SO, saying she would have
good time. What passed between the girls
after this Is not known There the story
stops short Alice Reese, who carried dinner
for two Of the workers, left for her homs
after Miss Lynch had told OF her intention to
go 20 the social. A few minutes before /
o'clock = almost starting up time = John
Thomas, who resides near the factory, was
sitting at table eating his dinner, when
vio.ent explosion shook the dishes from tbs
table. At first he Thought it was an ex-
plosion IN the mines, but looking out OF tho
window he saw the roof Of the factory shoot
ing upin the air, and when It fell back again
the sides OF the building were falling in.
Then iire enveloped tho debris and IN ten
minutes time tho structure was reduced 70
ashes.
The spread of the flames was so rapid that
il was impossible for any one 70 enter the
wrecked building. The miners from the Gay
Lard slope rushed to the burning building and
heroically attempted 10 pull away tho burn
ing timbers 70 that they might enter and pos.
sibly save the lives Of some OF the imprisoned
| girls, but the flames had knined too much
headway and the men were absolutely power
| less
When the iircmen arrived they found that
their hose was not long enough TO reach the
fire from the nearest water supply so that
thoy were also unable TO render material as
sistance. When the fire fualy died out for
want Of material 70 feed upon the bodies Of
tho unfortunate girls were dug from the
| debris. Their heads, arms and legs werd
| gone; nothing remained but their chi1rel
bodies, which were entirely unrecognizablc,
Miss Maggie LYuch's body being recognized
only by its large size.
Thousands Of persons had gathered about
the wrecked building, and the piteous cries
Of the relatives of the dead girls was heart
rending All Of the bones that could he
found were placed in blankets and taken to
Undertalser Williams establishment. where
the relatives gathered and vainly endeavored
10 recognizes the charfcd remains The
following is a complete list Of those
who lost their lives. Katie jones.
aged 20, Maggie Lynch, 81; Hattie
Jones, ID; Gladis Reese, Is; Mary Walters.
Il; Maggie Richards, n; Mary Ann Lake, n !;
Ruth Powell, ~; Esther Powell IA sister "a
Ruth, %; Charlotte Humphries, IL; Jane
Ann Humas, H. The only person who was
in the building at the time Of the explosion
who remains to tell the story is Foreman.
Reese and he Is fatally burned.
he says he was standing by stove when
the first explosion was heard He rushed &c
the door 70 notify the girls, when several ex.
| plosions occurred, and he next found himself
ia the cellar. He managed TO crawl out intc
the open air, but is 80 terribly burned that he
can live bnt short Time
The cause Of the explosion is not known
Mr., Powell says there was but small guam
tity Of powder in the building a nlagazns
near BY being used as a storage house. One
theory IS that box Of squbs became igniged
from spontaneous comous1, OF, and exploued.