St. Paul daily globe., 1889-02-26
The Bodies Burned to q Crisp,
and Only One Could Be
Identified.
Heroic But Useless Attempts
to Rescue the Unfortu-
nate Girls.
Touching Scenes About the
Ruins as the Corpses Are
Dragged Out.

WILKEsBARRE, Pa, Feb. pa ten
rible disaster occurred at Plymouth, a
few miles from here, this afternoon, 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 for the manufacture
of sqnibs used by the miners in loosen
ing coal in the mines. The factory
employed eighty-four girls, rang
ing from twelve to twenty
years, and several male wOrkmen.
While the majority of the girls
were at their homes eating dinner the
people were startled by the deafening
thunders of a terrific explosion. They
rushed terror-stricken to their 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 pres ented when
the charred 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, eating their
MONDAY lunch. The scene was fraught
with terror, as the girls, some of them
bleeding. others gasping for few
breaths of fresh air, rushed to the will
dows and screamed frantically for help.
About this time dozen miners from
the adjoining colliery came upon tho
fGny thrs
bleeding forms of the girls calling for
aid. rushed towards the building in O
body, but fate prevented their protfered
succor. As soon as they stepped near
the door another terrific explosion
took place. and the entire build
ing collapsed, burying in its ruins
the forms that a moment before stood
crying for assistance. The braver 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, charred beyond
recognition, bleeding and mangled. As
mothers saw and recognized some
familiar token or piece of dress by
which they could tell their loved ones,
the scene was one that represented the
extreme throes of sorrow and destruc-
ton. The bodies. as fast as they were
taken out. were removed to an under
taking establishment, where they were
placed in row. Their features were
so badly mutilated that they were
scarcely recognizable.
LIST OF THE DEAD.
The killed, so far as known, are:
KATE JONES. aged eighteen.
MAGGIE LYNCH, aged twenty-one.
HETTIE JONES, aged sixteen.
GLADYS REESE. aged fifteen.
MARY WALTERS aged seventeen.
MAGGIE RICHARDS, aged seventeen.
MARY A, LAKE, aged seventeen.
RUTH POWELL. aged nineteen.
ESTHER POWELL, aged twenty-five
JESSIE CONNELL AGED sixteen.
GEORGE y. REESE, engineer. aged forty.
John Powell, the proprietor, was
badly injured. Business in the town
of Plymouth is at a stand-still and
death-like pail hangs over the COM
munity. Several kegs of powder
caused the explosion, but how they
were exploded is as yet mystery.
THE DETAILS.
Eleven girls, varying in age from
thirteen to twenty-five years, lost their
lives i'm POwell'S squib factory at Ply
mouth this afternoon. Powder sqnibs
are manufactured at this place for the
use of miners. POwelFS squibs are
used in probably every mine in the
United States and Canada, and some
are exported TO the English c0llieries.
When trade is good the factory emploed
about eighty girls. Lately, however,
trade has been somewhat slack, and
last week part of the machinery broke
down and the superintendent was COM
pelled to lay off forty of the
girls. This morning all hands re-
ported for work, but the machinery was
not yet in order, and all were sent home
with the exception of about seventeen,
who were retained to dO some odd jobs.
When the 12 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
dinner in the factory. After ali had
dined, the girls adjourned to an ante
room containing stove. Here they all
sat and chatied OIL various topics. Mag
gie Lynch said she had an invitation to
a social this evening. Charles Beatley
had asked her to accompany him, and
She said she guessed she would
20. All the other girls urged
her to do SO. sa, ing she would
have a good time. What passed be-
between the girls after this is not
known. There the story stops short.
Alice Reece, who carried dinner for two
Of the workers. left for her home after
Miss Lynch had told of her intention to
20 TO the social. A few minutes before
O'Clock, almost starting up time, John
Thomas. who resides near the factory,
when a violent explosion shook @
fishes from the table. At first he
thought it was an explosion in the
mines, but looking out of the window
ne 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 envel0ped the
debris, and in ten minutes the structure
was reduced to ashes. The speed of the
1ames was so rapid that it was impOs-
sible for any one to enter the wrecked
building. The miners from the Gaylord
slope rushed to the burning building
md her0ically 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
1ames had gained too much headway,
md the men were absolutely powerless.
When the firemen arrived they found
hat their hose was not long enough te
reach the fire from the nearest water
supply, so that they were also unable 20
'ender material assistance. When the
ire finally died out for want of material
70 feed upon the bodies of the unior-
.unate girls were dug from the debris.