The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1893-03-25
BIG MILL BLOWN UP.
Terrific Explosion OF Flour Dust at Iitch


heid, III.
LITcHFIELD, H., March 2l.-An ex-
plosion resembling an earthquake and
destroying nearly 100000 worth of
property occurred here this morning.
The loss of several lives and the injury
Of number of people also resulted
from the catastrophe. Practically every
business structure in LitchfeId was
wrecked, and scores of dwellings rem
dered uninhabitable. Panic reigned
for hours and details of the terrible af-
fair were obtained with the utmost diff
Guilty.
About 3:15 \. NJ. an alarm of fire was
turned in, and upon investigation it de-
velOped that the LitChtield Planet
mills, located in the southwest part OF
the city, and said to be one of the larg-
est if not the largest single flour making
establishment in the world, was in
flames. Before the firemen arrived
upon the scene the fire had gained
such headwav that for some time moth
ing could be done to check it, and
it seemed as if the entir,
south part of the town would be
consumed. The fire originated by a
spark from passing locomotive falling
in one of the dust rooms. The hose and
hook and ladder companies ha! hardly
succeeded in getting their apparatus in
working order when an explosion, ap-
palllng in It's violence, was caused by
the flames suddenly coming in contact
with pent-up mill dust. The explosion
cl IL hn .lrfh C1,,, ,lor rltyN 10
area while the atmospheric conclusion
was felt as far as Decatur, distance of
fifty miles.
The tiremen battled with the flames
for three long hours, finally subduing
them TO such an extent that adjoining
property was saved, The explosion
broke large plate glass windows in q
majority OF the stores IN the city; pros
trated almost everyone on the streets,
shook houses loose from their founda-
tiOns, and Jared the machinery of the
Ljtchheld Car 4 Machine Company to
such an extent that work had to be suS-
pended.
The head millwright, John Carve, of
Waterloo, in making an effort to secure
his tools from the burning building,
was stunned by the explosion, and en-
deavOring to escape, WAS pinned against
the smokestack and burned to death.
When found about thIee hours after
wards, his legs were burned off at the
hips; the right arm and the left hand
were entirely consumed, and his body
was burned to perfect crisp.
The large elevator standing imme-
djately across the Wabash tracks west
OF the mill and containing some 2JO, 600
bushels of wheat, WAS quickly III flames,
and together with It's valuable contents
burned to the ground. Ten or twelve
cars of wheat standing on the house
track were reduced to ashes. A large
pile of debris about ten or fifteen feet
high fell on the main track of the Wa
bash RaF2af 6n s road amf is as hid
The Western Union Telegraph wires
are also down, which makes matters d
great deal worse.
The mill WIS the property of kehlOr
Bros, of st. Louis. The capacity of the
iitchtield mill was 2,GCO barrels of flour
daily. 1t employed $50 men and
was, it is claimed, the largest
Touring mill in the United States.
General Manager 4. l.. Smith stated
that the amount Of Insurance carried on
the mill, elevator and contents WAS
about 500, 900, while the loss will run
up TO almost 81 ,000, 900. Although the
proprietOrs of the establishment
are st. Louis people, in ihe
loss of the Planet Mill LitChtield
loses, temporarily at least, her best in
dustrial Institution. Excursion trains
from all the neighboring towns are
bringing in hundreds of visitors to see
the remains or what was yesterday
the pride of litchfield.
4 number of serious but not neCes-
sarily fatal accidents are reported.
Mrs. Y. Hoffman had leg broken, and
Mrs. +. Eichelroth, Sr., her head
smashed.
In addition to those already named
the following persons were Injured;
THOMAS DoNAHUE, head cut and
bruised.
Mrs. HENRY STEIGIF, arm crushed.
Mrs. LEVI HU-sY. arm cut.
-. B. GREENWALD, cut badly by lug
glass.
ANDREW DUNCAN, head cut.
Among the property losses surround
ing the mills were the house, grocery
and saloon of \. Geuber and the gro
Gerry of John kraus; also the houses Of
Andrew Duncan ard Michael O'NeIl,
whose occupants escaped with slight in
jUrIes.
The shock Of the explosion was felt
in the adjoining villages of Clyde, But
ler, Gillespie and Hillsboro. In many
of these places the concussion was 50
great that plate glass win
dows were broken. When the
fire started the citizens were
awakened by the ringing of bells.
and before many of them could dress
they were stunned by the terrific shock
of the explosion, and the next moment
found the walls of their homes falling
upon them. The night watchman in
the mill was hurled through a
window and badly injured. Window
glass was broken and chlmneys blown
~ every house within radius Of two
blocks from the mill WAS badly wrecked.
All the plate glass in the stores on Main
and State streets was blown out.
s. q :.