Semi-weekly register. (Brookings, Brookings Co., S.D.) 1894-1898, 1895-11-09
DISASTER.
Seventeen Bodies Already Re-
covered From the Journal
Building.
Score Of Others Injured and as
Many More Reported
Missing.
Explosion Of Boilers Is Said
to Have Caused the
Accident.

DETROIT, NOV. IA gaping reuV
nearly 10 feet wide from top to bottom
Of a 5-story business block, II dead
bodies recovered, a score of persons in
tured, and more than that number
missing, with q certainty that many
more dead bodies are beneath the ruins
such are the results Of the explosion
which startled the city and totally
wrecked about third of the building
at the corner Of Larned and Shelby
streets occupied by the Detroit Evening
journal and several other tenants.
At a. m. the whole neighborhood
was terrified by afearful shock, caused
by the exploding of the boilers in the
basement of The Journal building. At
the same instant the five floors and roof
of that section of the building collapsed
and fell to the basement, carrying with
it at least so persons who had not the
81 ghtest Warning of Their Danger.
The cloud of dust which blinded the
eyes of the amazed spectators Of the
horror was quickly succeeded by smoke
from the fires which started in the
ruins. The work of rescue has been
rushed to the utmost ever since, but
progress has necessarily been very slow.
The debris and brick are dumped into
an almost solid mass upon which guam
titles of water have been poured and
into which comparatively little head
way has been made. The dead thus far
taken from the ruins are:
LIZZIE TAPLEY, employed by Davis
g. 60.
HENRY WALSH, employed by Kohl
brand Engraving company.
JOHN J. REUTER-, employed by Dun
lap & Co.
GEORGE H. SOULE, engraver.
GEORGE SHAW, mailer Detroit Jour
nal.
WILLIE HALVES, mailer Detroit Jour
nal.
JAMES ROSS.
HENRY LARIVERE, employe Journal
mailing room.
CARRIE BAUER, bookkeeper in Hill
her's bindery.
UNKNOWN BOY, remains found in
ruins.
WILLIAM w. DUNLAP.
1 WALTER P. SANDY, machinist.
MICHAEL WARD, stereotyper.
E. L. REIGER, machinist.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN.
HATTIE KILLER, employe Killers
bookbindery.
MINNIE LIESE, bindery employe.
In addition to the bodies recovered
nearly a score of persons have been
taken from the ruins, seriously injured.
Thirty Persons stin Missing.
Some 80 tenants and employees in the
building are still missing and there can
be no doubt that most Of these are lying
dead under the debris.
The wrecked portion Of the building
was separated from the rest of the
structure by fire wall. The first floor
of that section was occupied by the
John Davis company, dealers in drug
gists' specialties, and by The Journal
mailing department. The second, third
and fourth floors were occupied by the
Davis company, W. w. Dunlap g. Co.,
machinists, and the Hitler bookbindery.
The editorial rooms of The journal are
on the fourth floor, but situated be-
yond the fire wall, and the staff escaped
injury.
The Journal stereotyping room on the
fifth floor was directly iii the path of
the explosion and went down in the
wreck. A few had miraculous escapes
and came staggering from the ruins
after the awful shock, scarcely knowing
what had befallen them.
CareIessness Caused 1t.
Carelessness is undoubtedly the cause
of the disaster, but where the responsi.
bility rests is as yet problematical.
Thomas Thomason, the engineer, was
painfully injured. He said he could as
sign no reason for the explosion. City
Boiler Inspector McGregor says he in
spected the boilers last August and had
found them up to the requirements.
Some of the employees in the building
assert the boilers were very old and
known to be unsafe. Still others have
a theory that the explosion was caused
by chemicals owned by the Davis com,