Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-11-08
SEARCH FOR BODIES
In Ruins of the Wrecked
Buildings at Detroit,
Resulted in Finding of 80 Bodies Up
to Thursday Afternoon.
Cause Of Explosion Said TO Be Due 10 q
Dry Boiler.

Detroit, Mich, Nov THE progress
| OF the men working on the ruins resulting
| from yesterdays terrible boiler explosion
was very slow after o'clock, this morn
ing, and from that hour until q, only two
more bodies were dug out of the debris.
They We're those of Adolph Scrieber, aged
20, foreman of Killers bindery, and John
Gordon, aged 80, stereotyper on the Detroit
Journal
A large force of men We're put to work
about O'Clock, and the work Is progress
ing much more rapidly. At O'Clock the
searchers uncovered the 10th body. 1t
was that of Jennie Neubauer, one OF
Killers employees. Five minutes later tn,
body of Bertha Wcdbusch was dug ont,
and at 80 still another girls body was
recovered. 1t was badly burned, and was
not at once recognized.
The caused of yesterday frightful ca
tastrophc was settled beyond all question,
this morning
The explosion was caused by a dry
boiler
BY l o'clock, % bodies In all had been
taken from under the mass OF debris, and
four more had been added to the list of
identified dead. They were John r.
Brcitenbecher, aged 30, employee Of Hill
ler's book bindery; Rose Morgan, Kittie
Leonard and John Kooherber, eyed II, an
employee at Killers. Miss Morgan was
an employee In Killers and Miss Leonard
an employee Of John Davis. a. Co.
The heaviest wall OF the journal build
ing proper is considered to be in an un-
safe condition and the fire chief has issued
orders that the floors of the wrecked build
ing, No 40, which act as u support to it,
be not disturbed This will hinder the
work of rescue, as 1t is under these floors,
it is believed, the majority of the missing
will be found.
The 26th body found was that Of Ernest
Perkins, boy of 10. who was employed in
the Journal mailing room. He was found
Jammed against an unexploded boiler
about 11.30. Shortly after this body was
taken out, two others were uncovered, but
at IL they had not been dug out.
The 27th body was picked out shortly
before 3. The face was blackened by
smoke and fire, but the body was identified
as Emma Lichtenberg. A few minutes
after 3, the 2Sth body was dug out Of q
bunch of four bodies. 1t was the body of
a girl. The head, feet and one leg were
burned Off but n part of the victims
clothing was intact and she was identified
as one of the Weidhusch sisters. Whether
1t was Annie or Lizzie, the person making
the Identification could not be sure
Annie and Lizzie were cousins OF Bertha
Weidbusch, whose body was recovered,
this morning, and Lizzie was not reported
missing until this morning
Sixty or 20 occupants of the journal
building proper, at tie time of yesterdays
explosion, had an almost miraculous
escape
The building was thoroughly inspected
by the board of building inspectors, today,
and found to be in a terribly shattered
condition. The inspectors say that there
is not q solid Joint In It, The west wall
is buckled six inches, the east wall badly
cracked at the third floor, and elbowed
several inches out of plumb; the north
wall In an IN shape and the entire struc-
ture has been moved on its foundations.
One inspector says that in his opinion
the west wall was swayed out fully two
feet by the force Of the explosion. The
inspectors think it wonderful that the
building did not utterly collapse. The
board OF inspectors will condemn the
building. The surrounding buildings
which suffered greatly from the shock
will be thoroughly examined.
Some employees Of the Free Press Job
printing house, almost directly opposite
where the explosion took place, refused to
go to work, this morning. claiming tfat
the building had been SO shattered as 10
render it unsafe.
Late this afternoon, the bodies Of Lou
Fritz, John Francis Derby. Joseph Brad
ley and George Hitler were recovered from
the ruins This tnakes 70 bodiea IN fap
found.