Birmingham state herald., 1895-11-07
A TERRIBLE EXPLOSION.
About Thirty People Were Killed and Many More Were Injured in the Journal
 Printing Establishment.

this morning one of the steam boilers connected with the Journal plant explod- ed with terrific force and with terrible results. The boiler was located in the southeastern corner of the building, No. 40 West Larned street. The first floor was occupied by the Journal mailing de- partment, in which force of fifteen men and boys are usually employed. The sec ond floor was occupied by the Rogers Typographical Supply company, employ ing seven or eight men; the third floor by Hiller's book bindery which employed fully Twenty-Five girls and men; the fourth floor was occupied by W. Kohl brade, an engraver and on the fifth floor was the stereotype department of the Journal. Only three men were at work in this department when the explosion oc- cured The building No. 45, occupied by John E. Davis & Co.,, grocers' supplies, was also completely wrecked. Only five or six persons were at work there, how ever when the disaster occurred and the loss of life in that building will be small In an instant the buildings were mass of ruins, under which were buried many human beings
 The explosion shook the surrounding buildings, and glass in the radius of a block was shattered in all directions, many employees of adjoining establish ments being severely cut by the flying glass.
 Half and hour after the explosion oc- cured fire broke out in the debris and the firemen had to suspend the work of rescue and devote their attention to put ting out the flames. Just before the flames started one poor fellow was found with the lower part of his body pinioned tightly. He was conscious and begged the rescuers to get him out. They worked like fiends to release the unfortunate vic tim, but all to no avail. The flames sud- denly shot up around him and he had to be left toi his fate.
 Up to noon eight bodies had been taken from the ruins and two more were in sight. Most of the bodies had been burned beyond recognition. The death list will probably reach thirty.
 The Rogers Typographical Supply com pany, which had just been leased by the Mergenthaler company to William Dun lap, and which was located on the second floor of the wrecked building, was entirely destroyed and the loss cannot be esti- mated. The destruction of the plant cuts off all supplies to papers using the Rogers Typography machines.
 The list of identified dead is as follows:
 Lizzie Tapeley, 20 years of age, em- ployed by Davis & Co.
 Henry Walsh, boy employed by the Kehlbrand Engraving company.
 John J. Reuter-, IF years of age, an ap- prentice in the employ of Dunlap & Go.
 George H. Soule, engraver.
 George Shaw, 16 years of age, mailer on Detroit Journal.
 James Ross, stereotyper, Detroit Jour nal.
 William w. Dunlap of Dunlap Rogers Typographical Supply company.
 Henry Lariviera, mailing clerk. Detroit Journal.
 Walter P. saxby. macbnist, employed by Dunlap & Co.
 F. L. Reger. machinist, employed by Dunlap & Go.
 The body of the twelfth victim recov- cred is that of boy unidentified as yet.
 The missing are: George J. Hitler Hat tie Hitler (forewoman), Minnie Liese, An na Uhlik, Rose Morgan, Bertha Weid- bush. Annie Weidbush, John Breitenbech- CT. Adolph Shriver. Jennie Neuger, Charles Lind Ca boy), Carrie Bauer (book- keeper), Rosa Bretz. Emma Licbtenberg, John Kierber, all employees of Hiller's book bindery John Bommer 165 Chest nut street, employed by Kehlbrand En- graving company; Michael Ward, 627 Seventh street, stereotyper Detroit Jour- nal; Kittie Leonard. Hummer avenue, employed by Davis & Co.,; Nelson La croix, engineer, employed fin Journal; Miss Lou Fretz, 20 years of age, 939 Eighteenth street, employed by Dunlap & Co.,; James Thomas 394 Junction avenue, machinst for Dunlap & Co.,; John S. Der by, 40 Sixteenth street. carpenter, work ing for Dunlap & Co.,. Joseph Bradley, carpenter. married. with two children; Ernest Perkins, 45 Beech street, mail clerk, Detroit Journal; John Gordon, Liz zie Taylor, Eugene Wilson, John Camp bell, William Reynolds.
 The Detroit Journal was located at Shelby and Larned streets, occupying for it's main office 70 foot front on Larned street. Next east of it's building and in part of the same block were two 20 foot fronts. which constituted the scene of the disaster. One of these, No. 45, was wholly occupied by John Davis & Co.,, while in the basement of the other were the two boilers which exploded. Just above the boiler room on the first floor was the Journals mailing room. The second floor was occupied by the Kehl- brand company and w. W. Dunlap's agency for Rogers typographical SUD- plies On the third and fourth floors were J. George Hiller's book bindery, and the top floor was the Journals stereotyp- ing room. There were three stereotypers at work, about thirty girls in the book bindery, besides the proprietor, a ma chinist and several others in the typo- supply shop. several engravers and assistants in the Kehlbrand com pany's room and force of clerks on the ground floor. the mailing room. There were six persons in the Davis building Tv, 6o ho cornopt xvoro ff7o or, u9v,nor ira