Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1895-11-08
A FEARFUL EXPLOSION.
The Detroit Journals Boilers Burst
With Fatal Results.
SEVERAL PERSONS MISSING.
The Building Was Occupied by Several
Firms and Many Hands Were at Work
at the Time of the Accident.
The Cause sun Mystery.


The journal building, corner Of Larned
and Shelby streets, exploded with terrific
force. A portion Of the building, about 40
feet wide, Immediately collapsed, burying
many people. Several dead and several
injured have been taken out.
A great many girls and women were
employed in the building. The editorial
force of The journal are all reported TO be
saved. Shortly after the fall the ruins
broke out i'm flames and the great clouds
of sitting smoke seriously impeded the
flremen in their work Of rescue.
1t is positively known that at the time
of the collapse the stereotypers engaged
on the fifth floor were Michael Ward, Ar
thur Lynch and James Ross All three
went down in the wreck
In the third story was the Habbin cleo
trotype foundry, in which there wero some
half dozen men.
As near as can be learned, there were
about 80 people at work in the building,
exclusive of those who may have been in
jured while passing along the street.
Three men and one woman were car.ied
into The News office in a helpless condi-
tion within three minutes after the terri
BILE explosion. Cries Of others could be
heard in the ruins.
The people who were brought into The
News Office were Martin Myer, an adver-
tising solicitor Of The Evening News bad
ly cut in the neck and head II. H. Foye,
advertising solicitor on Tho News, cut
about the head; Frank G. Miner an art
ist in the Calvert Lithographing company,
with terrible cash in his forehead
The portion of the building directly
above the boilers on the first floor was oc-
cupied by The Journals mailing depart
A 1
there at work.
In the second story was George Killers
bOokbindery, in which n couple Of men
and about a score of girls were employed
All of these people, men, boys and girls
were precipitated into the horrible ruins
and escaping steam. The fire department
was summoned and with the aid of many
persons at once began the work of rescu-
ing the unfortunates.
Building Cut In Two.
The large building is cut clcanly in two
from front to rear by gap Of 40 feet
wide, at the bottom of which is an almost
solid pile of timbers, bricks and debris
into which the first hour or two's work of
search for bodies made but little progress.
The John Davis company, grocers sun
dries, occupied the ground floor and base.
ment of one end of tho building. The
firm S list of employees Is not large, but it
is doubtful whether all escaped The gap
in the building extends through about
half of the Davis establishment. The
Journals mailing department on the first
floor was demolished and the few employ
ees who were there at the time are not yet
accounted for. At least dozen persons
are believed to have been at work in Hill
| ler's bookbindery on the second floor
Some of those who escaped from the wreck
report that they heard screams of some of
the bindery girls as they fell and were
pinioned in the wreck. The Habbin Type
foundry on the third floor and The Jour
nails stereotyping department on the fifth
floor, each contributed human victims.
| The members of the editorial staff on the
fourth floor have however, all escaped,
many scrambling in the brick and debris.
About Is minutes after the explosion
those standing at the east side of the
wrecked building saw movement in the
rubbish A hand appeared, followed by
| an arm, and helpers ran to the rescue A
moment later John NJ. Winter, an en-
| ployee of John Davis spice and mustard
/ mills, was dragged out. Albert Lynch,
one of The Journals stereotypers, was re-
moved unconscious, but not seriously
| hurt. Several others were later rescued
| with but slight injuries.
II. G. Kohlbrand, owner Of the Kohl
brand Engraving company, whose rooms
were on the third floor, said at ii O'Clock
that two boys, each about 10 years old,
worked for him and were in the wreck,
| They were John Bowman and Henry
| Welch. They were the only persons at
work for him today.
Some of the Injured.
Those known to lie injured thus far are
/ Cornelius George, foreman journal mail
| ing room; Pressman Webber of The Jour.
nal, both legs and arm broken supposed
fatally injured; Tom Williams, assistant
foreman journal, struck on head by steam
| pipe, not seriously injured; Frank G.
/ Meiner, artist, seriously cut about head
/ with glass; Miss Annie O'Donnough, arm
broken, taken out unconscious; Martin
/ Meyer, advertising solicitor Evening
! News, badly cut in neck and head.
At 1O:3O the dead body of young girl
was taken out. She is unknown. A body
supposed to be that of william Dunlop
was dragged out about the same time. He
ran a small machine shop in the building,
the business being repairing of typesettna
machines.
As yet the cause of the explosion is a
mystery. Thomas Thompson, the engi-
| peer, came out Of the wreck painfully in
| jured. His clothes were all torn off and
| blood was running from a score Of cuts,
| He said he knew no reason for the explo,
sion and was too excited to talk coherent.
| ly. The work of re icue is progressing
/ slowly.