The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-06-14


minds one of the effect of
cyclone. Every part OF the building is
fisttened and split apart, and the work Of
pulling out the parts is largely a work
of pieces, and necessarily slow. A
large force OF laborers is engaged on the
pile. When the Mayor announced that
but seven were missing the effect OF sur
prise and relief was very noticeable ia the
crowded hundreds Ia the street in front
Of the scene.
1t had been reported that nearly 80 per-
sons were in the building when it was
demolished and no hint had been
given the crowd that more
than two or three had escaped
death. When, later, 1t became known to
some that probably three Of the seven
were alive, the relief was heightened.
The explosion forced out scores of panes
OF glass in the windows OF the Stafford
Mill, on the side next Lsngley's, and in q
few cases entire windows.
Latest News from the Accident.
1t is positively known that four per-
sons were Killed and two were
probably fatally hurt. The list of
dead is as follows: Adela Dabe,
13 Eastern avenue, 20 years;
Leila Horton, Jencks street, II years;
Adolphe Bellefeuille, Fourth street, 10
years; Robert Murray weybosset
ly injured were Thomas Barry, 20
County street, skull fractured and face
and body badly burned; William
Russell. 20 County street, badly
burned; Alice Trem blay, Wey-
bosset street, bruises and burns; Ida
Lepage, 10 Unity street, bruises; Matte
Duroches, q Plain street, bruises and
burns. There were 20 persons in
the building at the time Of the accident.
Four were burned beyond recognition,
and II escaped with hardly any injuries to
speak of.
The windows on the south side of the
Stafford mill alongside were about de-
stroyed and half dozen employees were
hurt some badly by the flying debris.
\ team drawn up to the front door of the
doomed factory was blown across the
street, and the air was filled with mis-
sles at the time the building fell. That
any one in or about escaped with his
life is a wonder.
Barber Keely dragged a girl named
Champagne from window, Noah Philips
pulled two half fainting girls though
jagged hole in the root and hundred
others pulled and hauled and saved many
lives The police were out in force and
led the work. The tremen labored as
never before since the Granite Mill dis
aster, Sept 10, 1874, and the flames soon
subsided. Men in gangs of hundred
attached tackle to detached sections of the
roof and wall, and with strength almost
superhuman dragged the collapsed three
story building apart. Both ambulances
and all the available physicians in town
were there to render aid. Persons, more or
less injured, were taken home, cut, bruised
or burned. The first body found was
Leila Horton, the next Adele DUDE, and
the third, Robert Murray. They were
terribly mangled and burned and the re-
mains were deposited in Star Music Hall
in charge of Medical Examiner Dolan.
Later a fourth was discovered The
volunteers and rescuers numbered
thousand men, and the strength and en-
ergy displayed was marvellous. The blaze
was quickly subdued and the recall was
sounded at IL: 10 O'Clock. The engineer,
Lepage, was at first reported killed, but
later showed up unhurt and was placed
under arrest at the instigation of Medi-
cUl Examiner Dolan. He says the boiler
was OF Cunningham make, five years old,
and had not been inspected for consid-
erable time. He claims 10 have been near
at hand when ii exploded and cannot eX-
plain why 1t did SO. He says he put water
i'm the boiler some little time before the
catastrophe. At 1890 O'Clock the wreck
was practically leveled TO the ground,
but the tremendous accumulation of
broken machinery, debris and fragments
still covered the area. The offices and
houses in the vicinity are turned into
temporary hospitals.
The body of Leila Horton when taken
from the ruins presented horrible sight.
In many places the flesh has been burned
bare TO the bones and but "A portion OF
the clothing remained. She was identi-
fled by ring which she wore, bearing
her initials.
Bookkeeper Edward DAvol said that
he and Mr.. Langley were coming from
the latter's house after breakfast, when
the explosion occurred. Dsvol says they
could hardly realize what occurred, and
the building was in ruins almost in an in
slant. The house only few feet away
from the shop trembled for moment,
aud IL was thought 10 would collapse.
Tho bookkeeper also says there was con-
sdera BILE finished stock and stocklin pro-
cess Ia the building.
The building which was demolished by
the explosion was OF wood, hundred by
thirty.six feet. with an ell. Mr.. Langley
was not in the shop al the time, but at
his home next door. He says he valued
his building at about 5000, and his stock
and machinery at about $4,000 more.
There was an insurance OF nearly 10000
on the property. MIR. Langley had no
theory to assign for the causo OF he ex-
plosion. He said the boiler had been
inspected every year. The windows on
the west side of the Stafford Mill were as
full OF holes as II bonn barded by battery.