The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-11-07
BURIED IN THE RUINS
EXPLODING BOILERS CAUSE A
LARGE BUILDING TO
COLLAPSE.
AND MANY PERSONS WERE KILLED

To add to the HOrrer of the Accident
the Ruins Took Fire and Great
ClOuds OfSmOke Impeded the Work
of the Rescuers--MOre Than Dozen
Men and Women Were Precipitated
Into the Horrible Chaos of Ruins
and Escaping Steam.
DETROIT, Mich, Nov. 6.-About 6
o'clock this morning the boilers in the
Journal building, corner of Larned and
Shelby streets, exploded with terrific
force A portion of the building about
forty feet wide Immediately collapsed
burying scores of people in the ruins.
Many girls and women were employed in
the the building.
Shortly after o'clock the ruins broke
out in flames, and the great clouds of
sitting smoke seriously impeded the
firemen in their work of rescue.
In the third story was the Habbin
Electrotype Foundry, in which there
were some half dozen men.
In the top story was the Journals
sterotyping department, where four or
five men were busy.
The portion of the building directly
above the boilers, on the first floor, was
occupied by the Journals mailing de-
partment About five men and boys
were there at work. In the second story
was Geo. Killers book bindery, in which
a couple of men and about score of
girls were employed. All of these
people, boys and girls, were precipitated
int no Of oc
Gaping steam.
The fire department was summoned
at once, and with the aid of many per-
sons who were attracted to the spot at
once began the work of rescue. The
large building was cut clearly in two,
from front to rear, by a gap of forty
feet, at the bottom of which is an almost
solid pile of timbers, brick and debris,
into which the first hour or two work of
| search for bodies made but little pro-
gress. The John Davis Company, deal
ers in groceries and sundries, occupied
| the ground floor and basement of one
| end of the building. The firms list of
employees is not large, but it is doubt
| full whether all escaped.
| The Journals mailing department on
I
| few employees who were there at the
| time are not yet accounted for. At
| least a dozen persons are believed to
have been at work in Killers book
bindery on the second feor. Some of
those who escaped from the wreck re-
| port that they heard the 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 Journals sterotyping on
the fifth floor contributed human vic
TINS to the wreck.
The member of the editorial staff, on
| the fourth floor, however, all escaped.
Fourteen dead persons have been taken
from the ruins. Eighteen persons are in
jured. Some of them will probably die,
and some thirty tenants and employees in
the building are still missing, and there
can be no doubt that most of these are
| lying under the debris.
OF those who are now in the ruins it
is impossible that any will be rescued
alive. Those who were not killed out
right have undoubtedly perished, either
from suffocation or exhaustion. The
only hope is that some of those who are
reported missing may be safe with
| friends.
The total death ra Q will not be known
| before tomorrow night. 1t may be
even longer before the wOrkmen reach
the basement floors of the ill.fated build
ing and the. total number of lives lost is
known to a'certainty The work Of re-
moving the debris and searching for the
bodies is going ON by aid of electric
| ghts, but the task is big one.
Carelessness was undoubtedly the
cause of the disaster, but whore the re-
sponsibility rests is as yet problem&rical.
Thomas Thompson, the engineer. vas
painfully injured He said he coui0 as
sign no reason for the explosion Oity
Boiler Inspector McGregor says he in
sDected the boilers last Augus5 aad saund
them up 10 the requirement, Sone
of the employees in the building assert
tlat the boi o 8 were old ard
known to be unsafe Still 9TH
ers have a theory that the ex-
plosion was caused by chemicals ownfd
by the Davis Company stored in the
basement. Another circumstance is
also considered significant, namely;
that carpenters we're engaged in snoring
up the floor OF the second story directly
over the boilers, ia order to sustain the
weight of heavy machine which had
been placed in Dunlap's machine shop.
The men who were at work at this job
were buried in the ruins.
Fx.Cougressman Ral,er Diving.