The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-03-02
A CHAPTER OF HORRORS.
Explosions, Fires, Railway Trains
and the Sea Cause the Loss
OF Many Lives.

Milwaukee, Feb. ga Sentinel spe-
cial from Platteville, Wis.,, says: The
Platteville powder mills were wrecked
by an explosion Saturday afternoon,
killing three men and badly injuring
another. The dead are: Thomas Bass,
William Rottiger and Fred Genthe. H.
5. Beck, machinist, of Bethlehem, who
was in one of the presses, was thrown
against the machinery and badly hurt,
but he will recover. The cylinder mill
exploded first, and this was followed
by the two presses, the shock being
heard for miles around. The mixing
mill took fire and was burned to the
ground. Several of the other buildings
were badly wrecked. E. F. Newton, the
superintendent, had just arrived on
the ground from Pleasant Prairie and
narrowly escaped being struck by fly
ing timbers. There is no probability
that the mill will be rebuilt.
Little Rock, Ark, Feb. 26.-At five
o'clock Saturday afternoon the boiler
OF the Pullman Lumber company's
sawmill, at Pullman, Ark, 40 miles
north OF Texarkana, exploded with ter
rible results. The following is list
of the known dead and wounded:
Hoover Thompson, fireman, killed;
AL Hutton, trucker, mashed to death;
). W. Dicus, cut by flying iron, will die;
taylor Brown, cut and scalded; Lloyd
busby, cut and scalded; Jim Busby,
badly cut; DR.. Baldwin, badly burned
IN the face; James Brown, burned on
back and right arm. 1t is believed
three bodies are under the wreck.
Thompson is said to have allowed the
water to get low in the boiler, and the
explosion followed. All the killed and
wounded are white men. The boiler
proper was blown 400 feet from it's bed.
and parts of it were hurled all over the
mill yard. The mill was in full opera
ton, and the flying missiles did terrible
execution.
Buffalo, N. Y, Feb. 26.-A special to
the Courier from Geneva says: Shortly
after midnight Saturday night the mid
night express on the Lehiah Valley
railroad struck a carriage containing
seven persons at Turtles Crossing.
about Is miles east from Rochester, in
stantly killing five of the occupants,
fatally injuring another and badly
bruising the other. All were members
of family.
The dead are: Mrs. Amy Smith. 48
years old; Bert Smith, % years old:
Miss Miranda Smith, 24 years old;
Glee Smith. IA years old; Catherine
Smith, aged eight years.
The injured: Porter Smith, hus-
band of Mrs. Smith and father of the
other victims; Gardner Smith. 21
years old.
The family had spent the evening at
friends house near Tuttle Corners
Crossing and started home little be-
fore midnight. Before reaching the
crossing the carriage was stopped and
Mr.. Smith listened for the train. but
did not hear it in the bowling gale.
The horses had just crossed the track
in safety, when the engine of. the ex-
press crashed down upon the carriage
and it's occupants. Gardner Smith,
who was the least injured, crawled to
station nearby and secured assist
ance. The bodies of Mrs Smith and
her daughter Miranda were carried
for mile on the pilot of the engine.
Forest City. Ark. Feb. 26.-Frank
Hogan and Charles Norris, prisoners
at the station house here, were burned
to death at four o'clock Sunday morn
ing. The fire is supposed to have been
started by the men in an attempt to
keep warm.
Providence, R. T., Feb. 26.-A trag-
edy happened off Narragansett pier
shortly after one o'clock Sunday
morning, when the barge Gen. Wiley
foundered during a southeast gale.
Capt. Harold and four little children
were drowned in spite of all attempts
to save them.
San Francisco, Feb. 2G.-Mail adj
vices tell how 81 of 81 girls met death
in fire at Kojima Shinjo's weaving
factory at Komeijimura, Japan, Jan
nary %.