The Dickinson press., 1901-11-30
BOILER BLOWS UP
TWENrY.sEvEN KILLED az AN
EXPLOSION IN A. FACTORY
At DETROIT.
Twenty.four Persons Are In Hospitals,
: Dozen Others Are suffering From
Slight Injuries and at Least Ten Are
un.eeountes For-eu'ld'ns Is Com.
pIete'y Demolished and the Ruins
Catch on Fire.

Catch on Fire.
Detroit. Nov. 27-Twenty-seven men
are dead, five Of them unidentified,
and SO terribly burned and blackened
that identffication is almost ir1possi-
ble. and a other. men are lying in
1.-the varioln hospitals Of the city suf-
fering from terrible cuts and burns
and other injuries, results of the ter
rife explosion Of one Of the boilers in
the Penberthy Injector company's
large plant. ,4o
In addition to the above dozen or
more of the employees, who suffered
comparatively slight injuries, aside
from the shock, were taken directly
to their homes. Fifteen men and
boys, have not as yet been located,
either at their homes or at the hos
PITFALLS. The five unidentified bodies
account for five of these, and the of.
fcers of the company say they feel
positive that the major portion OF the
remaining 10 are at their homes. A
great force of men is searching the
ruins. Ind the work will not be stopped
until every foot Of the debris has been
examined.
The Penberthy Injector company's
plant occupied half square at the
corner Of Abbot street and Brooklyn
avenue. It was composed of two
brick buildings, separated by a 16.foot
alley. In the rear building the boilers
were located, and 1t was completely
destroyed. There were four boilers In
the plant. two horizontal ones, which
furnished steam for the engines, and
two vertical ooilers. which were used
solely to test injectors. It was the
horizontal boiler that was in use,
which let go and caused the
Awful Loss Of Life.
The awful crash came without the
slightest warning. Those in the front
building said it seemed like the con.
cussion Of an immense cannon. The
floors and roof Of the rear building
bulged upward and then crashed down
with their heavy loads Of machinery
and foundry apparatus. Walls, roof
and all dropped into . shapeless mass
OF debris. Windows In houses for
block around were broken by the con.
cussion, and flying bricks hlled the
neighboring yards. A dense cloud Of
dust arose. and as It settled and was
succeeded by denser clouds Of smoke
and steam, agonized cries began to
come from the heap of tangled wood,
metal and bricks. Those who were
only partly buried frantically dug
themselves out, and then as energet-
ically turned to digging for their COM
rades who were buried deeper. Flames
broke out almost Immediately and the
horror Of fire was added to the suffer
ing of the imprisoned ones.
A fire alarm was turned In and
quickly responded to. Calls were sent
out for all the ambulances In the city
and they were hurried to the scene.
Pending their arrival, neighboring
houses were turned into temporary
hospitals, and those physicians who
were in the vicinity eased the suffer.
ing ones as much as they were able.
The first ambulances on the scene
were totally Inadequate to carry those
who had already been extricated and
express wagons and similar vehicles
were pressed into service.
Reseuino the Victims.
AS soon as the gravity of the &C.
cldent was realized, calls for addi.
tional iremen were sent in, and the
apparatus came flying to the scene
from all parts Of the city. The de-
partment of public works was notified
Of the. horror and Immediately sent
all Its available men and horses to
the scene. In comparatively short
time all the laborers who could work
to advantage we're feverishly throwing
and pulling the debris out into Brook
lyn avenue, where it WIS loaded into
wagons and carried of.
The floors and roof had fallen at an
angle and formed sort Of huge cover,
under which the fire burned fercely.
Not until the firemen had chopped
through this did their streams begin
to have an appreciable effect on the
flames.
Gradually the rescuers worked their
way downward through the pile. BY
this time there were no cries or groans
to aid them, for the flames had de-
stroyed those unfortunates who were
not killed by the explosion or the fall.
But the work of rescue continued
with unabated haste. stretcher bear
ers stood by and bore away the burned
and blackened bodies. A vacant
house adjoining the factory was con-
verted into temporary morgue; here
the bodies were placed in coffins and
taken to the nearest morgue. In sew
eral cases the charred corpses were SO
hot when recovered that they could
scarcely be handled by the under
takers and assistants.