The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-12-11
MANY KILLED IN EXPLOSION.
Boiler Bursts in the Plant Of an lrl-
iector Company at Detroit
SCORES BURIED IN THE DEBRIS.

Large Business Structure is Reduced to
Mass Of Flaming 6Ruins-Burned and
Battered Victims Released From tbs
Fiery Furnace Returned to RescusS
Comrades-Property Loss OF S1S0, 900.
Detroit, Mich.-Twenty-six men ara
are dead and twenty-four other meE
were taken to the various hospitals
Of the city suffering from terrible cuts,
burns and others injuries, all results OF
the explosion Of one Of the boilers In
the Penberthy Injector Companya5
large plant, at the corner of Abbott
street and Brooklyn avenue. In addi.s
tion to those seriously injured dozen
or more employees were slightly hurt
They were taken directly to their
homes. The Penberthy Injector Com.
pany's plant occupied half square.
It was composed Of two brick build
ings, separated by sixteen-foot alley.
The rear building, which, was COM.
pletely destroyed, was three stories In
height, ffty-four feet in depth, and
100 feet wide. The boiler room was
situated at the northwest corner Of
this building, on the first floor. It was
in this building that most Of the man.
ufacturing was done. ~
There were four boilers in the plant
two horizontal and two vertical ones.
It was the horizontal boilers that ex-;
ploded. 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 q
shapeless mass of debris. Windows,
Ii houses for block around were bro-
Ken by the concussion, and flying,
bricks filed the nelghboring yards
a dense cloud Of dust arose, and as IT
settled and was succeeded by densers
clouds Of smoke and steam, .agonlzed,
cries began to come from the heap
of tangled wood, metal and. bricks
Those who were only partly buried,
erantically dug themselves out. Flames:
broke out almost Immediately, and the
horror of fire was added to the suffer-
Ing Of the imprisoned. E:,l I.
A fire alarm was turned in and quick
ly responded to. Calls were sent out.
for all the ambulances In the city,
Pending their arrival neighboring
houses were turned into. temporary
hospitals. The,first ambulances on the
scene were totally inadequate to carryr
those who had been already extricated,
and express wagons and similar vehi-,
cles were pressed into service. G,
While part of the firemen directed
their efforts at the fire, which was
burning fercely at the centre Of the
wreck, the greater number Of them
seized axes and crowbars and began
prying out the victims who could be
seen or whose faint cries were audible
The floors and roof had fallen at an;
angle and formed a huge sort Of 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. A.
vacant house adjoining the factory.
was converted into q temporary
morgue. In several cases the charred
corpses were SO, hot when they We're
recovered that they could scarcely be
handled.
The property loss is about $1s0,0OO,sSl
The firm carried $4,000 fire and some
boiler insurance The boilers had been.
recently inspected, and the engineer
was known as one Of the most careful
and capable men in the city.