The age-herald., 1901-03-12
FEARFUL RESULTS OF \ BOILER
 EXPLOSION IN CHICAGO LAUNDRY
Eight Persons Were Instantly Killed and Fortywo Injured Bleeding and Torn Bodies of Young Girls Found In the
 Wreckage- Clash Between Firemen and Police

belong to the police department. The fire men are the proper ones to perform that work. At least they have done so in the past The work of digging for bodies was carried on by the f1remen In the morning and the police then performed their duty by removing the dead and injured. l fall to see how the duties of either the police or fire departments change in the after noon."
 Chief Sweeny of the fire department said there was no friction between his department and the police department. He admitted that the firemen had aban- doned the search for bodies and said:
 The misunderstanding of the fire de- partment Is that all the injured and dead have been recovered from the ruins The fire was entirely extinguished and with the recovery of all dead bodies and in- jured persons our work ceased, and the firemen withdrew. My men did not de- sert the scene until they had been in- formed that there was nothing else for them to do
 Both Sides Remain Firm.
 Both the police and firemen remained firm and refused to continue the search for bodies
 While the firemen maintained that all the bodies had been recovered the po- lice asserted that this fact had not been 
 said that the general understanding was that there were more bodies in the ruins. While the firemen and police were argu- ing and explaining their respective sides In the matter the city building depart ment stepped In. Building Inspector ki- olbassa sent deputy to the scene of the catastrophe and a notice was sent to Jackson Brothers, agents for the prop erty, to immediately begin the work of pulling down the walls and clearing away the debris Jackson Brothers were given their failure to do so to result Tn the building department performing the task The real estate firm soon had number of wreckers at the ruins and the work of pulling down the walls was immediate y begun. This operation made It im- possible to continue the search Tor bod1es but the work may be continued tomor- row.
 While the police and fremen were ar guing another clash occurred at the county morgue Capt. John Rehm Of the Desplaines street police station asked Deputy Coroner Buckley to hold MT Doremus in bonds until after the inquests had been held. The deputy coroner, how ever, refused to comply with the request He replied that it was ''up to the police to hold Doremus If they desired, but tha the coroner's office would not interfere The captain argued the matter, but II vain. The controversy resulted In tn police declaring that they would keel | Doremus under surveillance until the In l quest.
 Scene of the Explosion.
 The building in which the explosion oc l cured was known as the old WaveriS l Theatre, and was built in 1877. SuDse | ouently 1t was remodeled and the real | used by the Doremus laundry. The par' | of the auditorium running towards l Throop street was used by the 'Volun- teers of America" while the stores built out from the wing of the auditorium and facing on Madison street were rented to shopkeepers. One of these stores was used as the office of the Doremus iaun- dry and through this access was had to tho laundry.
 Directly back of the office and in the southwest corner of the building was the boiler room. The explosion lifted half of the roof of the immense building many feet in the air. which fell directly back into the ruins of the building carrying with 1t the portion of the brick Nalls that had not been blown outward and burying under tons of debris the unfor- tunate employees.
 The wrcckage near the boiler and in the east part of the building at once took fire and through the binding ciouos or dust and smoke and escaping steam were seen struggling men and women. some of them half buried iu wreckage, others fee bly endeavoring to climb to some place of safety, while from various parts Of the ruins came cries for help.
 The fire department soon extingufshed tbe flames and the work of rescue began at once. One by one the wounded and bleeding girls were carried to nearby stores, where they were given nasty med ical attention and then taken to hospitals in ambulances.
 The dead bodies were at once taken 10 the morgue. In two instances the bodies were so frightfully mangled that clothes basket was used to carry them out. At the morgue the bodies were identified by relatives.
 Most of the dead were found in the east end of the building where the fire ragged the fercest