The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-12-19
Nine men ROAST.
Burned to Death by Shower of
Molten Metal.
Number of Injured Is Estimated
at Twenty.
FURNACE EXPLODES.
Victims We're at Work on Top,
12O Feet From Ground.
Bodies Dropped to Roof of Mill,
S5 Feet Below.
Hook and Ladder Necessary to
Remove Them.
n
INJURED WERE FOUND
Lying About in All Parts of the
Yards.

Pittsburg, Pa. Dec. 19.-By an explo-
sion of gas in the Soho furnace OF
Jones & Laughiin, near Brady street,
this city. at $40 O'Clock this morning
nine men were burned to death and
probably twenty others more or less
injured. The damage to the plant will
amount to $4,000.
The bodies of the victims were all
removed to the morgue and were ter
ribly mangled and burned Those iden-
titled thus far are as follows:
JOSEPH FRANKOVITCH-
JOSEPH SISUL-
leaves a wife and child in Hungary
ANDREW sues, 20 years of age, has
a widowed mother in Hungary.
MICHAEL MEZO, aged 30 years mar
ried and leaves wife in Hungary
JOHN KOCHANKO-
GEORGE SZRENKO-
The names of the injured at the Mercy
hospital are:
John Yentz.
John Sabo.
George Wellico.
The others injured are at their homes
and have not been located Three at
the Mercy hospital are so badly burned
injured that they can not talk and
are not expected to survive.
Five persons employed near the fur
mace are unaccounted for, and it is not
known whether they have perished.
The explosion occurred in one of the
big blast furnaces. The men were at
work at the top of the furnace over
120 feet from the ground They were
employed filters. and were just get
ting ready to quit work, being members
of the night crew, when the gas which
accumulated in the furnace exploded
and tons of molten metal, cinders and
Stag We're thrown over the unfortunate
men on the top of the structure.
When the gas let go a panic ensued
on the small platform about the top.
The men made rush for the elevator,
but it had gone down, and there was no
escape To jump meant death, and to
remain on the platform was just as GER
tain DOOM
The tons of molten metal and flames
fell upon them and burned ten men to
death Their bodies dropped to the roof
of the MILL S5 feet below, every bone
broken and an unrecognizable mass of
human flesh
Hurry calls were sent to the police
and morgue- Patrols from all Motions
arrived before o'clock, and the morgue
wagon was with them. The bodies Of
some of the dead and many of the in
jured were strewn about the yard be-
meath the furnace. some of the dead
having fallen from the slippery roof to
The cries of the injured broke the
stiffness which had spread over the place
when the fury of the explosion and fire
had abated.
To remove the dead from the roof of
the mill it was found necessary to get
hook and ladder No. 13 and the firemen
carried the burned. charred and mis-
morgue wagon and placed them in
When the dead We're removed the in
jured were then looked after. In all
parts of the yard beneath the furnace
the injured were found. How many
injured there are is not known at this
time. The injured were hurried to the
Mercy and other hospitals. The officials
at the Mercy hospital at this writing
say that three victims were received
there, and it is reported that many
We're taken to the South side hospital
although the latter place denied that
they received any victims of the acci-
dent.
At 9 o'clock Thomas Jones and Arthur
Young, managers of the plant gave out
the statement tnat nine men were killed
and five injured They say that ordi-
narfly three men work on top of the
furnace, but this morning about 6:i5
O'Clock one of the heavy iron wagons |
used in taking up the ore to the top
of the furnace got stuck on the top of |
the structure and the three men sent |
for assistance "A few men went up, but |
tney could not move the wagon. and |
more went up until the number reached |
IA. 1t was while they were trying to I
get the wagon released that the fatal |
explosion took place.
LOOKED LIKE VOLCANO.
All the men at work on top of the |
furnace were Slavs and Poles. Nine of |
them were killed outright and three of |
pital are so badly hurt it is feared they |
viii die No cases were taken to the |
South side hospital as at first reported. |
Eye witnesses say that it was the !
most horrible sight they ever witnessed
They say that when the explosion took |
place there was one great report and 1
the murky heavens were Illuminated |
with great sheet of flame, showing the |
men on top of the furnace running I
about gesticulating wildly. The flames |
and hot metal looked like volcano in /
action. Five of the men We're blown
of the top of the furnace and strange |
as 1t may seem, these men are the ones |
that are still living. The others hung
on the railing, some on the outside, 9TH
ers on the inside, until their clothing \
was burned off. Two of the victims
hanging on the outside held on and re-
mained tenaciously clinging to the rail-
Ing until their fingers were burned off.
They then fell to the roof of the mill
dead Seven of the victims were found
dead on the platform of the cupola
These were completely denuded Of
clothes by the flames and their bodies
were burned almost to a coal
The company says that the night turn |
was just getting ready to quit work. and |
that some of the day crew were at work |
on the place. They say that they are
unable to give out any names. as the
nen are only known by check numbers,