The news & observer., 1901-03-13
WAS THE BOlLR ROTTEN :?
It Was Old No Record Of Inspection
Last Year.
A. /. DoREMUs IS NOW UNDER ARREST
He is the Proprietor Of the Laundry n Which
The Explosion Occurred. Police
And Firemen Refuse 10 search
for Bodies Of the Dead,
lBY tho Assoclated press.l


Chicago, MS, March 1l--By the explo-
sion Of the boiler in the Doremus Lauu-
dry, AS West Madison street, this mora
ing, eight people were instantly killed,
~ we're injured and several are miss
ing.
The cause of the explosion has not been
determined with accuracy as yet, ana
it will probably require an official IN
vcstigation to settle the matter. II is
known that the boiler was old, second
hand AFFAIR, and there is no record in
the office of the city boiler inspector of
any inspection having been made within
the last year. Pending the verdict of
the coroner's jury, A. l.. Doremus, the
proprietor OF the laundry Is held in GUS
tody by the police and it is the intention
of the authorities to institute criminal
proceedings against him should ihc facts
brought out at the inquest warrant such
proceedings.
the list OF dead aud wounded was diff
ticult TO secure. Reports of the number
cf dead in the ruins ran all the way from
to twenty. 1t is known that thirty-siX
employees Of the laundry had entered the
place before the explosion occurred, be-
cause the automatic time keeper found
in the ruins. aud which was not damaged,
showed that number Of registered arri-
vais Two or three we're entering at the
moment Of the explosion milking an APP
proximate total Of forty empoyes In and
around the building.
The list Of injured includes, however,
several people residing in the adjoining
buildings nearly all Of whom were badly
damaged The most conservative csti-
mates by the police conccdc that at
least three, dead or alive are stil in
The ruins; yet the search for bodies in
the ruins came 10 sudden end carly
IN the afternoon and The work OF rescue
Was entirely abandoned
The cause cf the cessation OF the search
was Il dispute between tho Bremen and
pciice as 10 who was responsible for the
recovery Of any bodies which might be
concealed beneath the debris The iirc-
men said they had performed their whole
duty and. gathering up thcir hose. they
rcslred from the scene The police said
it was not their work 10 dig for bodies
aal nobody else volunteered TO do the
work --rie VAS brought to the
attention OF Police Inspector John y.
Shea. in whose district the accident oc-
cured. and he hold the search properly
belonged to The fire department
Both the police and nrcmcn remained
firm and refused to continue the search
fer bodies. While the fremcn maintained
that all the bodies had been recovered the
police asserted that this fact had not been
established and Police Lieutenant O'Hara
said that the general understanding was
that more bodies were III tl,~ ruins.
While the lremen and po'ce were arfu-
ing and explaining their respnctiy tilcs
in the matter, the city bulllAs depart
ment stepped Ir
Building Inspector Kiolbsssa scul
deputy TO the scene Of the catastroplic
and a notice was sent 70 Jackson Pr0thtrn
agents for the property 10 Immediately
begin the work 5f cutting down the Ta'la
and clearing away The desris. Jackson
Brothers were sigen two hours 20 COM
ply with the order her failure 80 fu 80
10 result IN the puiidi1g department pR'
forming the task The real estate firm
soon had o number Of ~rackern ~ the
ruins and the work Of milling down the
walls wss Immediately begun. nla opcf-
alton made II impossible 10 continue HE
search for bodies. hl lhc work may be
continued tomorrow.