The Oskaloosa herald., 1901-11-28

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 audi
BILE.
Many Burned.
The department of public works
was notified of the horror and inn
mediately sent all its available men
and horses to the scene. In COM
paratively short time all the laborers
who could work to advantage were
feverishly throwing and pulling the
debris out into Brooklyn avenue,
where ii was loaded into wagons and
carried off. The floors and roof had
fallen at an angle and formed a sort
of huge cover, under which the fire
burned fiercely. Not until the fire.
men had chopped through this did
their streams begin to have an APP
probable effect on the flames. The
sufferings of those who were buried
beneath were later mutely testified
to by their charred and blacke1Bd
bodies.
miraculous hbchpGs
Engineer Riley was among the first
to be dug out from the wreck. His
escape was little short of miraculous.
When the boiler let go he was
knocked to the floor and one of the
smaller testing boilers was blown
over his PROSTATE form in such a
way that one end rested on some
debris high above him, thereby form
ing shield that kept the falling tim
bers, bricks and machinery from
crushing him. The escaping steam,
however, burned him frightfully.
After his arrival ct Grace hospital
Riley's first words were: How did
it happen? The engine and boilers
were all right"
Rescuers Work Hard.
Gradually the rescuers worked their
way downward through the pile. By
this time there were no cries or
groans to sid them, for the flames
had destroyed those unfortunates
who were not killed by the explosion
or the fall. But the work of rescue
continued with undated haste. When
a heavy beam or piece of shafting
was encountered a team of horses
was driven in and the piece Of wreck
age hauled to the street. Stretcher
bearers stood beside the delivers and
bore away the burned and blackened
bodies. A vacant house adjoining the
factory was converted into a tenn
porary morgue; here the bodies were
placed in coffins and taken to the
nearest morgue. In several cases the
charred corpses were so hot when re-
covered that they could scarcely be
handled by the undertakers and as
sistants.
At the Hospitals.
The hospitals were besieged by rel
atives and friends of the injured men.
At Emergency hospital, which was
only a short distance from the scene,
and where many of the injured were
carried in wagons, the floors of the
reception rooms and even the halls
were used as a temporary resting
place for the victims. Physicians
we're hastily summoned and the work
of relief expedited. Similar scenes
were enacted at Grace and Harper
hospitals.
Property Loss Heavy.
The property loss. according. to
Secretary George w. Childs, is about
100000. The firm carried 10000 fire
and some boiler insurance, but how
much of the latter Secretary Childs
could not state. Subscriptions for the
relief of the sufferers have been
started. Nothing is known as yet
about the cause of the explosion. The
boilers had been recently inspected
and the engineer was known as one
of the most careful and capable men
in the city. The firm has already
taken temporary. quarters and will
resume business as soon as possible.