Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1901-12-04
MANY KILLED IN EXPLOSION
Boiler Bursts in the Plant of an In
jector Company at Detroit.
SCORES BURIED IN THE DEBRIS
Large Business Structure is Reduced to +.
mass OK Flaming Ruins-Burned md
batsered Victims Released From the
Hiery Furnace Returned to Rescue
Comradcs-Propcrty Loss OF S1so,Ooo.


Detroit. Mich.-Twenty-s mon arc
are dead anu twenty-four other roen
We're taken to the various hospitals
o. The city suffering from terrible cuts.
burns and others injuries. all results of
the explosion Of one OF the boilers in
the Pcnberthy Injector Compauy's
large plant, Mt the corner of Abbott
street and Brooklyn avenue. In addi-
ton TO those seriously injured n dozen
or more employees were slightly hurt.
They were taken directly TO their
homes. The penhcrthy Injector Com
pahy plant occupied hais Il snuarc.
IL was composed az two brick build
lngs. separated hy sixtcen-foot alley
Tic rear building. which was com.
piet"ly destroyed. was thrcc stories i'm
height, fifty-four feet in dopth and
100 feet wide. Tho boiler room WAS
situated at the northwest corner of
this building. or The first floor. II was
III TINS building that most of The man
ufacturing was done.
There were four boilers in the pIout
TWO horizontal and two vertical ones
III was the horizontal boilers that cx-
piodcd. The floors and roof OF the rear
building bulged upward and then
crashed down with their henvy loads
OF machinery and foundry apparatus
walls. roof anu all. dropped into 4
shapolesS mass OF debris. Windows
III houses for block around were bro
Ken hy the concuSsion. and fiyinp
bricks filed the neighboring wards.
y dense cloud of dust arose. ana rs il
settled and was succeeded bv denScr
clouds OF smoke and steam. nconiyed
cries began to come from the heap
of tangled wood. metal and bricks
Those who were only partly buried
frantically dug themselves out. FLAMES
broke out almost Immediately, and the
horror of fire was added to the suffer
ing of the imprisoned.
"A IRE alarm was turned In and quick
ly responded to. Calls were sent out
Tor all the ambulances In the city.
fending their arrival neighboring
houses were turned into Temporary
hospitals. The first ambulances on the
scene were totally inadequate TO carry
those who had been already eXtricated,
ana express wagons and similar vehi-
cleS were pressed into service.
While part of the firemen directed
their efforts Mt the fire. which was
burning fiercely at the centre OF the
wreck, the greater number OF them
seized axes and crowbars and hecan
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 huge sort of cover.
under which the fire burned 1iercelv.
Not until the firemen had chopped
through this did their streams begin
to have an appreciablc effect on the
flames.
Gradually the rescuers worked their
way downward through the pile. A
vacant house adjoining the factory
was converted into Il temporary
morGue In several cases the charred
corpses We're so hot when they We're
recovered that they could scarcely be
handled.
The property loss is about S1SO.OOO.
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.