Connecticut western news., 1901-11-28
TWENTY-SIX ARE KILLED
Terrible Result of Boiler Ex-
 plosion Tn Detroit.
THE DEATH LIST MAY BE HIGHER

Many Employee. of P~mb@rthy In-
 iector Company Are stun Missing.
 Twsnty-four Are Badly TaIursd.
 Crash Came without wsrniax.
 Detroit. Nov. 27.-Twenty- men are dead. Ave of them 90 burned and hlackened that Identification is impos- sible and twenty-four other men are in the hospitals suffering from cuts and burns and other injuries, all the re- suits of the explosion of one of the boilers in the Pemberthy Injector com pany's large plant at the corner of Ab- bolt street and Brooklyn avenue. In ad- dition s dozen or more of the employ ees who suffered comparatively slight injuries were taken directly to their homes. Nineteen men and boys have not as yet been found at either their homes or the hospitals. The unident- fled bodies account for Ave of these. A large force of men Is searching the ruins, ano the work will not be stopped until every foot of the debris has been examined.
 The Pemberthy Injector company's plant occupied half square. It was composed of two brick buildings, sepa- rated by a sixteen foot alley. The rear building, in which the boiler was lo- cated, was three stories high, b4 feet In depth and 100 feet wide. The boiler room was in the northwest corner on the first floor. IL was in this building that most of the manufacturing was done. It is impossible Co tell exactly how many men were at work in the various departments of the rear build ing when the explosion occurred. but the officials insist that the number was not over elghty-ive. There were four boilers in the plant.
 Like Report of Cannon.
 The crash came without warning. Those in the front building said it seemed like the concussion from an im- mense cannon. The floors and the roof of the rear building bulged upward and then crashed down with their heavy loads of machinery and foundry ap- paratus. Windows In houses for a block around were broken by the con- cussion. and flying bricks filled the neighboring yards. A dense cloud of dust arose which as it settled was sue ceeded by denser clouds of smoke and steam. Agonized cries began to come from the heap of tangled wood, metal and bricks. Those who were only partly buried dug themselves out and then began to dig for their comrades. Flames broke out almost immediately. and the horror of fire was added 10 the suffering of the imprisoned ones. A fire alarm was turned In. and calls were sent for all the ambulances in the city.
 Fighting the Fire.
 As soon as the gravity of the acci- dent was realized calls for additional firemen were sent in. and the appara- tus came flying to the scene from all parts of the city. The department of public works was notified of the horror and immediately sent all its available men and horses to the scene. In com paratlvely short time all the laborers who could work to advantage were fe- verishly digging away the debris. The floors and roof had fallen at an angle and formed sort of cover. under which the fire burned fierce1y. Not until the tiremen had chopped through this did their streams begin to have an appreciable effect on the flames.
 The property loss, according to Sec rotary George W. Childs, Is about x1S0.- 900. The firm carried ST0.00o Are in. surance and some boiler insurance.
 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 inspected recently. and the engineer was known as one of the most careful and capable men in the city.