The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1901-11-30
/ TERRIFIC EXPLOSION.
rvsnty-Six Persons Killed and
Many Injured at Detroit,
Michigan.
,fyERAl OTHERS REPORTED MISSING.
~. noiler In the Factory of the
p.,berthy Injector Co. Exploded,
DemOIishlng Three-story
Brick Building Where FIFTY Per-
.onn Were WOrl<ing.

.ons Were Working.
netroit, Mich, Nov. 26.-Twenty-six
...0 are dead, five of them unidenti-
"a and so terribly burned and
A,.ckened that identification is almost
,mnossble, and "a other men are ly-
III IN the various hospitals of the
Nv suffering from cuts and burns
mi other injuries, all resulting from
M explosion of one of the boilers in
~ Penberthy Injector Co.'S large
,lant at Abbott street and Brook
In avenue at $3.50 this forenoon.
In addition to these a dozen or
more of the employees who suffered
comparatively slight injuries were
aiken directly to their homes.
twenty-five men and boys have not
:, vet been located either at their
homes or at the hospitals. The ten
unidentified bodies account for ten
~ these. and the officers of the com
many say they feel positive that the
major portion of the remaining Is
are. by night, at their homes.
Tonight great force of men is
searching the ruins by electric light,
and the work will not be stopped I'M
N every foot of the debris has been
examined.
The dreadful crash came without
the slightest warning. Those in the
front building said it seemed like the
concussion of an immense cannon.
The floors and roof of the rear build
inc bulgcd upward and then crashed
down with their heavy loads of ma
chinery and foundry apparatus.
Windows in houses for block |
around were broken by the concus-
sion and flying bricks filed the neigh
boring yards. A dense cloud of dust
arose and as it settled and 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 frantically dug
themselves out, and then as energet
ically turned to digging for their
comrades who We're buried deeper.
Flames broke out almost Immediately,
and the horror of fire was added to
the sufferings of the imprisoned ones.
Almost Immediately after the fire
alarm was turned in calls were sent
out for all the ambulances in the
city, and they were hurried to the
scene. Pending their arrival, neigh
boring houses We're turned into tenn
porary hospitals, and those physicians
who were in the vicinity eased the
suffering ones as much as they were
able
As soon as the gravity of the ac-
cident was realized calls for addi-
tional firemen were sent in, and the
apparatus came flying to the scene
from all parts of the city. While part
of the tiremer directed their efforts
again the fire, which was burning
fercely in the center of the ruins,
the greater number of them seized
axes and crowbars and began prying
out the victims who could be seen, or
whose faint cries were audible.
The department of public works
sent all its available men
and horses to the scene.
In comparatively short time all
the laborers who could work to adj
vantage We're hurriedly throwing and
pulling the debris out into Brooklyn
avenue, where it was loaded into wag-
ons and carried off.
The floors and roof had fallen at an
angle and formed sort of huge COW
sr, under which the fire burned fierce
y. Not until the firemen had chopped
through this did their streams begin
% have an appreciate effect on the
1ames The sufferings of those who
we're buried beneath were later mute
y testified to by their charred and
)lackened bodies.
The hospitals were besieged by rel
ltlves and friends of the injured men.
" Emergency hospital, which was
'nly short distance from the scene,
md where many of the injured were
arried in wagons, the floors of the
eception rooms and even the halls
we're used as a temporary resting
lace for the victims. Physicians
we're hastily summoned, and the work
! relief expedited. Similar scenes
we're enacted at Grace and Harper
ospitals.
The property loss, according to Sec
etary George w. Childs, is about
10000. The firm carried $4,000 fire
nd some boiler insurance, but how
much of the later Secretary Childs
ould not state.
subscriptions for the relief of the
lnerers have been started.
Nothing is known as yet about the
ause of the explosion. The boilers
ad been recently inspected and the