The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-03-11
Employees Numbering NearlylOO
Had just Gone to Work.
BURIED IN THE RUINS.
Twelve Girls Dragged Out
Then Fire Was Discovered.
One Man Blown a Hundred Feet
Through a Window.
Eight Dead, 25 Injured and
Five Missing.

Chicago. March 11.-By the explosion
of a boiler in the Doremus steam laun-
dry in Madison treet on the West side
shortly after O'Clock this morning the
entire building was wrecked 1t is
stated that about thirty girls and be-
tween fifty and sixty male employees
were buried in the ruins. which imme-
diateIy took fire. Twelve girls we're
dragged out of the wreckage before the
fire broke out They were badly hurt.
1t is feared that the others caught in the
crash Of falling walls and flying glass
were killed A general alarm was turned
in. and hundreds of firemen attacked the
pile in a desperate effort TO drag the un-
fortunates from certain death in the
fire.
The building was a two-story brick.
The boilers which exploded were located
in the basement There We're between
seventy-five and ninety men and women
employed in the laundry, and they had
just gone TO work
Two unidentified dead bodies one
man and one woman, have been taken
from the ruins. and several badly in
jured have been sent 20 various hos
pitals- Among the latter We're Tereas
Nansik. George McNail, - NanAlten,
all in serious condition
The explosion occurred at $40 O'Clock.
shortly after the employees had gone to
building to fragments. One man was
blown through window for at least a
hundred feet The ruins almost imme-
,iiately caught fire and despite the sharp
work Of the fremen the flames spread
rapidly, and il is feared quite a number
OF employees. injured and helpless in the
ruins were burned to death. Faint cries
for help were heard from two or three
places under the piles of brick and
broken timbeTs. but these soon ceased
before they could be reached About
dozen dead and injured have so far been
taken from the ruins. and the reSCuers
were working with desperate energy in
the hope Of saving the lives Of some Of
the unfortunates pinned down by the
debris.
The unidentified bodies OF three girls
soon after were taken out. two of them
so frightfully mangled that the firemen
had to remove the remains in baskets
A F. DOrenmus. owner of the laundry.
was arrested shortly before noon It is
stated that he was warned Friday by
the city boiler inspector not to use the
boiler in his establishment.
The following is a list Of the dead and
injured, so far as known.
DEAD.
Emma Sebraski. IS years old.
Minnie Olsen. SO years old.
George Phil. engineer
Frank Haumman.
Bessie Kincaba, Is years old
Martha jacob. p years old.
Katherine Kelly. is years old.
One unidentified man.
Two or three other persons are sup
posed to be buried in the smoking ruins.
including William Dean. 10 years old.
who was IN his fathers restaurant at the
time Of the explosion. and has not been
seen since
INJURED.
die
Peter Dean. serious.
Mrs. Fannie Dean
John Dean
Tony Stearn. internal injuries. severe.
Minnie Jacket. internal injuries, severe.
MARY kolb
Teresa Nansiz
George AfcNiel. serious
Theodore NanAltens internal injuries.
Abe Colson.
Mary WayloclE.
Mary Hloko.
Ellen Conway. foreuoman, serious.
rious.
Frank Dottenwhy.
die
George Ganseila. internal injuries. Sc
we're
Lizzie Darraugh, internal injuries. will
probably die.
Sadie Slick
b Patalo. internal injuries.
George EdOm will die
Tony Stampsky tgirl). severe.
Lizzie Swick
The following laundry emploves are
reported missing:
Kate COlerts
Kate Walsh
Anna Kinkaba
Two girls named Cregier.
IL is not believed however that all Of
these are in the ruins
Inc explosion took place at a time
Wnen many Of tire employees of the 1aun-
CRY nan gone to work a time register I
1ound n the ruins showing that thirty
SIX nad already reported for duty while I
two OF three others were known to have
gust entered the building.
ne Iofee or The explosion was so ter
1inc that buildings for blocks around I
We're shaken as if by an earthquake and I
nundredS OF windows We're shattered. |
The building in which the explosion oc-
CURED was known as the old Waverly |
tneater ana was built in 1877. Suisse 1
luently AZ was remOGeled and the rear |
used Dy the Dcremus laundry The /
part OF the auditorium running toward I
Ihroop street was used by the Volun- /
teers OF America, while the small stores 1
forum and facing on Madison street /
We're rented to shopkeepers. One of the 1
stores was used as the Office OF the Dore- 4
mus laundry and through this access
was had TO the laundry. Directly back 4
or the office and in the southwest corner I
Gated The explosion lifted half Of the /
roof OF the immense building many feet i
IN the air which fell directly back into /
the ruins OF the building carrying with
At the portion of the brick walls that 4
had not been blown outward and bury /
Ing under tons or debris the unfortunate 1
employees.
The wreekage near the boiler ana in
t1a east part OF the building at once took |