The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1901-12-05
TWENTY=SIXC0RPSES
Taken From Wrecked Foundry at
Detroit, Michigan.
CAUSED BY BOILER EXPLOSION
In Addition to Fearful Fatalities TWen-
tw.Four Other Men Are In Va.
rious Hospitals Suffering
From Terrible Injuries.

From Terrible Injuries.
A special from Detroit, Mich, says:
Twenty-six men are dead, five Of them
unidentified and so terribly burned
and blackened that Identification is al
most impossible, and twenty-four 9TH
er men are lying in various hospitals
Of the city suffering from terrible cuts
and burns and other injuries. all re-
suits Of the explosion Of one OF the
boilers in the Penberthy Injector Com
rany's large plant at the corner Of Alb
bot street and Brooklyn avenue at $3.50
o'clock Tuesday morning. Following
are the dead:
A. E. Hoffman, Louis HenniIg, Pat
rick Malloy, A. E. Miller, Eugene Ber-
tram, R. Mulkee, Joseph Coffey, Chas.
Marvin, Joseph Roseck, Stephen Crisp,
George Schenor, Charles Lydy, Jacob
Reobel, William Mann, Christopher
Walman, Robert Greer, Edward Burch,
John Schaible, Richard Ryan, Douglass
Dickinson, boy; Peter Boil, and five
unidentified bodies.
In addition to the twentyfour In
jured in hospitals, dozen or more of
the employees who suffered compare
lively Slight injuries, aside from the
shock, were taken to their homes.
Eighteen men and boys have not as
vet been located, either at their homes
or at the hospitals. The five unidenti-
fed bodies account for five Of these,
and the officers Of the company say
they feel positive that the major por-
ton Of tie remaining thirteen are safe.
The Penberthy Injector Company's
plant occupied half square at the
corner of Abbot street and Brooklyn
avenue. 1t was composed Of two brick
buildings, separated by 16-foot alley.
The rear building, in which the boiler
we located and which was completely
destroyed, was three stories in height,
81 feet in depth and 100 feet wide. 1t
is impossible to tell exactly how many
men were at work in the various de-
partments of this rear building when
the exp { sion occurred, but the officers
insist that the number was not over
eighty-five. There were four boilers
in the rrant, two horizontal ones which
furnished steam for the engines and
two vertical boilers, which were used
solely to test injectors. It was the hor-
izontal boiler that was in use and
which let go and caused the awful loss
Of life.
Came Without Warning.
The awful crash came without the
slightest warning. Those in the front
building said it seemed like concus-
sion Of an immense cannon. The roof
and floors of the rear building bulged
upward and then crashed down with
their heavy load of machinery and
foundry apparatus. Walls, roof and
all dropped into shapeless mass Of
debris. Windows in houses for block
around were broken by the concussion,
and flying bricks filled the neighboring
yards. A. dense cloud Of dust arose,
and as it settled and was succeeded
by denser clouds OF smoke and steam,
agonized cries began to come from the
tangled wood, metal and bricks. Those
who were only partly buried franti-
calIy dug themselves out, and then as
energetically turned to digging for
their comrades, who were buried deep
er. Flames broke out almost imme-
diately, and the horror Of fire was add
ed to the suffering of the imprisoned
ones.
A. fire alarm was turned in and
quickly responded to. Calls were sent
out for all the ambulances IN the city,
and they were hurried to the scene
Pending their arrival neighboring
houses were turned into temporary
hospitals, and those physicians who
were in the vicinity eased the sufferers
as much as they were able. The first
ambulances on the scene were totally
inadequate to carry those who had al
ready been extricated, and express
wagons and similar vehicles were
pressed into service.
AS soon as the gravity Of the acci-
dent was realized, calls for additional
dremen were sent in and the apparatus
came flying to the scene from all parts
OF the city. While part Of the flremen
turned their efforts at the fire which
was burning fercely in the center Of
the wreck, the greater number Of them
seized axes and crowbars and began
pry out the victims who could be seen
or whose faint cries were audible.
The department Of public works was
notified Of the horror and Immediately
sent all it's available men and horses
to the scene.