The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-11-27
TWENTY SEVEN PERISH
IN DISASTER AT DETROIT
FrghfuI Boiler Explosion That Wrecked Building
With Terribly Fatal Results.
Fire Adds Horror to the Situation and Many Backened Bodies Are
Taken Out of the Ruins.

upward and then crashed down with
their heavy loads of machinery and
foundry apparatus. Walls, roof and all
dropped into a shapeless mass of de-
bris Windows in houses FOR a block
around were broken By the coucussi0n
and flying bricks filled the neighboring
yards
A dense cloud Of dust arose and as
il settled and was succeeded 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 burned franctl-
Cally dug themselves out and then as
energetically turned to digging for
their comrades who were buried deep
er. Flames broke out almost immedi-
ateIy and the horror Of fire was added
10 the sUfferings of the imprisoned
ones
Almost Immediately after the IRE
alarm was turned i'm. calls were sent
out for all the ambulances in the city,
and they We're hurried to the scene
Pending their arrival, neighboring
houses were turned into temporary hos
pitfalls. and those physicians who we're
i'm the vicinity eased the suffering ones
as much as they were able. The nrsl
ambulances on the scene were totally
Inadequate to carry those who had all
ready been extricated and express
wagons and similar vehicles were
+ pressed into service.
Calls For Assistance.
As soon as the gravity Of the scei-
dent was realized calls for additional
/ fremen were sent in and the apparatus
came flying to the scene from all parts
/ of the city. While part Of the hremen
/ directed their efforts against the fif-.
/ which was burning in the center Of the
ruins. the greater number OF them
/ seized axes and crOwbars and began
! Drying out the victims who could be
/ seen or whose faint cries were audible.
/ The department Of public works im-
! mediately sent all its available men
/ and horses to the scene. In a compar-
! ativelv short time all the labOrers who
were able to work to advantage were
/ hurTiedly set TO pulling debris out into
/ BROOKLYN avenue where Ii was loaded
into wagons and carried or.
The floors and roof had fallen at an
I angle and formed a sort OF huge cover
under which the FIRE burned fercely-
Not until the firemen had chopped
+ through this did their streams begin
/ to have any appreciate effect on the
flames. The sufferings Of those $40
1 were buried beneath were later mutelr
testified to by their charred and black
ened bodies.
Work Of Rescue
Gradually the rescuers worked their
7 way downward through the pile. BY
this time there were no cries or groans
to aid them for the flames had de-
I stroyed those UnfortUnates who were
not killed by the explosion or the fall.
But the work Of rescue continued.
} When a heavy beam or piece of shaft
ing was encountered. horses were
driven in and the piece of wreckage
hauled to the street. Stretener-Dearers
stood beside the workers and bort
away the burned and blackeued bodies
A vacant house adjoining the fOun-
dry was converted into temporary
morgue. where the bodies were placed
in collins and taken to the nearest
mOrgue. In several cases the cnarred
corpses were so hot when recovered
that they could scarcely be handled by
the undertakers and assistants.
Hospitals Are Besieged.
The hospitals were besieged by rela.
tives and friends Of the injured men.
An emergency hospital, which was only
. q short distance from the scene and
where many of the injured were car
1ied in wagons. the floors Of the recep-
q
used as a temporary resting place for
the victims. Physicians were hastily
summoned and the work of relief eX-
Dedited. Similar scenes were enacted
at Grace and Harper hospitals
A number OF girls were among the
z + employees on the four floors Of the
! front building. and there was panio
among them, but none Of them was
2 injured
The property loss. according TO Sec
D rotary George W. Childs, is about $780,
- co.,
Nothing is known as yet about the
8 cause of the explosion The boilers
4 had been recently inspected, and tbs
engineer was known as a careful and
capable man. The first words of the
engineer. who lies in Grace hospital III
e a dying condition, when he was taker
# ont of the ruins. were: How did s.
F. happen2 Everything was all right
g with the boiler and engine as far as
d knew"