The evening Republican., 1902-08-21
Two Digesters Exploded Causing a
Loss Of Over $4,000.
TOO MUCH STEAM THE CAUSE.
The Wrecking Car of the Pennsylva-
MIA r. r. Go. Used to Hoist Twist
ed and Broken Iron From
Bodies Of the Dead Men.

dumped, stopping the powerful en-
gines that were running there at the
time the explosion occurred.
As stated yesterday Chief Black
was notified and he had the ambu
lance and patrol wagon dispatches d
to the scene. Captain Evans and 8
squad Of officers were quickly on the
ground eager to lend a hand and
keep back the crowd. The injured
were removed and sent to the hos.
pitfalls and the fireman battled to
subdue the flames.
The men taken from the ruins
were terribly burned by either fire
or acid.
Dr.. James H. Morgan and DR..
J. p. Wales were the surgeons who
arrived at the scene and rendered
what temporary assistance was
possible.
W. Allen Lindsay. superinten.
dent, and David Lindsay, Jr., as.
sstaut superintendent OF the Aug.
ustlne mills OF the Jessup and
Moore Company, arrived shortly
after the explosion was reported
and joined Superintendent Saunders
and Assistant Superintendent VIII.
liam II. Saunders 10 the work of
rescue.
The body Of Burke was found on
a roof Of building about seventy.
five feet away from where the ex-
plosiou occurred. Burke was er-
gagged in feeding wood chips into
the dlgesters. His body was car
ricd through the air and alighted on
the roof, where it was found by
tiremen who were fighting the
flames.
The body OF Zachariah Collins,
the colored coal wheeler, was
found pinioned beueath a mass of
bricks alongside of a freight car,
near the demolished digester build
ing. Collins at the time was wheel
ing barrow to be loaded with fuel,
and it is supposed that a chimney
fell on him. His body was burned,
he was almost decapltated, aud
nearly every bone in his body was
broken.
James Guv, colored. a coal wheel.
.r, who worked with Collins, had
miraculous escape. He had Just
stepped outside the building to get
a breath Of fresh air when the ex-
,lcsion took place, and he was
lnhurt,
The body OF Harris was the first
ound by the rcscuing party. 1t was
n the cellar of the shipping depart.
nent. a short distanc, from the di.
ester room. and he had bsea crush
d to death by falling debris. The
'odies Of the other four men who
we're crushed and burned to death
n the ruins were all found in the
iciuity Of the digester room, where
hey we've caught like imprisoned
ats by falling walls aud linbers aud
heir life snutfed out.
What transplred within the digest
,g room after the machines exploi.
aud the walls collapsed, will per.
APPS never be known. The acid
hich flooded the place and the pow
rful fumes arising from the fluid
lust have added intense agony to
lf1erlngs Of the injured within 0the
oOm.
Jamos Stokes and John Collins,
ere found close together. They were
lrlad in debris, only their heads and
pper portions Of their bodies being
sible. Both were praying when
'und, and when one Of the search.
lg party told Stokes that they we're
'ying to make him comfortably he
'plied: guess l will rest easy after
while. "
He died shortly after being al.
itted to the Homeopathic Hospital.
The fire companies having extin-
lished the flames the rescuing
lrty renewed the work of search
e for the missing. The remaining
gesters were pulled out of the way
the wrecking train of the P. w.
B. Railroad Company.
When this had been done the body
Granville Walters, a chemist in
10 alkali room, was found. The
)dy was headless and the head has
Dt been located in the ruins. The
)dy of Joseph Henry, one of the
nployes of the wash room, was
scOvered about s o'clock in the
'om not far from the digester, thus
Yelling the list of dead and reduc-
6 the number of missing.
The workmen continued to search
It'll 8 O'Clock last night by the aid
lanterns. Sergeant Kellheer and
uad remained on duty to keep the
lrious away from the place.
The scenes at the mills werel sad
les. Men, women and children who
I'd relatives in the mills flock cd 70
e place and hcartrending scenes
ere enacted as the dead and Injured
IRE taken from the ruins.
Toward the close Of the afternoon
e large undertaking wagon Of