Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-08-28


Bernard Sweeney's body was found
about 100 feet from the point where
Burke's body had been found. The
body was badly mangled and death was
probably instantaneous.
At about 5 O'Clock the body of Ed
ward H. Mousley was found in the
wash room under one of the large vats,
which had been thrown down by the
explosion. The body was not mangled,
but was eaton to some extent by alkali
which had trickled down through the
debris. The bodies of the unfortunates
were taken to tho morgtle, after which
they were moved to their late homes.
Had it not been for the magnificent
service rendered by the p, W. & B.
Railroad Go. IS big steam crane. the
rescue work would have been much
more difficult. The operations of the
machine and the men who were with it
were looked after by Wreck Master
Van Gasken. The employees at the
works had some idea of where the
bodies we're most likely to be found,
and with this Information the crane
crew knew how TO go about their work
most effectively The big machine
pulled away the heavy tanks in an in
credibly short space of time, and when
ever there was wall to come down it
was removed with the same rapidity.
A report gained currency that one of
the bodies found yesterday afternoon
was warm when it was taken out, but
Police Captain Evans and DIR. James
II. Morgan, who were there when the
bodies we're recovered, say such was not
the case. Capt. Evans said it was not
possible, judging from the condition of
the bodies when found, for any of the
unfortunate men to have lived more
than few minutes after the accident
and it is his opinion that nearly all
were killed Instantly. This is borne
out by the fact that no human sound
was heard in the wreckage after the
accident, SO far as can be learned, and
there is every reason to believe that
every man who was caught in the ex-
plosion and did not escape. was dead
as soon as the noise subsidized.
DIR. Morgan says there appeared to be
some artificial heat in one of the bodies
taken out yesterday. The heat was
only in places, however, and was due
to the action of the alkali on the flesh.
There had been no life in any of the
bodies for some time.
RESCUE WORK RESUMED.
The rescuers worked as long as they
could sec Thursday, and when they
were compelled by darkness to quit for
the day they were pretty sure chat
they mad located Joel Hutton's body.
Consequently, at daylight Thursday
they resumed operations and prose-
cuted their work in the direction which
they believed would be most effective,
and at s. so o'clock their labors were
rewarded by finding the body in the
eastern end of the digester room, but
il was $50 O'Clock before they were
able to get it out. The body was in
bad condition and some of the men
who were looking for it were made
almost sick. Superintendent John @.
| Saunders was on the scene early and
| directed the work in person. He en-
| couraged the rescuers, and, notwith-
standing the bad physical condition of
some of them they continued until the
body was taken out and placed in an
undertaker's wagon, in which it was
| taken to the morgue. Judging from
the appearance of the body, death must
have been instantaneous
With the recovery of Hutton's body,
all of the employees had been accounted
for and Superintendent Saunders called
tho men off the work and told them to
take rest. The rescuers were COM
plimented for their faithful efforts and
it was the general opinion that the rest
granted them was we'll earned. AL
though some of the men were almost
exhausted and some had been made
sick by the fumes, there was very little
complaining.
sUPEBINTENDENT LINDSAY HERE.
General Superintendent David Lind
say of the Jessup & Moore Paper Co.
arrived home about D O'Clock Thursday
morning, having been called home from
his vacation by the news of the fearful
accident He and Mrs. Lindsay were
stopping in the Adironcacks, "a miles
from a railroad. The information
reached him about o'clock on We'd
nesday afternoon.
The fatal character of the accident
has been a great shock to him.
After some of the wreckage had been
cleared away Thursday afternoon there
was an opportunity to judge what had
happened. Before that time, all that
was absolutely certain was that one or
more digesters had exploded. A tho
time of the accident some of the people
nearby say they heard two reports,
which gave rise to the belief that two
of the digesters had exploded, but an
examination of tho damaged digesters
Thursday afternoon gave the impression
that only one had exploded while
others were affected by shock. The
| one that exploded was known as No.
| 7, being the seventh from the southern
! end. II is said that Bernard Sweeney
and William Burke had just fillod 1t a
short time before and we're filling an
adjoining one when the explosion oc-
Cured. An examination of that part
of the exploded digester which was
hurled some distance away ana par
| TALLY buried in the ground revealed
| the fact that the explosion had evil
IDENTIFY occurred near the bottom. 1t
has been the custom, in working the
| digesters, to clean them each time they
are emptied, which operates against
foreign substances getting into the
| tanks. tslIls
| Several of the victims left families
| Mr.. Sweeney leaves q wife and nine
children, some very young. Mr. Wright
leaves a widow and one grown child.
He was member of the Jr. o. u. A.
M. Mr.. Henry was 81 years old and
leaves five children. Mr.. Mccormick
was 36 years old and is survived by his
wife, whom he married two years ago,
and one child about year old. Mr..
Walter leaves and widow and Il
daughter 10 years old. Mr.. Burke
leaves widow and seven grown chill
| dren. He was 81 years old and was
brother of Mrs. james Z. Scott, wife
of Policeman Scott.
A brother of John Mccormick, one
of the victims, was killed on the ex-
plosion Of the steamboat City of Tren-
ton, near Philadelphia, about year
| ago He was fireman on the boat and