Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-05-06
A TERRIFIC
EXPLOSION
Eight Dead and Twenty-seven Wound
ed as the Result Of an Esplo-
sion In Cleveland, Ohio.
\ GIRLS rHoUeHTLEssNEss
One Girl c~arelessly Pushed Another
and the Lstter's Shoes Setting
Powder Attire.

Cleveland, o., May Am explo-
sion that caused death and destruction
occurred in the plant Of the Thor
manufacturing company, located at
No. 6S7 Orange street, this afternoon.
So far eight persons are dead, while
a number of others are lying injured
at hospitals, some fatally and others
more or less seriously injured.
The Thor Manufacturing company
is engaged in the manufacture Of toy
~torpedoes and other explosives. The
company was in the midst Of its bus
mess season. A large stock Of mater
ial was on hand. Extra girls were
being employed and by the end Of the
week it was intended 10 put on the
market the largest shipment ever
sent out by the company.
The force of the explosion was ire
mendous and windows within a radius
of a quarter Of a mile were broken.
A house on Orange street next to the
factory was occupied by Morris Co
hen, with his wife and eight children.
With the collapse of the house, sim
ultaneous with the explosion, the
woman and four children were caught
in the falling ruins and horribly
crushed. They were all taken out
unconscious. Mrs. Cohen died on
the way to a hospital.
In a house directly in the rear were
Mrs. Barney Quiss and three boys.
All were badly injured and taken to
hospitals.
The fire originated in a peculiar
manner. Torpedo caps are filled In
molds and there is constant danger
of some OF the loose powder, supposed
to be illuminate OF mercury, dropping
on the floor. For this reason the
girls and boys who r employed In
the factory are compelled to remove
! their shoes while at work. 30 as to
remove the danger OF striking sparks
The explosion was due to the frolic
some ~propensities of a new girl, who
;, had been employed 4. the plant less
than a week. The girls had theii
shoes on at the noon hour and one
playfully showed one of the girls. As
the girl slid along her shoes struck &
spark in some loose powder. Instant
~ the floor was ablaze. With grea'
presence of mind the girl ran to &
tub of water and threw water on thu
floor. The fire had gained too grea'
Roadway, however, and the water die
not stop it.
At this juncture a painter who wa!
working on the building next door
glanced through an open window ant
J saw the fire. The girls did o seen
\ to realize their great danger and e
I trying to ~extinguish the flames. TIL,
painter, however, realizing what wa
! stored in the buildings, yelled to tn
girls to run for their lives. Their
J were four girls, ten boys and n ma
in the factory when the explosion
occurred. All these got out excep
J Flora Lipster, Willard Cole, a son o
one of the proprietors OF the plant
and Arthur Conway. a l~4-year-old boy
The flames we're easily subdued b,
the firemen after the explosion a
there was nothing left of the factor,
J but a pile of debris.
The dead:
MRS. MAURICE COHEN, aged 5
died on the way to a hospital.
SOLOMON COHEN, aged IL, die
at a hospital.
HARRY GLUECHMANN, aged /
' years, sick at the time, died as
result of the shock.
Fatally injured:
Mrs. Anna Stone. left eye torn on
severe scalp wounds. deep cut in RICH
cheek through jaw bone and bruise
y about the shoulders.
3 Ben Cohen. 13 years old. fronts
bone torn away from the face an
: cheek cut out, crushed shoulders an
legs: will die.
Twenty-seyen others were injure
= less seriously.