Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-05-09
DEAD FROM GIRLS PRANK
Fire and Explosion in Torpedo Factory
Has a Terrible Effect.
HEAVY SHOCK IN CLEVELAND, OHIO.
While Playing During Lunch Hour the Shoe OF
a Girl Sliding on the Strikes a Spark.
lighting Loose Powder-ln an Instant the
Room is AbIaze and Explosion Follows
Pathetic Incidents.

Cleveland. o. (SpeciaD explo-
sion that caused death and destruction
occurred in the plant OF the Thor Manu-
featuring Company. OF this city. Thus
far three people are dead. while rs
others arc lying at hospitals. some
fatally and others more or less seriously
injured
The Thor Manufacturing Company is
engaged in the manufacture OF toy tor
pedo canes and other explosives. The
company was i'll the midst of its busiest
season. y large stock of material was
on hand Extra girls were being en-
ployed. and by the end OF the week it
was intended to put on the road the
largest shipment ever sent oft by the
company
The force of the explosion was ire
mendous and windows within radius
OF quarter OF mile were broken
In the house on Orange street. next to
the factory. lived Maurice Cohen. with
his wife and eight children. With the
collapse of the ho"se simultaneously
with the explosion the woman and four
children were caught in the falling par
titions and all were horribly crushed.
They were all taken ont unconscious.
Mrs. Cohen died on the way to the hos
ptal.
In the house directly in the rear were
Mrs. Barney Quass and two boys. All
three were badly injured and taken TO
! hospitals.
The fire originated in peculiar man
ner. The torpedo caps are filled III
nolds and there is constant danger OF
some of the loose powder, supposed to
be illuminate of mercury. dropping OH
the floor. For this reason the girls and
boys who are employed in the factory
are compelled to remove their shoes
while AT work. so as TO avoid the dan
ger OF striking sparks.
The explosion was due TO the frolc-
some propensitics of new girl who had
been employed at the plant less than
week. The girls had their shoes on at
the lunch hour and one playfully showed
another of the girls. As the girl slid
along the floor her shoes struck a spark
in some loose powder Instantly the
floor was ablaze. With great presence
of mind one Of the girls ran To- a tub OF
water which was standing in the room
and threw it OH the fire. The blaze had
gained too great Roadway. however, and
the water did not quench it. At this
juncturc painter who was working on
the Brudno house. next door. glanced
through the open window and saw the
fire The girls did not seem TO realize
their great danger and were trying to
extinguish the flames. The painter, how
ever. realizing what was stored in the
building, yelled to the girls to run for
their lives.
There were ten girls. four boys and
one man in the factory when the eXplos-
ion occurred. All OF these got ont ex-
ccpt one. Florence Lipster: one man.
Willard Cole, son of one of the prop
rietors of the place, and Arthur Conway,
I4-year-old boy.
The flames were easily subdued by the
firemen. as there was nothing lett OF the
factory but a pile of debris The fire
fighters at once began the work of dig
ging in the ruins for the imprisoned.
The first to be uncarthed was little
Arthur Conway. He had been thrown
down at the very entrance. his face and
hands badly cut. but without injuries OF
any serious nature The next found was
Willard Cole. The ircmen Dug him
from the rubbish near the front door.
His right arm was broken and terribly
lacerated and he was covered with
bruises. He was unconscious when
found but almost Immediately regained
his senses He broke away from the
fircmcn who were carrying him and
rushed back to the ruins, crying:
Florence. Florence From this the
firemen knew that at least one other per-
son was buried and, drawing Cole away
from the debris, resumed their search.
In short time they came upon the un-
conscious form of Florence Lipster She
was pinned under great weight of de-
briS and awfully bruised and dishgured.
A falling timber had entirely torn away
one side of her face
The pecuniary loss sustained by the
torpedo company will not exceed $4,000.