The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-22

crushing weight. but before they had re-
| leved the strain he died, almost as the
last piece Of debris was being lifted from
| his body.
BODIES IN WRECKAGE.
At O'Clock this morning q gang of Ii.
| men were ct work in the ruins It was
| generally believed that there were several
bodies still under the wreckage and every
effort was being made to find them.
Officials Of the Transit Company re.
manned at the power-house all night and
encouraged the rescue party by taking q
| leading part in the search for the bodies
OF the men thought to have lost their lives
while at their posts OF duty.
At an early hour this morning the boil
ers had not been reached by those search
ing the ruins. Until that is accomplished
it Is impossible to state with any degree
of accuracy the cause OF the explosion.
The engineers and firemen who have
been removed from the ruined boiler-room
state that as far as they know there was
no reason for the explosion. It is said that
the water supply was all right and that
the fires were practically the same as are
maintained at Ali times.
Tho heartrendinS scenes about the
wreckage recalled to many minds the ter
rfbla night spent by them nearly eight
years ngo, when the cyclone on May 81
1896. devastated the southern mart of the
city
Tho power-hOuse Of the Transit Com
pany lay directly in the path of the gi-
gantic whirlwind, and the building which
occupied the sight Of yesterdays disaster
was badly wrecked.
SEVEN BOILERS EXPLODE.
Seven boilers are supposed to have ex-
ploded. They are OF, the Heine Safety
Boiler pattern and were supposed to be alb
solutely safe.
They produced about 500 horse power.
which furnished current for parts Of the
Jefferson avenue, Tower Grove. Bellefon-
tame and Fourth street lines.
All these lines were affected by the ex-
ploslon, but were able to resume opera
tons after the wires which we're cut were
repaired.
Houses across Geyer and Missouri ave-
nues were damaged by the explosion, Win
dows were blown out, but the occupants
were not injured.
All the stokers at work at the fire I'M
out of the building when the alarm was
given. but seven remained at their posts.
They were given attention by Transit
Company physician and removed to the
City Hospital An emergency call was
sent into the City Hospital and all avail
able ambulances were sent to the car
sheds.
More than dozen fire engines respond
ed TO an alarm Chief Swingley arose
from sickbed and was one of the first
TO reach the sheds. He directed the work
of the firemen. Streams of water were
played on the heated boilers and pipes
which filed the wrecked building.
FIRE BREAKS OUT.
About 3 o'clock fierce fire broke out
in the northeast corner of ruins, where
a large amount of the wooden supports of
the roof had fallen on an abandoned car,
used as a storage-room for the motor
mems lockers. 1t was soon extinguished |
when a line OF hose was pushed through |
the crowd to the flames.
A series OF tubes. through which the
= alter 10 heated in the boilers, was blown
fifty feet. 1t landed In Missouri avenue
and tore the front platform from car No.
iGS OF the Beilefontaine line, which had |
Just been placed on the track by Its crew.
The mass Of iron tubes was twenty
four feet long and weighed more than
twenty tons.
Another boiler was thrown through the
roof Of the car shed which adjoined the
Two smoke stacks us feet high, re-
NAMED standing after the explosion. All
trolley wires on streets surrounding the
building were broken. and the danger of
contact with live wires was added to that
Of fire and steam.
D. B. dupont. second vice president of
the Transit Company, said that he was
unable to account for the explosion.
ut is supposed that these boilers, the
Heine Safety Boiler style, will not ex-
plode under any strain or pressure. I do
,ot know of another case on record where
boilers like these have blown up. do
not know what our loss will he. but 1t 10
not AZ severe a. the appearance Of the
wrecked botleresoom would Indicate"