Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-10-06
-four killed IN
AN AWFUL Blast
Immense Cooker in Distillery at
Peoria, ILL.,, Blows Up with
Fatal Results.
TWO employees are MISSING
and five OTHERS are INJURED
Thousands of Persons Immediately
Gather to Assist In Work of Rescue
Cause of the Terrible Catastrophe
Financial Loss Is Estimated at
Fully $4,000.

Peoria, ILL.,, Oct. 6.-An awful cataS-
trophe occurred at the plant of the
Corning Distilling company, in the ex-
IRENE south end of the city, at nine
O'Clock Saturday morning, when one
of the immense cookers, in the main
building, exploded with deafening re-
port, killing several of the employees,
manning many more, and completely
wrecking that portion of the distil-
lery. Fire alarms were Immediately
sent in for the entire department, and
patrol wagons and ambulances hur-
riedly summoned. Fortunately, the
wreckage did not take fire, and the
firemen Immediately assisted the dis
tillery employees who had escaped in
the rescue of their less fortunate fell
low workmen. TIL cooker is steel
continuance about 20 feet in diameter
and so feet in length, used in cooking
the mashes. 1t is presumed vacuum
was formed, and when the steam was
turned on to cook Saturdays mash the
explosion followed The cooker was
hurled through the north wall of the
four-story structure distance of ESQ
feet. The entire north wall of the
distillery was blown down, and the
south end walls were also badly dam
aged. The wreckage was distributed all
over the neighborhood. The distillery
people estimate their financial loss at
fully $4,000, and it will be some weeks
before the plant can be repaired suf-
fciently to resume operations.
List of the Cnsunlties.
The following is believed to be a
complete list of the casualties:
The dead: James McManus, instant
ly killed in cooker-room; Powell
Neil, assistant engineer of the
cooker-room, taken out dead; James
O'Keefe, badly burned all over his
body, died in the ambulance on way to
the Cottage hospital; George Schaef-
fer, aged 16, scalded all over his body,
died on the way to the hospital.
The missing: John Watson, govern
ment storekeeper; Guy Brennan, yeast
maker.
The injured: Daniel Cashin, both
legs fractured; burned on arm; it is
thought he will recover; James Welsh,
burned on body, not badly, will re-
cover; George c. George, us Warner
avenue, scalded about the head, face,
hands and legs, not seriously; Charles
Lane, 3217 South Washington street,
hands burned, not seriously; unknown
man, called The Dago, badly scalded
about head, unconscious.
Thousands of people quickly gath
cred at the scene to assist in the work
of rescue. James McManus, an en-
ploye of the cooker-room, was dead,
having been killed instantly. James
O'Keefe was still alive when rescued.
He was badly burned all over his body
by the scalding steam, and died few
minutes after his removal to the cot
tage hospital. Neil Powell, the assist
ant engineer of the cooker-room, was
dead when taken out. George Schaef-
fer, boy 16 years old, was alive when
taken out, but died on the way to the
hospital. He was scalded all over his
body. An unknown man was also taken
to the hospital. He was in an uncon-
scious condition, and there is little
hope of his recovery.
Corning's distillery was compare
lively new house, having been erected
two years ago, and had a capacity Of
5000 bushels per day. It was equipped
for the manufacture of the finished
product, as well as of high wines and
alcohol.