Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-10-03
PRESUMED VACUUM FORMED.
The Cooker, Eighty Feet Long by Twen.
ty in Diameter, Was Hurled a Dis
lance Of ESQ Feet,
SEARCH FOR BODIES DIFFICULT.
-Four Are Recovered, Several People
Missing, and a Large Number
Injured.

Peoria, H., oct 3-An awful catas.
trophe occurred at the plant Of the
Corning Dlstillery company In the ex-
IRENE south end OF the city mt . a. m.
when one OF the immense cookers in the
main building exploded with deafen.
ing report killing several Of the en-.
ployes, manning many more and COM
pletely wrecking that portion OF the
distillery Fire alarms were immed.
ately sent in for the entire department
and police and ambulances were hur-
riedly summoned. Fortunately the
wreckage did not take FIRE ana the fire.
men Immediately assisted the distinery
employees VINO had escaped the fate OF
Their less fortunate fellow workmen,
The cooker IL steel contriynnca
about so feet LONG by 20 feet in diam
eter used In cooking the mashes. 1t is
presumed that "a vacuum was formed,
ana When the steam was turned on To
COOK todays mash the explosion follow
ed The cooker was hurled through the
north wall of the first story structure. a
distance Of 250 feet The entire north
wall Of the distlllery was blown down
ana the south and east walls were also
badly damaged. The wrecSage was dis
ulpuled al over the neighborhood. The
dlsullery management estimates their
financial loss az fully S75 600, and n win
be some weeks before the liant can be
repaired sufficiently 10 resume opera
| tons thousands OF people quickly
gathered at the scene to assist in the
| work of rescue.
James McManus, an employee OF the
pant was instantly Killed James
Okeefe was stlll alive when removed
He was badly burned an owe, his tody
by the scalding steam and died "a few
minutes after his removal To- the cot
tase hospital. Neil Powell. the agss.
tant engineer OF the cooker room. was
then taken out. lie was instantly Killed.
George Shaeffer boy l6 years of age.
was alive when takeh out but died on
the way 10 the hospital He was scald-
ed an over HIS body An unknown man
mas been taken To the hospital. He ia
IN an unconscious condition ana there
seems to be no hope Of his recovery.
owing to the complete wrec., the
search for the bodies Is attended with
the utmost difficulty Several employees
are sun missing and It Is feared they
VIII be taken out dead
The following Is believed to be COM
plete list Of the dead;
THE DEAD.
James b. McManus, instantly killed
I'm the cooker room
Powell Nell assistant engineer In
cooker room. taken out dead
James O'Keefe, badly burned an over.
died In ambulance.
George Schaeffer aged rs ars.scali-
ed al over body. died on the way TO
hospital,
THE MISSING.
John Wilson, government storelcepor.
Guy Brennan, yeastmaker,
THE INJURED.
Daniel Cashn, both legs fractured.
burned on arms II Is thought he win
recover.
James NJ. Welsh, burned on body. not
badly viii recover.
George c. George 7l5 Warner avenue.
scalded about head, face, hands and
legs. not serious
Charles Lane 32l7 South Washington
street hands burned. not serious.
Unknown man, called the scourer. not
seriously
CorninE's distillery was n compara-
lively new house having been erected
Two years ago and has a capacity of
5000 bushels per day. II was equipred
Tor The manufacture Of the finished pro-
duct AS well as high wines and alcohol.