The Penn's Grove record., 1904-04-08
FATAL
A Girls Carelessness Caused the
Accident.
Seven Persons Killed and Seven Hurt
When Priceburg. Pa, 1nstitutioh
Blows Up-Heroines to the Rescue.

{
Scranton, Pa.-Seyen persons were
killed outright and seven others were
seriously injured, several Of them fa-
tally, by an explosion in the Dickson
squib factory. at Priceburg, on the
northern outskirts Of Scranton. at II
O'Clock a. m.
One Of the score of girls employed
in the factory threw into the stove a
tubular case filed with gunpowder.
and is used to fire the charge in d
blast. 1t exploded, was hurled out in.
to a pail of liquid sulphur, and an in.
slant later, with a roar which was
heard d mile away, the building
burst into flames.
Two of the girls were hurled through
a window as from the mouth of a cam
non, and others ran from the building
with their clothes blazing and scream.
ing with pain and terror.
The dead are: Lizzie Bray, of Price,
burg; George Callahan, of Priceburg;
Teresa Callahan, of Priceburg; Re-
becca Lewis, of North Scranton; Lii.
liam Mahon, of North Scranton; Laura
A1uttuSWb 81 VI OtlpudIlI5
body of a girl.
Those most Seriously injured were
Mamie Gilgallon, Lillian Howey, Cas-
sic Faulds, Annie Heffron, Oscar Ay-
yer, Lillian Callahan and Martha Hay
brown.
Although there were twenty-five
kegs of powder stored in the factory
on the main floor, the second floor was
rented to the Callahan family. who
had been living in fancied security
over a veritable magazine.
1t is only because of their mothers
bravery that two Of the other Gala.
han children were not added to the list
of victims. Mrs. Callahan was on the
second floor when the explosion &C.
CURED. Taking the two youngest chill.
dren in her arms, she rushed down
stairs and through the flames. Hand
ing her charges to a bystander, the
mother turned back to rescue her other
little ones, but it was too late. Flames
were roaring from the floor to the
roof, and almost while the mother was
bearing two Of her children to safety
the others were perishing in the fire.
Into this furnace the mother would
have plunged to certain death If she
had not been forcibly restrained. BY
main force she had to be dragged from
the place, while her piercing cries for
her children could be heard above the
roaring of the flames.
Miss Annie Grier, a wealthy young
woman of Priceburg, is being idol.
lied as a heroine because of her BRAY.
cry and presence of mind, which saved
the life of Mamie Gilgallon, one of the
girls who was hurled through a win.
dow by the force Of the explosion.
Others of the fleeing girls were saved
from more serious injury by men who
stripped off their coats, with which
they smothered the blazing dresses.
There is no doubt that the accident
was due to the carelessness of Beckie
Lewis, n of the girls killed, who
threw a lighted squib into the stove.
According to the forewoman. Miss Gill
gallon, she had been caught doing the
same thing on d previous occasion.
Windows were shattered for many
blocks around and buildings were
rocked from their foundations. The
bells of the town were rung and calls
for aid were sent to ne~ighboring towns.
but by the time the firemen arrived
their only work was to carry out the
blackened bodies to the town hall
across the street, which was turned
into a temporary morgue.
There the victims were laid side by
side, but most of them were so badly
burned that it was with difficulty that
any of them were identified.
The factory was operated by Edward
Owens.