The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-06-15
WRECKS TORPEDO PLANT
Many Fatalities Result From Ruin
of Big Concern a: Findlay, Ohio.
Two Terrific Explosions Deinolish the
Lake Shore Novelty C~olnpanys
Works, Covering Ten Acres.

Findlay, Ohio.-As a result Of an
explosion in the two drying rooms OF
the Lake Shore Novelty Company's
plant seven persons are known to be
dead, two are missing. five are so
seriously hurt that recovery is be-
lieved to be impossible and twelve or
fifteen are injured badly. From reports
of the physicians ten of the less SER
iously injured may die as a result of
blood poisoning from the potash that
was driven into their bodies.
The dead are: Joseph Sherwood.
twenty-one years old. Jay Sherwood.
twenty-four years old; Edith Dillon,
seventeen years old: Dean Shaw,
eighteen years old: Mary Snyder.
twenty-five years old: Estella Decker,
fifteen years old; Frank Grant. twenty
one years old.
The injured who it is believed cam
not recover: Maggie Logan. nineteen
years old: injured by flying debris.
Thomas Book. struck in the back by
flying barrel; arms and legs broken:
internally injured. Claude Shaw. twin
brother Of Dean: neck severely in
iured and ankle broken. Ellie Peter
man and her brother Roy. caught in
falling debris and internally injured.
The less seriously injured are: Carrie
Peterman. breast and lungs crushed
and head and eyes powder burned;
May LeaviS. who worked beside her,
similarly hurt; Louis Weingartner. hip
fractured: Minnie Dell. burned; Mrs.
Dollie. forewoman. cut and burned;
Minnie Quinlan, hoorwoman, cut and
bruised about head and shoulders: j.
S. Leary. B. c. Swisher and William
Baughman. slight hurts.
Three others, whose names could not
be learned. were also cut and burned.
The two employees missing are sup
posed to have been blown to atoms.
The Lake Shore Novelty Works
plant covered nearly ten acres Of
ground in the southwest part of the
city and employed nearly two hundred
men, women and children. Railroad
topedoes and Fourth of July explo-
sives were manufactured.
Owing to the large rush Of orders
the officials of the plant requested
the employees to report for duty Sum
day. About thirty complied with the
request.
The explosion shattered windows
throughout the city. The conclusion
was felt for miles around. Two maya
zines, in separate rooms. at the Nov
city works exploded simultaneously.
The exact cause Of the explosion is
not definitely known. 1t is surmised
that one of the Sherwood brothers,
who were the only persons in the dry
ing rooms, dropped a large box of tor
! pedoes, but this theory cannot be con-
irmed. Twenty persons were on their
way to the factory when the explo-
sion occurred.
Human forms were strewn con-
siderable distances apart on the fac
tory site. The remains of the Sher-
wood brothers were found in drying
room No. 1, mangled and almost un-
recognizable. Their clothing was
blown from their bodies, save a stock
ing on the right foot of Jay Sherwood.
The body Of Edith Dillon was
picked up two hundred yards from
where the explosion occurred.
The large plant is shattered into
fragments. not a single wall remain
ing. Bricks and timber were strewn
! for a half mile around. The loss on the
plant is 100000.