Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-23
FATAL EXPLOSION
FIREWORKS FACTORY WRECKED,
CAUSING DEATH.
Many, Hurt, Several Missing and Great
Mercantile Loss at Find
lay, Ohio.

| FINDLAY. Ohio. May 23.-As result o
an explosion in the two drying rooms o.
the Lake Shore Novelty Company's plan
here yesterday seven persons are known
to be dead, five are so seriously hurt thai
recovery is believed to be impossible. and
twelve or fifteen are injured badly. From
reports of the physicians ten of the les:
seriously injured may die of blood poison
ing from the potash that was driven intt
their bodies.
Instantly killed:
Joseph Sherwood. aged twenty-one.
Jay Sherwood, aged twenty-four.
Edith Dillon, aged seventeen.
Dean Shaw, aged eighteen.
Mary Snider, aged Twenty-Five
Died later at home:
Estella Decker, aged fifteen.
Frank Grant, aged twenty-one.
The injured. whom 1t Is believed cannot
recover:
Masgie Logan. nineteen. injured by ny.
Thomas Book struck in the back by fly.
ing barrel; arms and legs broken; internally
injured.
Claude Shaw, twin brother of Dean, back
severely injured and ankle broken.
Fife Peterman and her brother Roy
caught in falling debris and internally in
jured.
The less seriously injured are:
+ Carrie Peterman, seventeen, breast and
lungs crushed and head and eyes powder
burned.
May Leavis. eighteen, who worked beside
her, similarly hurt.
Louis Weingartner, hip fractured.
Minnie Doll, burned.
Mrs. Doll, forewoman, cut and burned.
Minnie Quinlan, flOorwoman, cut and
bruised above the head and shoulders
Baughman also sustained slight hurts.
G<,n~ TN, p1oxyoe NiSu;n-
Three Others whose names could not be
learned, were also cut and burned. Two
employees are missing, and are supposed 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 200 men, women and children. Rail-
road torpedoes and Fourth OF July explo-
sives were manufactured.
Owing to the large rush of orders, the
officials of the plant requested the en-
ployes to report for duty Sunday. About
thirty complied with the request
Yesterday the residents of Findlay were
startled by two explosions that shattered
windows throughout the city. The concus-
sion as felt for miles around. Two maya
zines, In separate rooms at the novelty
works. let go simultaneously with terrible
reports. The exact cause of the explosion
Is not definitely known. 1t is surmised that
the only persons in the drying room, drop
ped large box of t0rpedoes, but this
theory cannot be confirmed
The explosion occurred shortly before the
employees assembled for duty. At least
twenty persons were on their way to the
factory when the explosion occurred
Human forms were strewn considerable
distances apart on the factory SITE The
remains Of the sherwood brothers were
found in drying room No. /, mangled and
almost unrecognizabie Their clothing was
blown from their bodies. save stocking
on the right foot OF Jay Sherwood. The
body OF Edith Dillon was picked up 200
yards from where the explosion occurred.
The news of the catastrophe spread like
wildfre drought the county. Every train
and interurban car that has arrived In the
city for the past ten hours was crowded.
The large plant Is shattered into frag-
ments. not one single wall remaining. Bricks
and timber can be found for half a mile
around.
The property loss Is 10000. The plant.
1t Is said. will not be rebuilt
Most Of the funerals will occur TODAY
and business generally will be suspended.
Three bodies were found at distance of
800 feet from the scene Of the explosion.