Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-06-08
DISTILLERY
DESTROYED
Eleven Story Structure in Peoria, I'LL
nois. Is Completely Wrecked by
an Explosion.
TEN ARE BURNED IN THE RUINS
Dozens of Others Seriously Injured
Thirty Thousand Barrels of Whis-
KY Destroyed.

Peoria. ILL.,, June Am explosion
house of the Corning Distillery COM
pany this afternoon completely
wrecked the building. The ruins i'm.
mediately took fire and communicate
ed to three adjoining buildings. which
were burned to the ground. Ten men
were buried beneath the ruins and
burned to death. Six others were ser,
iousIy injured.
Loss Will Reach a Million.
The loss on buildings and whisky
and spirits stored will approximate
$1,000. 200. At Z O'Clock the fire had
spread to the stock yards district,
where a dozen large cattle barns fill.
ed with cattle for market were burned
down.
The missing: Fred X. Knell, Louis
Behrend. Joe Zimmerman, john Ho-
becker, Louis Sax, William Finley,
Jr.. e. Brown. NJ. Crowl. John Lep
pin. William Field.
The injured: Adam Werner. Ed
ward Werner, Elmer Hogan. J. b
Marshall, James NJ. Miller, Allie Fein,
berg.
10000 Barrels of Whisky.
The warehouse, containing in the
neighborhood of 10000 barrels of
whisky. was instantly a seething caul'
dron, and it was known that no one
inside the big structure could live
a moment.
The warehouse, in crushing the
smaller structure nearby, set that on
fire and the whisky from the burst.
ing barrels flooded everything in that
section. Large streams ran toward
the river. and in a short time there
was a foot of whisky in the cattle
pens east of the warehouse. 1t was
burning furiously and the cries of g.
200 steers. chained fast. were pitiable
to hear.
Sufferings Soon Over.
Their distress lasted but a few mo-
ments. however. for they were soon
dead, either roasted or ~suGfocated by
the fumes. Two fermenting houses
were speedily destroyed. The flames
threatened the mill and elevator just
across the track. where the costly ma
chinery is installed. However. the
firemen made a winning fight and al
I o'clock the fire seemed under con,
troll
Elmer Hogan was at work in the
warehouse when the collapse came
He was washed out through a break
In the building by the big stream OF
whisky and carried toward the river
a distance of nearly rs feet, before
being lodged against a fence, from
which he managed to escape before
the fire overlook him. He was SC
badly injured that he can not recoy
err
Government Men Escape.
Fred Knoll and william Finley
who had charge OF the men employ
ed In this department, had just left
the building when the explosion ant
collapse came. Knoll was crushed
to the earth and almost instantly tht
place where he had fallen was en-
yelOped In flames. 1t is believed thar
the government men have all escap
cd.
The gaugers, IS of whom worked
AT the warehouse, had completed
their work and gone about 2 o'clocl
in the afternoon. There were thrc,
government storekeepers in the build
ing. but H. is reported all OF then
got out safe. Warehouse y. wher,
the explosion that did the damag,
occurred, was an History frame struc
ture. covered with corrugated iron
II was more than 100 X 200 feet il
dimensions. Warehouse 4 was
~three-story brick building 100 X 90
feet. II contained in the neighboI
hood of 81. 900 gallons Of spirits.