Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1905-03-22
MANY DIE IN EXPLOSION
Large Factory at Brookton, Mass,
Destroyed by Fire.
HUNDRED PEOPLE MISSING.
Large Number of Employees Rescued from
Underneath the Wreckage-Fire
Spreads to Other Buildings.

|
| the searchers had recovered forty-two
! bodies and were at work almost to the
center of the ruins. Up to that hour
| $50 of the 400 listed employees had been
accounted for.
Brockton, Mass, March 2O.-Thirty
| five dead bodies, burned and mutilated
| beyond any effort of Identification, posi-
| bly, fifty more charred corpses in the
| uncovered ruins, and a list Of injured al
ready upwards of fifty, constitutes the
record at o'clock this afternoon
of a boiler explosion, followed by fire
| this morning, at the shoe factory of
! R. 3. Glover & Co. at Campbello, part
| of this city. An official of the company
announced at this hour that the dead
may number 100, but the total loss of
| life and the number of those on the In
| jured list will remain a matter of mere
| surmise.
| The most narrowing scenes are being
| enacted this afternoon in the Campbelio
| district.
Details of Explosion.
Within an hour after the 700 or more
| employees at the factory had begun work
| today, boiler blew up in the factory
| engine room, wrecking d section of the
| building and starting a fire which de-
| strOyed the ruins and spread to other
| buildings near by. Owing to the nature
| Of the accident and the speed with which
| the flames seized on the Collapsed sec
| tions, and the excitement any accurate
| estimate Of the loss Of life was impOs
| sible.
Hundred Unaccounted For.
| 1t was understood that upwards of
| 200 persons were at work in the depart
ments near the boiler room and the first
n IONS +bn4 nI1 nn111I
have escaped. Later, however, it was
! learned that about 100 were unaccount-
| ed for and it was believed that many of
this number might be dead or injured.
The factory, large, four-story, wood
| en- structure, was in ashes within an
| hour.
Flames Spread Rapidly.
The flames extended to several dwell
| ing houses near by and to the Dahlburg
! block, across the street from the Grover
| factory. These also were consumed and
| other property was damaged. at 1880
| o'clock it was believed the fire was IN
| der control and the financial loss was
estimated at 100000.
Boiler Blows Up.
The boiler which exploded was located
On the ground floor of an ell, which ex-
tended from the main building. In the
three stories Of the ell were workrooms.
Persons living near heard dull roar
and saw a cloud of smoke rising and
the ell of the factory falling to the
ground. Flames burst from the ruins,
spreading quickly to the main structure
which, in q few minutes was a roaring
furnace Most of the employees in the
main part Of the plant succeeded in es
Gaping, although in the terrible panic
which followed the explosion quite
number were injured.
Burns Like finder.
The Grover factory was situated at
Main and Calmar streets, in the Camp
bell district, about a mile south of the
city proper. The district is within the
city limits of Brockton. A series Of
alarms summoned all the fire apparatus
in the city to the scene and aid also was
sent from near by places. The firemen
experienced the greatest difficulty in bat
tory was of an extremely infammable
nature and nearly all the floors We're
saturated with oil.
Andrew Lundell, leg fractured, burned
about face and hands, and Elmer II.
Dodge, compound fracture of leg, severe
were the first of the injured to be
brought to the Brockton hospital.
Heat Is Intense.
The heat of the fire was so intense
that the work of the firemen and police
was chiefly given to the Grover building,
especially that part of it which was
nearest the boiler house and in the early
stages of the fire a number of employees
were extrcated from rhe ruins The
flames. however, soon stopped the work
Tons OF water was poured on the ell, but
the fire became SO hot the men had to
withdraw.
Meanwhile news of the accident had
reached the homes of the operatives and
through the crowds already near the
burning factory, men and women were
| struggling wildly toward the center to
! get news Of relatives. When the flames
reached Dalborg's block. even the fire.
men were obliged to retreat temporarily
| and it was feared that a large section
| Of the district would be obliterated.
Many Narrow Escapes.
The occupants Of all these buildings
had little time to save their effects. Some
| barely escaped themselves. Reinforced
| by the arrival of other apparatus, how
| ever, the department made fresh at
| tack and after hard struggle succeeded
in stopping the spread of the flames, al
| though the Dahlborg block and one or
| two smaller buildings had been ruined.
The Dahlborg block was occupied on
| the ground floor by the owner as a hard
| ware store. The upper stories were Civ
| en- over to offices and to a large hall
! The block with it's contents was valued
at about $4,000.
LOSS is $2OO, 900.
| The financial loss Of r. B. Grover &
| Co., estimated at about S15O,OOO is near
| ly offset by insurance.
After the explosion many employees
| went to their homes as soon as they left
| the building. This added to the difficulty
| Of the police and of factory foremen in
compiling a reliable list Of missing. The
| Brocton hospital was notified at once
of the disaster and hurried preparations
| were made to receive the injured
Can't Identify Bodies.
As soon as the ruins had cooled sufi
GENTLY to permit the firemen, police and
factory employees searching the debris
the wreckage was cleared away and the
charred bodies were removed. By II 80
! thirteen unidentified bodies had been re-
| moved Some of tho hodoS bod boon