The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-03-23
EXPLOSION WRECKS BUILDING
IN BRocKToN, MASS.
FIFTY DEAD BODIES FOUND
Many Are Missing and It Is Feared
Have Perished - List Of Injured
Is Large - Fire Destroys
Other Buildings.


well was found this morning in the
engine room. This makes eleven
bodies identified; and ffty-f1ve in all
recovered.
The figures at hand today showed
that about 260 persons who were at
work in the factory when the explos-
ion occurred had been accounted for
and that between fifty and one hun
bred persons are still missing.
Mayor Keith issued a notice today
requiring every clergyman in the city
to raeet with him this afternoon at
the city hall to make arrangements
for public funeral services for the
victims Of the accident, suggesting
Thursday afternoon as a desirable
time for them to be neld.
City is in Mourning.
Brockton, Mass, March 21.-ThIs
city is in mourning for at least three
score of her citizens whose lives wers
blotted u early on Monday by the
explosion of a boiler in a large shoe
manufacturing establishment in the
Campello district, conducted by the
r. B. Grover company. The explosion
was Immediately followed by q flash
Of flame, which consumed the factory,
a long, four-story structure, as if il
were a house of cards, and incin-
Grated an unknown number of men
n women who were unable to extri-
cate themselves from a mass of tan
gled wreckage formed by the terrific
upheayal in the boiler room. More
than half a hundred of the employees
in the building were MANNED, burned
or bruised by the time they reached
safe ground, Some had jumped from
the roof, some from windows and
others had been injured in the mad
rush to escape from the doomed fac
tory, which from all parts emitted the
intense, awful heat of an inferno,
driving back the band of heroic res
cuers who in a few brief moments had
performed gallant service.
Other Buildings Burned.
The fire extended from the factory
to seven other buildings in the vicinity
and destroyed them. One of these,
buildings was a three-story wooden
block owned by Charles F. DShlborg,
the others being cottages of small
value, and a blacksmith shop. Two
wooden dwellings neal the engine room
were practically demolished by the
ANysTnr hn51nr hut ma ~ ha ~,
pants were seriously injured. The
total financial loss is estimated at a
quarter of a million dollars, 5000, 900 of
which falls on the r. B. Grover COM
pany.
Fifty Bodies Recovered.
1t may never be known just how
many persons persisted in the wreck
age. No one knows exactly how many
persons were in the factory. The
number has been estimated at 400, but
Treasurer Charles o. Emerson said he
doubted whether there were SO many
at work. Two hundred and fifty sur
viyors have been accounted for, and
at midnight the remains of SO bodies
had been recovered from the ruins,
the search being continued all night.
Fragments of human frames which
possibly might belong to bodies other
than those enumerated have also been
found. Few Of the remains have been
case is missing and except in rare in
stances 1t was impossible even. to dis
tinguish the sex.
The disaster was attended by many
narrowing scenes and thrilling rescues.
For hours hundreds of the relatives
Of the factory operatives besieged the
ruins and the fire and police stations
In quest of missing ones. Some in
their violent grief and agonizing stress
of mind collapsed. Several of the res
cuers and searchers tainted as they
beheld the distressing scene. There
no trace of the body Of David w.
Rockwell, engineer of the plant, who
vas not seen after the explosion. 1t
is supposed that he persisted at his
post. An inspection of the wrecked
boiler by the state boiler inspectors
showed that there was a sufficient sup
ply of water in it. The cause of the
explosion is at present a mystery.
Building Torn Apart.
When the boiler exploded 1t passed
upward almost perpendicular, tearing
a passage a it went, killing many ON
the way. After rising high in the air.
1t descended half the distance and
then swerving northerly cut; It's way
like some huge projectile through a
dwelling house so feet away and
pierced another dwelling further along,
demolishing the latter structure. Here
its curse was stopped. Scenes OF hor- ,
ror followed the wrenching apart of
the factory building. In the rear tho
three upper floors. weighted as they
were with heavy machinery, collapsed
with a crash that was heard for
blocks. Men and women operatives
were working In departments OF thia
section, who were busy at their ma
chimes, and had time but to turn In al
attempt to fee after the first dull
roar. when the flooring sank beneath
d they were carried IN kha |