The San Francisco call., 1905-03-21


Spriggings. Mamie O'Connell Mamie Leonard
w. ", X; Armstrong. Kate Kelly, Louis Hickey,
MISS Willie V. Hurd John N. Sullivan.
The following were seriously injured,
many, 1t is believed, fatally:
Nora Coughlin. IS. contusions of spine. criti-
i eaIi Herman Pierce 40. burns serious; VII
nam nam Ldghtfoot As, East Bridgewater burns.
water. serious; Arthur Pierce contusions, will
recover: Mrs j. H. McCabe, internal injuries;
James Sheehan and Ralph Churchill. jumped
rom third story, will recover; Mrs David
Rockwell wife Of the engineer of factory. con-
tuslons. VIII recover; George Jones. internal
serious: Charles Carlson. spine Injured: Mrs
John Howard, internally injured by leaping
from third story; Daniel Mcdonald internal
INJURIES Mrs Lena Baker. jumped from win
dow, scalp cut open; Mrs: Thomas Chisholm,
burns and bruises Mamie Conroy, burns and
bruises; Elizabeth Mulvihill burns and
bruises; Kitty Noonon blown through window.
herious; Daniel McParry bad cuts and bruises;
warren Lewis. blown through window. badly
injured; Frank Pierce. II lacerated scalp; Ar
thur Pierce % left shoulder badly Iacerated;
John j. Garvey 90 fractured ribs; Nicholas
CorIers. 80 contusions Thomas McSherry. a,
Andrew Lundel burns, condition serious;
Elmer Il. Dodge. compound fracture of right
full Ella Whitcomb ribs fractured: Walter
Lawrence. hurt internally; Mrs Samuel Thick
nell spine hurt; Charles Eaton. legs broken;
Mrs. Julia Shields North Easton, serious body
injuries; Mrs. Ella Delano. arms and head cut;
William Lyford East Bridgewater back in
jured Mrs Samuel Bicknell 80 head and
spine injured: Forest Wetherbee 81 fireman.
FLIGHT OF THE BOILER.
The explosion occurred shortly after
the operatives had settled down to
work for the day. Suddenly and with
out warning the air vibrated with the
roar Of an explosion. At the same mo-
ment the large wooden frame of the
factory quivered and then the rear por-
ton of it collapsed. This section of the
great building had been transformed
into mass Of iron and wood wreck
age, in the midst of which human be-
ings were pinioned. In another mo-
ment flames had broken out in the
debris, and death by fire and suffoca-
tion became the fate of scores of the
operatives.
When the boiler exploded it passed
upward almost perpendicularly tear
ing passage as il went, killing many
on the way. After rising high in the
air IT descended half the distance, and
then, swerving northerly, cut it's way
like some huge projectile through
dwelling house fifty feet away and
pierced another dwelling farther along
Scenes of horror followed the wrench
ing apart of the factory building. In
the rear the three upper floors, weight
ed as they were with heavy machinery
collapsed with a crash that was heard
for blocks. Men and women working
in departments of this section who were
busy at their machines had time but to
turn in an attempt to flee after the
first dull roar, when the flooring sank
beneath them and they were carried to
the ground, crushed and bruised amid
the mass of debris. Many fell into
veritable fiery furnace. In the sections
of the factory which remained stand
ing the operatives We're panic stricken
as they sought escape.
MANY ROASTED TO DEATH.
Many fled down the stairways and
reached the ground. Others ran to the
windows, the fire escapes in many
cases being torn away by the explosion
In desperation many jumped from the
second and third floor windows to the
ground and were dangerously injured.
The crush on the stairWays resulted in
numerous minor injuries.
Scarcely had the rear structure col
lapsed when a tongue of flame started
up from the boiler pit and reached out
as II ascended, communicated with the
splinters of the wreckage and immedi-
ately afterward with the standing
walls. Soon the entire story was in
flames.
Instant death was the fate of many
who went down with the floors that
collapsed. A large number of men and
women who We're working near the
supports were alive after the floors and
walls fell. From these unfortunates
cries of agony and terror went up
Almost all had been caught between
broken timbers. lighter wooden wreck
age and heavy pieces of machinery A
few persons succeeded in extricating
themselves from the wreckage, but
more were roasted death
DOOMED, But SAVES OTHERS.
BY this time nearby citizens had ar
rived to assist the employees who es-
capped begin the rescue of their fellows.
This task became momentarily more
difficult and perilous, for the heat from
the fire was almost unbearabIe BY
the use of long pieces of timber the
rescuerS were able to raise parts of
the wreckage and thereby release some
of the imprisoned men and women and
then by rushing into the smoke pull
them from the ruins.
Then it was that acts of sacrifice and
herolsm were seen. One man whose
legs We're caught under an iron beam
cried to the rescuers that they could
not extricate him. and to help the girls
behind him. Stretching out his arms
he lifted several girls one by one and
passed them to the rescuers. Then the
nre reached him and he died.
A woman who was entangled in
shoe machine cried out that she was
dying and commanded the rescuers to
attend the others who might live. She
begged to be shot. Soon the flames
enveloped her
PRIEST RENDERS AID.
Among the first to arrive on the
scene was Rev. James O'Rourke. curate
at ST. Margaret's Roman Catholic
Church, near the fire. At the risk of
his life he removed seven persons from
the ruins before the fire had reached
them and was returning for the eighth
when he tainted. Father O'Rourke ad
ministered the last rites of the church
to many who lay dying
Imprisoned operatives, too far away
for rescue, and who knew that their
lives would last but a few moments.
spoke words of encouragement to those
who seemed nearer escape Some
prayed aloud. others pleaded with the
rescuers to say ''good-by'' to relatives
The spectacle unnerved many who
were trying vainly to get to the vic
Tins and some turned away sick and
fainting. Members of the fire depart
ment with ladders aided greatly in the