Richmond planet., 1905-03-25
SCORES KILLED BY
BURSTING BOILER
Fifty Bodies Recovered From Wre- K
ed Factory at Brockton, Mass.
VICTIMS PINNED In DEBRIS

W 1UhO LIN 1N
Brockton, Mass, March 22.-Satisfed
that there was no chance of recovering
additional bodies from the ruins of the
r. B. Grover company's shoe factory,
which was wrecked by the boiler ex.
ploding, search was abandoned by the
small army of volunteers after 81
hours of constant toll.
The revised list, as given out by the
police is as follows:
Bodies recovered, 55.
Identified, IA.
Missing, As
Reported as escaped, 2S3.
1t now seems probable that but Il
bodies will be buried with their iden-
tity positively established.
The fire extended from the factory
to seven other buildings in the vicin-
ity and destroyed them. Two wooden
dwellings near the engine room were
practically demolished by the flying
boiler, but none of the occupants was
seriously injured. The total financial
loss is estimated at $25O,O0O, 5000. 600
OF which falls on the r. B. Grover
company.
The explosion, which was followed
by such a sacrifice of life and entailed
appalling instances OF human suffering,
occurred without warning. Suddenly
the air vibrated with the roar ns : ',
explosion. AZ the same moment the
large wooden frame of the factory,
four-story structure, Quivered, and
then the rear portion of il collapsed In
a fraction of a second this section cf
the great building had been trans
formed into mass of iron and wooden
wreckaSe, in the midst of which human
beings were pinioned. In another mo-
ment fire had broken out in the de-
bris, and death by fire and suffocation
became the fate of scores of the opez-
atives.
Scenes of horror followed the
wrenching apart of the factory build
ing. In the rear the three upper floors.
weighted as they were with heavy ma
chinery, collapsed with a crash that
was heard for blocks. Men and women
operatives attempted to fee, after the
first dull roar. when the flooring sank
beneath them, and they were carried
to the ground floor, crushed and
bruised, amid the mass of debris. Many
fell into veritable fiery furnace.
Scarcely had the rear portion of the
structure collapsed, when a tongue of
flame started up from the boiler pit,
and, reaching out as it ascended, COM
municated with the splintered wreck
age, and Immediately after with the
standing walls. Soon the entire fac
tory was in flames.
By this time nearby citizens had ar
rived to assist the employees who es-
capped in the rescue of their fellows.
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
heroism were seen. One man, whose
legs were 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 fire reached him and he died. A
woman, who was entangled in a shoe
machine, cried out that she was dying.
| and commanded the rescuers to attend
to others who might live. She begged
to be shot. Soon the flames enveloped
ner.
Among the first to arrive on the
scene was Rev James A O'Rourke
I curate at st. Margarets Catholic
church nearby. 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 one
| when he tainted from the effects of the
| smoke and shock
The house at the north of the fac
tory through which the exploded boiler
! crashed was owned and occupied 6y
David w. Rockwell, the engineer IL
| charge OF the boiler, who was amons
the killed. The house was demolished
the roof being ripped off and two walls
| torn down. Mrs. Rockwell. who was
| sitting by the kitchen stove, had &
miraculous escape from death receiv.
Ing many cuts from flying bits of tin
Der when the boiler exploded through
the upper portion of her house, Mrs
| Rockwell snatched up her two chill
dren, who were minjUred, and started
| for the home of the nearest neighbor
Mrs. Eta Hood. She found this cot
tage had been practically rent asunde
by the boiler, the head of which wa!
buried in the middle OF the structure
J Miss Pratt, rs years OF age, relative