Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-03-20
VICTIMS OF BOILER EXPLOSION
Accident Happened In the R. B. Grover
Shoe Factory, Brockton,
Mass,
NUMBER OF LIVES LOST UNKNOWN
One Official Thinks ii May Reach Hun
dred--Ruins Took Fire, aud
Flames Spread Rapidly.

Brockton. Mass. March 20--At 3:lS
the searchers had recovered AZ bodies,
and We're at work almost at the center
OF the ruins. Up 10 that hour $50 OF tho
400 listed employees sad been accounted
for.
ESTIMATE or DEAD
Brockton, Mass, March 2O.--City Fire
Marshal Boyden stated that reports
made TO him up to noon Indicated that
the list of dead might reach 50,
Lists Of the employees IN the different
departments Of the factory have been
posted at the fire station and calls have
been sent out for every person who es-
capped to indicate the fact, that the
names Of the dead may be obtained.
BOILER EXPLoDEs.
Brookton. Mass. March 20-Within
an hour after the 600 or more employees
at the II. Il. Grover shoe factory had
begun work today a boiler blew up in
the factory engine room. wrecking a
section of the building and starting a
fire that destroyed the ruins and spread
TO other buildings nearby.
LOSS OF LIFE UNKNOWN.
owing to the nature Of the accident
and the speed with which the flames
upon the collapsed section and the ex-
element, an accurate estimate OF the
loss OF life was impossible. IL was un-
derstood that upwards of 200 persons
were at work In the departments near
the boiler room and the first indications
were that none could hardly have es-
capped. Later, however. II was learned
that many of the number might be
dead or injured The factory, large
four-story wooden structure, was In
ashes within an hour.
The flames extended to several DWELL
Ing houses near by and to the Dahlborg
block across the street from the Grover
factory.
These also were consumed. and other
property was damaged. Al 1880 o'clock
Il was believed that the fire was under
control and the financial loss was es-
timated at 100000 The boiler which
exploded was located on the ground
floor Of an l. which extended from the
main building, Persons living near
heard a 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 few min
utes was roaring furnace.
employees IN TERRIBLE PANIC.
Most OF the employees In the main
part OF the plant succeeded in escap-
ing although IN the terrible panic
which followed the explosion, quite a
number We're injured.
The Grover factory was situated at
Main and Calmar streets. I'm the Camp
hello 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 30 the scene and aid also
was sent from nearby places. The fire.
men experienced the greatest difficulty
In battling with the flames, as the
Goryer factory was OF an extremely in
flammable nature, and nearly all the
floors were saturated with OIL
Andrew Lundell, left leg fractured.
burned about face and hands. and Ell
mer II. Dodge, compound fracture %
the leg, severely burned about the face
and hands, were the first Of the injured
TO be brought to the Brockton hospital.
HEAT INTENSE.
The heat Of the fire was so intense
WAS carried on under great difficulties
Their attention was chiefly given to tho
Grover building. especially that part
OF Il which was nearest the boiler
house, and IN the early stages of the
fire a number OF employees were extrl-
Gated from the ruins. The flames, how
ever, soon stopped the rescue work.
Tons OF water were poured on the ell
but the fire from the main structure
became too hot for effective work and
the entire plant with those who failed
to escape, had TO be abandoned.
NEWS OF ACCIDENT SPREADS,
Meanwhile news OF the accident had
reached tho homes or the operatives
and through tho crowds already near
the burning factory men and women
were struggling wildly toward the CEN
ter "a get news Of relatives. When the
flames reached Dahlborgs block even
the fremen were obliged 10 retreat
temporary and Il was feared that a
large section OF the district would be
ohitcrated. The occupants OF all these
buildings had little time TO save their
effects. Some barely escaped them
selves. Reinforced By the arrival OF
other apparatus, however, the depart
ment made a fresh attack and after a
hard struggle succeeded IN stopping the
spread OF the flames. although the
Dahlhorg block and several smaller
buildings had been ruined. The Dahl
borg block was Occupied on the ground
floor by the owner OF a hardware store.
The upper stories were given over to
offices and TO q larg hall, The block
with as contents was valued NJ about
$4,000
FINANCIAL LOSS.
The financial loss to r. II Grover &
Co. estimated at about $4,000, Is