The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-03-21
Father O'Rcurke's Story.

Father O'Rourke said tonight:
PINNED beneath heavy pieces OF
machinery, timbers and the twisted
coils Of pipe. were many, or. so many.
men and women, suffering terrinle
agonies.
''In order to reach these imprisoned
sufferers we had to crawl through the
debris and with the aid of a large TIM
Der we raised the wreckage which held
fast several men and women In thus
manner and by brute strength we
pulled out seven employees.
"By this time the flames were al
most upon us and we were about TO
flee for safety, when one poor fellow
begged that a last effort be made to
save him. Three of us grasped the
man by the shoulders and arms and
tugged and pulled until suddenly ne
cried: My God, my leg is pulled off
1T was terrible, especially so be-
cause a moment later, with our clotn-
ing scorched, we were ordered away
by the chief of the fire department
and were reluctantly compelled TO
leave the poor man to his fate.
Just before leaving | saw at least
fifteen of the imprisoned operatives,
some already suffering untold agonles
from the flames which were actually
cooking their flesh, and others watch
ing with terror-stricken eyes the fate
of their companions. knowing that a
moment or two would bring to them
similar suffering, and then death"
For Husband, Father, Brother.
With tear-stained and haggard
faces women and children besieged
the rectory of St. Margaret's Roman
Catholic church during the day, plead
ing with the priests for information
about husband, father sister or broth
er who failed to return home. Little
comfort could be given to these peo-
pie.
At the Campello police station a
similar scene was enacted. Early in
the day Mayor Keith, foreseeing the
confusion which would ensue, posted
notices in conspicuous places, request
ing all employees who had escaped to
go at once to the police station and
give their names These names were
Immediately posted and around TINS
list of names lowered throng of Wo-
men-many hysterical with grief be-
cause the list did not include a rela-
tive. Back and forth from the ruins
to the station house, and from the sta
ton house to the ruins these grief
stricken women filed in a never lending
procession, looking at the fragments
of flesh and bone as they were placed
in pine boxes and hurried away to the
was there the slightest chance of tden-
| tification.
I Spread of the Flames.
In the meantime the fire was spread
| ing from the Grover factory. 1t leap
ed across Calmar street to a three
story brick block at the corner 81
Main street, owned by Charles F. Dahl
burg and occupied as a hardware
4 ctr To
house, a dwelling house on Calmal
street and small buildings, all of which
were destroyed.
From the rear of the factory the
| flames stretched across Denton stree
to two dwelling houses.
BY this time the entire fire depart
ment and all the police reserves were
on the scene but with the high wine
blowing the flames could not be check
| ed and soon reached two other dwell.
ings All these buildings We're practi
cally ruined, but at this point the fire
was stopped.
Two Miraculous Escapes.
The house to the north of the fac
| tory through which the exploded
| boiler crashed, was owned and occu
| pied by David w. Rockwell, the en-
gineer in charge of the boiler who wa
among the killed The house was de
molished, the roof being ripped off ant
/ two walls town down. Mrs. Rockwell
who was sitting by the kitchen stove
had a miraculous escape from death
receiving many cuts from flying bit
/ of timber when the boiled speede;
| through the upper portion of he
/ house.
Mrs. Rockwell snatched up her TIVE
children, who were uninjured. ant
started for the home of the neares
neighbor Mrs. Etto Hood. She fount
this cottage had been practically rem
asunder by the boiler, the head o
which was buried in the middle of tn,
structure. Miss Ella Pratt. rs year
old, relative of the Hoods, was alon
in the house. The cottage was throw
several fet off it's foundation, and Mis-
Pratt was knocked down and stunned
1 but recovered.
Not until after noon was it Dossibl
| to being a gearch of the factory ruins
| Several charred and headless bodie
were recovered near the boiler pi
and the bones of others were founo
1 - "a