The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-03-24
Big BroCton Shoe Factory Totally Destroyed and
Many Adjoining Buildings Burned or Wrecked.
Property Loss Will Reach S300,U00.
HAVOC WROUGHT BY MYSTERIOUS EXPL LOS|ON

factory of r. b. Grover & Co., at
Campello, shortly before 8 o'clock
this morning 81 are now known to
have lost their lives, at least 100
were seriously injured the entire fac
tory was totally destroyed, together
with the three story Dahlborg build
ing. opposite; the old historic land
mark, known as the Drake tavern,
and occupied by lodging house, and
seven dwelling houses. Many other
smaller buildings, such as workshops
and the like, were also entirely burn
ed. The property loss, 1t is estimated,
will total 100000, of which 100000,
which will cover the Grover factory
loss.
CAUSE UNKNOWN
The cause of the explosion Is not
known. Death and disaster followed
in its wake, great destroying sheet
of flame leaping out of the bosom
of the doomed factory. roaring like
a thing gone mad, and with the in.
tense, awful heat of an inferno.
Quicker than the human mind can
conceive, it consumed all that lay
within its path, and within a half
hour after the explosion, the great
walls of the factory had sunk to
blazing pile of timbers.
About 400 employees were in the
structure when the explosion occur
red, and how many Of these were
killed and injured has been hard to
determine Dozens were carried down
with the falling floors as they gave
way and the officials of the Grover
company fear that the death list, af-
ter all are accounted for, may total
140.
STRUGGLING AGAINST DEATH.
Many of the men and women leap
ed from the second and third story
windows and were seriously and in
many instances, fatally injured when
they landed upon the hard earth be,
low, Several attempted to fight their
way out through the dense smoke,
but the falling debris blocked the
way and they were buried beneath
the crumbling walls and were soon
prey for the leaping flames.
A general alarm was Immediately
sounded and the entire fire and police
departments were early upon the
scene of the worst holocaust that has
ever visited this city.
CARING FOR VICTIMS.
Every physician in the city was
called and with them came the am
balances and a score of assistants
from the hospitals. These latter
were soon filed and the work of the
firemen in lighting the flames result
ed in securing control shortly after
10 o'clock.
The work of searching the ruins
in an attempt to recover the bodies
of the dead was begun and up to
o'clock tonight 61 bodies had been
found These were carried to store
In the Garfield block, which had
been converted into morgue and
here the bodies were housed in pine
boxes where they await identification.
IDENTIFICATION DIFFICULTY.
So horribly burned were they, that
identification in almost every case
was impossible and on this account
Medical Examiner Paine suggested
that a public funeral be held and all
the unidentified bodies be buried at
one time.
Within a half hour of the explosion
the Dahlborg building, on the corner
opposite the factory was ablaze, and
shortly after was totally gutted. The
Drake tavern, next caught and burned
like tinder About so persons made
their homes here and they lost all
their effects. Seven dwelling houses
in the vicinity were aiame at once
and were totally destroyed with their
contents.
HAVOC WROUGHT.
The boiler which exploded tore its
way through the building and taking
O northwesterly course, crashed out
and across a space of some 100 feet,
where 1t plunged through the dwell
ing of engineer David w. Rockwell,
wrecking the house and setting 1t
on fire. The cause of the explosion
is a mystery, dark and seemingly i'm
penetrable. Engineer Rockwell is
among the dead. The night watch
man, j. w. Newhall. stated this after
noon positively that everything was
In first class order when he left the
engine room at 1880 this morning.
A searching investigation will be
made.
GRIEF OF SURVIVORS.
Wives and children, weeping and
praying, ran about the awful scene
moaning and calling in their heart
fending anguish, for their loved ones
Time and time again would they at
tempt to break through the lines that
they might join In the search for hus
bands. fathers and brothers, The
policemen standing guard over the
long line OF humanity brushed the
tears from their eyes as they told