The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-21
81 DEAD.
This Mornings Figures on Brockton
Boiler Disaster.

Brockton. Mass, March PA realiza-
ton of the extent Of the disaster which
had come to the city of Brockton yes
terday in the wreclxing OF the shoe fac
tory of the r. B. Grover company and
the ensuing terrible loss Of life became
more clear to the citizens today when
they aWoke to a full knowledge of the
horrors attendant upon the catastrophe
All night long the work of searching for
the bodies of victims OF the explosion
and fire continued with unremitting
zeal. The work was not rewarded af-
ter midnight by the finding of any ad-
ditional bodies until Z o'clock today
when the remains of q human being
We're found in the boiler pit. Consider
ing the mystery attached TO the disap-
pearance of David w. Rockwell the en-
gineer, who was in charge Of the boiler
which exploded, the police believe the
body found today was that of the en-
gineer. Rockwell was reported to have
been rescued yesterday badly injured
and later to have died, but the police
We're not able to subsequently locate his
body. 1t seemed more likely to the po-
lice today that Rockwell, near as he
was to the exploding boiler was among
the first to- meet death. The body of
Stephen Snow. SO years old, one of the
oldest workmen in the Grover plant,
was identified today by his son.
The finding of the remains supposed
to be those of the engineer. made the
fifty-fOurth body thus far taken from
the ruined factory. The figures at hand
today showed that about 26o persons
who were at work in the factory when
the explosion occurred had been ac-
counted for and. that between so and
100 persons are missing.
A more careful search of the boiler pit
in which the remains We're found today
resulted in the fnd1hg. of a watch, the
rubber heel Of b shoe and torn piece
of cloth, all of which were shown to
Mrs. Rockwell the wife of the engi-
her husband. Then the police found 4
part of a chair with a pelvis of, a hui
man frame IN it from which they in
ferred that Rockwell was sitting beside
his boiler when the explosion came and
was killed instantly The police are
satisfied that the report yesterday that
the engineer had been taken out alive
was due to the confusion of Rockwell
with another employe.
With reference to the cause of the
blowing up of the boiler, Josiah F.
Grubbs, assistant of the Brockton sew
age station who was with Engineer
minutes before the accident occurred
said today that when he left Rockwell
the steam was below the safety limit
and there was plenty of water in the
glass, but that he was running the old
boiler.
The police today in explaining the
failure of a number of employees to re-
port their escape cited an instance
the workmen were dazed after the ex-
pIosion. Joseph Jones' employed in the
stitching room escaped with a few
bruises. In a confused state of mind
he walked to another shoe factory in
the city. applied for work and was Civ
en- employment and in mechanical
sort of way he worked throughout the
day. Not until he returned to his home
and found his family grief stricken ana
mourning him as dead was the man S
brain sufficiently clear to enable him to
recall the incidents of the day.
When the boiler ploughed its way up
ward through the factory many opera
tives were blown to pieces it is believed
and this is offered as accounting IN part
for the discrepancy between the num-
Der of bodies recovered from the ruins
and the number missing
At the Brockton city hospital and the
relief hospital today it was reported
that all of the injured passed fairly |
night and were doing as
well as could be expected.
Medical Examiner Payne who has |
been at the ruins of the factory almost
since yesterday morning
ing but ashes remained of many of the !
operatives who were caught in the fac |
tory. so that undoubtedly many victims |
never will be accounted for.
the 55th, that of a woman. was discov-
cred in the debris. A body at the /
was identified as that of Gran |
Vile Hartwell 40 years of age, an op-
erative. who was prominent throughout |
the city and a leader among the labor
unions.
Mayor Keith announced that the un- |
identified remains would be transferred |
to the East Elm street theater building l
and that the public would be permitted 4
to view these bodies beginning at p:
m. in order that all possible means of
might be afforded