Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-03-21


results must inevitably be. The largest
number of injured appeared to be in
that portion of the building situated at
the corner of Calmar ANA Denton
t. and to that section the efforts
OF myself. Policeman Garfield and
Deputy CHIEF Moore were directed. Pin
ned beneath heavy pieces g? machinery.
tiinbers and twisted coils of pipe. We're
many. ON. so many poor men and Wo-
men. suffering terrible agonics.
In order to reach these imprisonetl
sufferers we had to crawl through the
debris and with the aid of large tim
Eer We raised the wrnckagc which he'll!
fast the men and women. In this man.
Nor ard by brute strength we pulled
out seven employees. 8v this time the
flames We're almost upon us and we
We're about to flee. when one poor fell
low begged that Il last effort be made
to save him. Three of us graSpcd the
man by the shoulders and arms and
tugged and pulled until suddenly he
erred My Cod Ny leg is pulled off,
1T was terrible especially so be-
cause a moment later, with our cloth
ing scnrchad. we We're ordered away by
the chief of the fre department and
We We're ItIutttlltlN cOillDPIcu "
leave the poor fellow to his fate.
just before leaving I saw at least Il
of the Imprisoned sufferers. some al
ready suffering untold agonies from the
flames which were actually cooking
their flesh and others watching with
terror stricken eyes the fate Of their
companions. knowing that 4 moment or
two would bring to them similar suf
fcring. and then DEATH
The priest Shudd5rcd as he recalled
The scenes of suffering he had Witness
cd and which he had hecn unable to
relieve.
W s. Weston. n survivor. who was
1T work. in the front part of the build
ing. said:
"Those poor men and women in the
rear of the factory were the ones who
suffered most. The explosion shook ev-
CRY part of the building and immodi-
ately everyone thought Of escape. \
moment later we saw the Games shoot
IN and then the rear Of the factory
crumbled and fell as though it was
made of paper. Shrek upon shrek of
the injured and dying filed the air and
he women ran panic-stricken to the
street Nil.lb Il IuillDtt III i've NoiHHii
hurried to the rescue of their fellow
Workmcli. T:ut from our room. we cOul,l
render little or no assistance. The
flames soon SweDt over that place of
destruction and burned to death those
men and whomen who but a short
time before walked in to work with
u.s."
MANY of the victims were parshion-
al
| church and Father Kclliher. the pas
| tor. has arranged for Especial mass
| for the dead at 80. Wednesday morn
| ing.
With tear-Stained and hagCard faces,
women and children besieged the rec
| tory during the day pleading with the
priests for information about husband.
| father sister or brother. who had been
employed in the factory and who failed
| to return home.
| Little comfort could be given to
these people and they returned once
more to the scene of the wrecked build
| ing, hoping against hope THAT a loved
| one had escaped the death. which
| claimed so many ncighbOrs and friends
| At the Campello nOlice station q
| similar scene was enacted. Early in
| the day Mayor Keith. foreSeein% the
| confusion which would ensue. posted
| notices requesting all employees who
| had escaped to go at once to the police
| station and give their names. These
| names were immediately posted and
| around this list of names lowered a
| throrg of women. many CONFUSED
| with sobs because the list did not in
| clude a relative. Back and forth from
| the ruins to the station house and from
| the station to the ruins these grief
stricken women filed in q never-ending
procession. looking at the crisp and
smoking bodies as they We're placed in
pine boxes and hurried away to the
morgue. Only in extremely rare cases
| were there the slightest chance of any
one indentifving the bodies.
Father ORourkes herosm was the
most notable but others like him DASH
ed into the ruins and hauled out men
and women at the imminent danger to
their own lives. Imprisoned operatives.
too far away for rescue and who knew
that their lives would last but a few
moments. spoke words of encoura ge
mcnts to those who seemed nearer eS
cape. Some prayed aloud Others plead
ed with rescuers to say Good bye" 10
relatives and not a few shrieked from
pain and fright. This dreadful spectacle
unncrved many who were trying vain
ly to get to them and some turned away
sick and fainting. Members of the fire
department. with ladders. aided great
" in the work Of rescue. but their time
for work was short, for within a brict
interval fire closed over the wreckag &c
and the cries of all were hushed. All
this time. the fire was spreading from
the Grover factory as it headed across
Calmar street to a three story brici;
block al the corner of Main street. own
ed by Chas. r. Dalburg. and used as q
hardware store and storehouse and