The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-09-21
TWO EXPLOSIONS
KILL MANY PEOPLE
poiLER w MICHIGAN BARREL
FACTORY clvEs WAY.
DISASTER IN AVON CONN.
Factory Burns ard seven Lives Art
Lost-Eleven Persons injured
-Rrscuers Unable 10
Help Victims.

ip%inconnipg, Mich, Sept. 1G.-The
big boiler IN the barrel staye mill
owned by Edward Jennings exploded
this forenoon, killing Ave men ana
injuring ten others, two OF whom will
die. The mill was completely wreck
cd. 'The dead are:
RICHARD CLIFFORD.
BURTON BELL.
CHARLES EASTMAN.
WILLIAM ATL1N.
ELIJAH PETERS.
Disaster In Avon, Connecticut.
Avon, Conn, Sept. 16.-The explo-
sion Of a fuse, followed by a fire in Q
building Of the Climax Fuse company
here Friday afternoon caused a panic
among 20 employees in the building and
resulted In the death OF seven and in
juries that doubtless will prove fatal
70 several others. There was no way
Of coping with the flames, which soon
spread rapidly, and In less than an hour
after the explosion occurred those who
were unable to escape were In the
clutches or a fire that eventually burned
kMNlA UONlNN w hDllIN4 M AbN hA1 WbtS
on the great crowd that collected In
the hamlet saw the bodies Of men and
women roasting in the fire and were
powerless 10 check the flames.
The Victims.
The dead are: William Burke, ~
years old, married; James Joyce, about
36, married; Robert Mccarthy. aged IS;
James Wallace. married; Mollle McCar-
thy, Miss ]. Sullivan, Mrs. M. Is. Tucker
Eleven persons were injured.
Probable Cause.
The exact cause Of the accident which
caused the loss OF seven lives may never
be known, but II IS the accepted theory
here that In an effort 70 burn out a stop.
page In m Of the machines a workman
caused an explosion OF a fuse, with the
hot iron he held in his hand. Those
who were In the room where the 81.
plosion occurred, say that the explosion
wal not severe, and ordinarily would
not have caused q panic. Infiammable
material. however, was set on fire, and
In a few moments the room was q mass
OF flames. In an instant there was a |
mad rush for the doors and windows,
and during the scramble many we're
pushed back into the building, while
others were severely burned,
The scene at the Gre was heartrend.
ing. Friends and relatives OF the miss.
ing were almost frantic with grief when
II became known that bodies OF those
close to them were being burned 10 q
crisp In the ruins OF the factory. As
there Is no fire department 10 the town
II was utterly useless 70 cope with the
flames with buckets.
Helpless 70 Save.
Az one Of the walls OF the second
largest building fell several bodies
could be seen ~entangied In the mass Of
machinery In the basement, and In q
short time they were reduced to ashes.
Early In the evening the body Of a ON.
an was seer near the edge OF the fire,
and an effort was made 10 pull It away
from the flames, but on account OF the
great heat this was impossible.
Soon after the building In which the
lives we're lost was consumed the FIRE
spread 10 the new structure, which was
Just completed at a cost Of s3J, 1000, and
in O few hours this building wal Quilted,
only the four walls remaining. Two
smaller buildings were reduced 10 ashes,
making q total OF four burned, the loss