Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-03-20

ployes at the R. B. Grover shoe fac tory had begun work to-day boiler blew up in the factory engine room, wrecking a section of the building and starting a fire which destroyed the ruins and spread to other build ings nearby. Owing to the nature of the accident and the speed with which the flames seized upon the sec ton which fell after the explosion and the excitement any accurate esti- mate of the loss of life was impossi- ble. It was understood that upwards of POO persons were at work in the departments near the boiler room and the first indications were that hardly one could have escaped. Later, how ever, it was learned that about 100 were unaccounted for and it was be- lieved that many of this number might be dead or injured.
 The factory. large four-story wooden structure, was in ashes with in an hour.
 The flames extended to several dwelling houses nearby and to the Dahlburg block, across the street
 
 were consumed and other property was damaged. At 10:3O o'clock it was believed that the fire was under control and the financial loss was es- timated at $200,00O.
 The boiler which exploded was To- cated on the ground floor of an ell which extended from the main build ing. In the three stories of the ell were located wOrkroomS. Persons living near heard dull roar and looking out of their windows saw Il cloud of smoke rising and the ell of the factory falling to the ground.
 Almost immediately flames burst forth from the ruins of the boiler room and in twinkling enveloped the wreckage of the ell. Before the hundreds of persons in the main building had left it the fire jumped from the ell and after a few minutes the entire structure was roaring furnace. Most of those, however. in the main part of the plant succeeded in escaping. although in the terrible panic which followed the explosion quite number were injured.
 The Grover factory was situated at the corner of Main and Calmer streets in the Campbello district, about Il mile south of the city proper. The district is within the city limits of Brockton. A series of alarms sum moned all the fire apparatus in the city to the scene and aid was also sent from nearby places. mostly shoe manufacturing towns. The firemel experienced the greatest difficulty in battling with the flames as the Gro yer factory was of an extremely in. f1ammable nature and nearly all the floors were saturated with oil. The flames extended to the Dahlburg block. q fOur-story wooden building on the opposite corner of the street, and to a number of wooden buildings half dozen or more of which were destroyed The Dahlburg block was also burned.
 The heat of the fire was so intense that the work of the firemen and DO lice was carried on under great diff. culties. Attention was chiefly given to the Grover building, especially that part of it which was nearest the boiler house. and in the early stages of the fire number of employees were extricated from the ruins. The flames. however, soon stopped the rescue work. Tons of water were poured onto the ell. but the fire from the main structure became too hot for of. fective work and the entire plant with those who failed to escape. had to be abandoned.
 Meanwhile news of the accident had reached the homes of the opera tives and through the crowds already near the burning factory men and women were struggling wildly to- wards the center to get news of rela- tives. Many a cry which sounded above the puffing of the engines and the roar and crackling of the fam" were heard as q frantic woman learn ed that there was little hope for any one who was caught in the ell of the building. When the flames reached Dahlburg's block. even the firemen were obliged to retreat temporarily. and if was feared that a large see ton of the district would he obliter- ated. The occupants of all these buildings had little time to save their
 
 as soon as Growers factory had go; afire. but others barely escaped them selves. Reinforced ny the arrival Of other apparatus. however. the depart ment made fresh attack and after a hard struggle succeeded in stoppin. the spread of the flames. although the Dahlborg block and one ar two smaller buildings had been ruined.
 The Dahlborg block was occupied on the ground floor by the owner as hardware store. The upper stories were given over to offices and tn q large hall. The block. with it's con tents. was valued at about S-0.00 The loss on the other buildings. in. cluding dwelling houses. is estimated at about S5.oJ to SI.ea.
 The financial loss to R. F. Grover X Co. estimated at about S1J0.Us, is nearly offset by insurance.
 After the explosion many emplOye> went to their homes as soon as they left the building. This added to ti, difficulty of the police and factory foremen in compiling a reliable list of missing. The Brockton hospital was notified at once of the disaster and hurried preparations were made to receive the injured.
 All the ambulances. police wagon: and many street carriages were sen to Campello- All the available physi cians and surgeons in the city weT' sent up in hacks and hy trolley. The first of the injured to be sen to the hospital were two men suffer ing from burns and fractured bones 1 They were:
 Andrew IIndelL leg fractured -. -. <