Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-03-24
bROCKTON FIRE
HORROR GROWING
SEARCH FOR THE VICTIMS OF
SHOE FACTORY DISASTER
CONTINUES.
FlFTY-FIVE BODIES
TAKEN FROM DEBRIS
Between SO and 100 Employees Still
Missing-Many of These Probably
Blown to Pieces-Plans for a Pub
lie Funeral.

Brockton, Mass, March %. A real
ization of the extent of the disaster
Monday in the wrecking OF the great
wooden shoe factory of the R. B. Grover
company and the ensuing terrible loss
of life came more clearly to the citizens
Tuesday when they awoke to the full
knowledge of the horrors attendant
upon the catastrophe. All night long
the work of searching forsthe bodies of
victims OF the explosion and fire contin-
ued with unremitting ZEAL The work
was not rewarded after midnight by the
finding Of any additional bodies until
seven O'Clock Tuesday, when the re-
mains Of human being were found in
the boiler pit. Considering the mys-
terry attached to the disappearance of
David w. Rockwell, the engineer who
was in charge of the boiler which ex-
ploded, the police believe the body was
that of the engineer. Rockwell was re-
ported to have been rescued Monday
badly injured and later to have died,
but the police were not able to subse-
quently locate his body. 1t seems more
likely that Rockwell, near as he was to
the exploding boiler, was among the
first to meet death.
Fiftv-Five Bodies Found.
Fifty-f1ve bodies have thus far been
taken from the ruined factory. The fig
ures at hand early Tuesday showed that
about 260 persons who were at work in
the factory when the explosion occurred
hol Shn% ha
tween SO and 100 persons are missing.
When the boiler plowed its way up
ward through the factory many opera
tives were blown to pieces, 1t is believed
and this is offered as accounting in part
for the discrepancy between the number
Of bodies recovered from the ruins and
the number reported missing. Medica
Examiner Paine, who has been at tn,
ruins Of the factory almost continual.
since the disaster occurred Tuesday
said he was convinced that nothing bu
ashes remain of many of the operatives
who were caught in the factory, SO tina,
undoubtedly many victims never will
be accounted for.
Dazed by Explosion.
The police, in explaining the failure
OF number of employees to report Their
escape. cited an instance which indi
Gated to them that many Of the work.
men were dazed otter the explosion
Joseph Jones, employed ia the stitching
room, escaped with scarcely more thar
few bruises. In confused state Of
mind he walked to another shoe factory
in the city, applied for and was given
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 and
mourning him as dead was the mans
brain sufficiently clear to enable hin
to recall the incidents OF the day.
At the temporary morgue, where the
bodies of the victims rest, the scenes OF
grief Of Monday were repeated, many
persons seeking to identify missing
relatives from the charred remains
which are almost all headless and many
of which are limbless,
The fingers Of many OF the victims
are worn down to the second joints, In.
dicating desperate efforts to release fet=
tered limbs before the onward rush Of
flames reached the victim. At the
Brockton city hospital and the relief
hospital It was reported that all Of the
injured passed o fairly comfortable
night and were doing as well as could
be expected
Mayor Keith issued notice Tuesday
requesting every clergyman in the city
to meet with him at three o'clock in the
afternoon at city hall to make ar
rangements for public funeral services
for the victims Of the accident, suggest.
ing Thursday afternoon as desirable
time for them to be held. He added alst
that it seemed best to bury those bodies
whose Identification would be impos
sible in the city cemetery at Melrose.