The midland journal., 1905-03-24
BURIED IN RUINS
OF SHOE FACTORY
Bursting Boiler Brings Death In Awful
Form to Many.
FIR INTENslFIEs THE HORROR.
Shoe Manufacturing Establishment OF z b.
Grover & Co. the Scene Of Horrible Acci'
dent-A Man Heroic 10 Rescue Work Unti
He Falls In Faint-.victims Perish 10 Flames,
People Stand ng Near Unable to Help.


He Falls In a Faint. Victims Perish ln Flames,
People Stand ng Near Unable to Help. /.
Between so and 90 people were killed
and 50 or more injured by the explosion
of.a Iso-horsepower boiler in R. B. Gro
ver & Co.'S shoe factory, at Brockton,
Mass Many of the victims were women
and young girls. Over hundred per-
sons are missing, but some OF these
probably escaped
The bursted boiler shot upward, and,
descending, cut through dwelling
house 80 feet away The walls of the
factory parted, and the floors, weighted
with machines at which 200 people were
working, collapsed.
Many of the victims went down pinned
in the wrecked machinery. Some were
dragged out by rescuers, but others, al
ready mangled and crippled, were burn
ed to DEATH,
HC OpCt dtlFCS WIZ WIN i%NNN N--~
supports and windows clung to them
when the floors went down. Some to
escape the rising steam and flames leap
ed from the windows. Others escaped
by the stairway, several of the frees
capes having been demolished by the ex-
plosion.
Brockton, Mass. (SpeciaD.-This city
is in mourning for at least three score
of her citizens, whose lives were blotted
out by the explosion of boiler in
large shoe manufacturing establishment
in the Campello district, conducted by
r. B. Grover & Co.
The explosion was Immediately follow
ed by flash of fame, which consumed
the factory, long, four-story structure,
as if it were house of cards, and incin-
Grated an unknown number of men and
women, who were unable to extricate
themselves from a mass of tangled
wreckage formed by the terrific upheaval
in the boilerroom.
More than half hundred of the en-
ployes in the building were MANNED,
burned or bruised by the time they reach
ed safe ground. Some had jumped from
the roof, some from windows and others
had been injured in the mad rush to es-
cape from the doomed factory, which
from all parts emitted the intense, awful
heat of an inferno, driving back the band
of heroic rescuers who. in a few brief
moments, had performed gallant service.
The fire extended from the factory to
seven other buildings in the vicinity and
destroyed them One of these buildings
was three-story wooden block owned
by Charles F. Dahlborg, the others be-
ing cottages OF small value, and a black
smith shop. Two wooden dwellings near
the engine-room were practically demol-
ished by the flying boiler, but none of
the occupants was seriously injured. The
total financial loss is estimated at a
quarter of million dollars, 100000 of
which falls on the R. B. Grover Com
pany The monetary losses are nearly
offset by insurance.
1t may never be known just how many
persons perished in the wreckage. No
one knows exactly how many persons
were in the factory. The number has
been estimated at 400 but Treasurer
Charles O. Emerson said he doubted
whether there were so many at work.
Two hundred and fifty survivors have
been accounted for, and at midnight the
remains of so bodies had been recovered
from the ruins, the search being con-
tinued all night Fragments of human
frames which possibly might belong to
bodies other than those enumerated have
also been found Few of the remains
have been identified. The head in near
ly every case is missing, and except in
rare instances it was impossible even to
distinguish the sex.
Chief of Police Boyden at late hour
expressed the opinion that some of the
employees had not reached the factory
at the time of the explosion, and that
undoubtedly number of those living
in nearby places were injured and had
gone home without reporting their in
juries. He thought that many of those
not accounted for, upwards of 100 in
number, were among these.
The disaster was attended by many
narrowing scenes and thrilling rescues.
For hours hundreds of the relatives of
the factory operatives besieged the ruins
and the fire and police stations in quest
of missing ones. Some, in their violent
grief and agonizing stress of mind, col
lapsed.
Several of the rescuers and searchers
tainted as they beheld the distressing
scene. There was no trace of the body
OF David w. Rockwell, engineer of the
plant, who was not seen after the explo-
Sion 1t is supposed that he perished at
his post
An inspection of the wrecked boiler
by the state boiler inspector showed that
there was sufficient supply of water in
it. The cause of the explosion is at
present mystery. The disaster will be
further investigated by the state author
tiles.
Chief Shaw, of the state police, said: =
Congress In Extra Session?
Des Moines, Ia. pecialD.-Senator