Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-03-23
THE HOLOCAUST
At BROCT0N, MASS
Scores of Human Lives Lost by Ex.
plosion and Fire.
MANY OTHERS WERE INJURED
Destruction of the Grover Shoe Fac
tory and Other Property by n
Boiler Explosion, Fol-
lowed by Fire.

Brockton, Mass, March 21.-The ex
plosion of a $50 horsepower boiler in
R. B. Grover & Co.'S large four-story
frame shoe factory in the Campelle
district, Monday morning, killing
scores of employees, injured half a hun.
dred others and destroyed property
valued at $25O,000
At $3.50 Monday night the charred
fragments Of 43 bodies lay in the
morgue and ia additional operatives
had not been accounted for.
The Dead and Missing.
OF those missing, the police expect
that quito a number will report. The
death list is estimated at from so to Is
The entire Grover factory was re-
duced to ashes within an hour after
the explosion; the three-story brick
acros the street owned by Charles H
Dahlborg and five dwellings were
burned and several small structures
damaged. The search of the ruins was
in progress the entire afternoon, and
was continued through the night.
Without Moments Warming.
The explosion, which was followed
by such an sacrifice of life and en-
tailed appalling instances of human
suffering, occurred shortly after the
for the day and without warning. Sud
denly the air vibrated with the roar
of an explosion. At the same moment
the large wooden frame of the factory,
a four-story structure, quivered, and
then the rear portion Of it collapsed.
This section of the great building had
been transformed into a mass of iron
and wood wreckage, in the midst OF
another moment fire had broken out in
the debris. and death by fire and suf-
location became the fate of scores of
the operatives.
the Course of the Boiler.
When the boiler exploded it passed
upward almost perpendicularly, tear
ing a passage as itswent, killing many
on the way. After rising high in the
air, it descended half the distance, and
then swerving northerly, cut its way
like some huge projectile through. a
dwelling house so feet away, and
pierced another dwelling further along.
scenes of Horror.
Scenes of horror followed the
wrenching apart of the factory build
ing. In the real of the factory the
three upper floors, weighted as they
were with heavy machinery, collapsed
with a crash that was heard for blocks.
Men and women working in depart
ments of this section, who were busy
at their machines, had time but to
turn in an attempt to flee after the first
dull roar when the flooring sank be-
meath them and they were carried to
the ground floor, crushed and bruised
amid the mass of debris.
Panic-Stricken Operatives.
In the sections of the factory which
remained standing the operatives were
panic stricken as they sought escape.
Many fled down the stairways and
reachcf the street; others ran to the
windows, the fire escapes in many
cases having been torn away by the
explosion. In desperation many
Jumped from second and third-story
windows to the ground and were dan
g~erously injured. The crush on the
stairways resulted in numerous minor
injuries.
Many Met Instant Death.
Instant death was the fate of many
who went down with the floors that
collapsed. A large number of men
and women who were working near
the supports were alive after the floors
and walls fell. From these unfortu-
mates thrilling cries of agony and ter
ror went up. Almost all had been
caught between broken timbers, light
er wooden wreckage and heavy pieces
of machinery. A few persons succeeded
in extricating themselves from the
w~reckage, but more were roasted to
death.
beginning of the Search.
Not until afternoon was it possible
to begin a search of the factory ruins.
Several charred and headless bodies
were recovered near the boiler pit and
the bones of others were found.
Mayor Edward H. Keith personally
superintendent the search. Treasurer
G. O. Emerson of the Grover company
estimated the loss on the factory at
5000, 900, and the loss on the other
burned structures was placed at about
$50, 900.
The Grover factory, machinery and
stock were insured for 5000, 900.
At midnight a list of SO missing was
given out at the Campello police sta
ton. There is good reason to believe
that all were killed, as every effort has
been made to locate them.
---
Trying to Shake of Cont.
Princeton, N. j., March 21.-Ex-
President Cleveland, accompanied by
nr Rrvant of Nnw Yorly loft hnrn