The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1905-03-23
MANY KILLED
IN EXPLOSION
Boiler Blew Up and Wrecked
Large Section of Brockton,
Mass, Shoe Factory.
ENTIRE PLANT BURNED
Accurate List Of Dead Cannot
Be Had. But Will Reach
Fifty.
CAUSED a PANIC IN TOWN
Relatives of Fhsop,s ii tbs Factory,
Which Employed 600, Hurry to
Scene, Who're Awful Spec
taeses Were Enacted.

Brockton, Mass, March 22.-Already
*the bodies of f1fty-three persons have
been recovered from the ruins of the
Grover & Co. factory. Seven bodies
have been identified, but only three or
four positively. Fif%ty-three persons
known to be still missing, the names
of thirtS-one of whom have been OBJ
tanned.
Many others are reported missing.
but it is considered possible that some
of them are at their homes in nearby
towns.
= Two hundred and f%ifty-three sur
vivors have been accounted for. The
estimates of the dead range from sixty
to eighty. and of the injured from
fifty to 100.
Brockton, Mass, March 22-within
AN hour after the 500 employees at the
+. B. Grover shoe factory had begun
work h boiler blew up in the
engine room, Wrecking a section of the
building n starting a fire which de-
.stroyed the ruins and spread to other
buildings near by.
200 People Involved.
Owing to the nature of the accident
n the speed with which the flames
seized upon the collapsed section, and
the excitement, an accurate estimate
of the loss of life is impossible. 1t is
understood that upwards of 200 per-
sons We're at work in the departments
near the boiler room.
At 1890 it was learned that about
fifty were u~naccounted for, and it was
believed that many of this number
might be dead or injured. The factory
was a large four-story wooden struc-
ture n was destroyed.
Financial Loss 100000.
Several dwelling houses near by and
the Dehlberg block across the street
from the factory were also destroyed.
The financial loss is estimated at $780,
600. Most of the employees in The main
part of the plant succeeded in escaping,
although in a terrible panic. A num-
Der were injured.
The factory was situated about a
mile south of the city proper. A series
of alarms summoned all the fire appar-
atus in the city to the scene ard aid
was also sent from nearby places. The
tireInen experienced the greatest diff
Guilty in battling the flames, as the fac
tory was of an extremely inlammable
mature, and nearly all the floors were
saturated with oil.
Had to Be Abandoned.
Their attention was chiefly given to
the part nearest the boiler house. and
in the earliest stages of the fire a num-
~ ~ - - ~ S"AS IL III
the ruins. The flames soon, however,
stopped the rescue work, and the en-
tire plant, with those who failed to
escape. was abandoned.
Meanwhile the news of the accident
had reached the homes of operatives.
and through the crowds already near
the burning factory men and women
were struggling towards the center to
get news of their relatives. The cries
which ounded above the roar of the
flames were heard, as frantic women
learned hat there was little hope for
anyone who was caught in the building.
After the explosion many employees
Went to their homes. This added to
the difficulty of compiling a reliable list
of the missing.
Caring for the Injured.
Brockton hospital was notified at
once of the disaster and hurried prepa-
rations were made to receive the in
jured. Al! .he ambulances, police
wagons and many street carriages,
physicians and surgeons were hurried
iS sent to the scene.
Twenty-Five bodies had been taken
from L ruins up to 1880. Many of
them were so terribly mutilated and
burned as to fnakei identification almost
impossible.
Fire Marshal Boyden stated that re-
ports made to him up to noon indi-
Gated that the list of dead might reach
fifty. Calls have Deer sent out for
every person who escaped to Indicate
the act at once. In this way it is hoped
- fairly accurate estimate of the num-
Der of dead may be obtained.
List of Dead.
I'll dead:
DAVID ROCKWELL, engineer: died