Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1905-03-22
'SIXTYPEOPLEKILLED|
BOILER EXPLOSION and fire AT
BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS.
Large Shoe Manufacturing Establish
ment Of S. 3. Grover Company De-
stroyed-Bodies Fifty-three People
Recovered-Loss Will Reach More
Than S25o,ooO.

Brockton, Mass, March 81. - At
least so persons were killed by the ex.
plosion of a boiler in a large shoe man.
ufacturing establishment in the Cam.
pelle district, conducted by the S. b.
(1rover company.
The explosion was Immediately fol-
lowed by flash of flame, which con-
sumed the factory. a long. four story
structure, as if it were house Of
cards, and incinerated an unknown
number of men and women who were
unable to extricate themselves from a
mass of tangled wreckage formed by
the terrible upheaval in the boiler
room. More than SO of the employees
in the building were mangled, burned
or bruised by the time they reached
safe ground. Some had jumped from
the roof, some from windows, and
others had been Injured in the mad
rush to escape from the doomed fac
tory. From all parts Of the building
the heat Of an inferno was emitted,
driving back the band Of heroic recueIs
who in few minutes 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 a three story wooden
block. the others being cottages of
small value and blacksmith shop.
The wooden dwellings near the engine
room were practically demolished by
the flying boiler, but none of their oc-
cupants were seriously hunt. The total
financial loss is estimated at $25O, 900,
5000 900 of which falls OH the b. b.
Grover company.
1t may never be known just how
many persons were IN the factory. The
number has been estimated 400 but
the Treasurer Charles o Emerson said
tonight that 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 continued all
night. Fragments Of human frames
which possibly might belong to bodies
other than those recovered also have
been found. Few of the remains have
been identified. The head in nearly
every instance is missing, and except
in rare instances, it was impossible
even to distinguish tile sex.
The work of identifying those killed
by the explosion progressed slowly, ow-
ing to the generally unrecognizable re-
mains Of the victim ..
The explosion which was followed by
such sacrifice Of life entailed appall.
ing human suffering. occurred shortly
l.fter the operatives had settled down
to work for the day, and without warn
ing suddenly the air vibrated with the
roar Of an explosion.
At the same moment the large wood
en- 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 trans
formed into mass of iron and wood
wreck age, in the midst Of which hu-
man beings we're pinioned. In another
moment fire had broken out in the lob
bies, and death by fire and suffocation
became the fate OF scores Of operatives.
When the boiler exploded it passed
upward almost perpendicularly, tear
ing a passage rs it went, killing many
on the way. After rising high in the
air it descended half the dist Ance and
vnrtharlxy ant tfa
like some huge projectilc through II
dwelling house so feet away and pieIc-
ed another dwelling further along.
The scenes of horror followed the
wrenching apart of the factory build.
ing. The three upper floors, weighted
az they were with heavy machinery,
collapsed with crash that WAS heard
for blocks. Men and women working
in departments of this section who
were busy at their machines had tune
but to turn in an attempt tc fee after
he first dull roar when the flooring
sank beneath them, and they were car
ried to the ground floor. crushed sand
bruised amid the mass Of debris. Many
fell mot a veritable eiry furnace. In
the sections Of the factory which re-
mained standing the operatives were
panic stricken as they sought escape.
Mnay fled down the stairways and
reached the street. Others ran to the
windows, the fire escapes in many
cases having been torn away by the
explosion. 1t desperation many jump
ed from the second and third story
windows to the ground and were dan.
gerously injured. The crush on the
sttairways resulted in numerous minor
injuries.
Scarcely had the rear portion Of the
structure collapsed when a tongue Of
flame started up from the boiler pit,
and, reaching ont, burned the splinters
Of the wreckage, and Immediately af-
terward the standing walls. Soon the
entire story was in flames.
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 sup
portswere alive after the floors and
walls fell. From these unfortunates
cries Of agony and terror went mp.
Almost all ::had been caught between
broken timbers, lighter wooden wreck
age and heavy pieces Of machinery. "A
few persons succeeded in extricating
themselves in the wreckage, but more