Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-03-22

beredVed fa1nllleS. II is expected that
several thousand dollars will be sub
scribed.
Brockton. March 21.-tifty five dead,
l6 Identified As missing and 255 en-
poyes of the factory accounted for
tells in brief the story of BrOckton' S
Cata strophe. For the first time since
The fatal explosion RACED to the ground
the shoe factory of r. b. Grover &
Company. the city of BrOcktOn
seems to have fully awakened
TO the horror of the situation and
tonight, there are many grief stricken
families heart broken because of the
terrible fate meted out to some rela-
tives or friends. This realization of Cd :
lamty has been brought about by the
rapid identi1icaticnS, which are being
made and by the failure to return
home of some loved one for whose re-
turn hope was held out until hope of
such return is no longer within
reach.
The diSa greeable rain and sleet storm
holds sway over the city tonight, and
| Drawing the elements are two distinct
anu SioufS VI pCoplC, OdA II
with its own sad feature.
First and most pitiful to behold is
that body of men. women and children
huddled in and about the morgue.
where the charred and lacerated bodies
have been carried after excavation
from the demolished factory.
The second group is that brave and
untiring body of men toiling away in
the ruins OF the factory. three miles
from the center of the city. Here. I'M
mindful OF the storm. 100 men, many
drcnchcd to the skin and suffering from
cold, toll INCREASINGLY in the mass of
ashes. burned timberS and pinning in
endeavor to find bodies which went
down in the wreckage.
That tho 10 known dead represent the
total number of victims. no one familiar
with the disaster believes. 1t is extreme
" doubtful, however. that more than
fragmcntary pieces of other bodies will
ever lie found
Medical Examiner Paine said, tonight
that he believed other bodies that might
have been in the wreckage We're probably
reduced to ashes. and that the number Of
victims might never be positively known.
lie did not believe that further Identified
tons of the charrcd remains ut the
morgue was probable. Every body which
had on it any trinllet or piece of cloth
ing which had not been destroyed by the
flames, has been identified. Remains have
been placed in boxes and marked ''un-
known are in such a state that there is
no possibility Of their being recognized.
This :lftprnOCn funeral & tho
victims of the disaster was held. Govern
or Douglas being one of the mourncrS
who followed the body to the grave. The
funeral was that of Jerome Mayo. fin
ishcr in the factory, and brothcr-in-la W
OF {. l.. Fisk. a close friend of the gov
crror The funeral services. which were
private and were held at an undertaken s
rooms, were conducted by Rev. W. M.
Morrison of the First Universalist church.
This afternoon, the first concerted ac-
ton by citizens was taken. when, at the
request of Mayor Keith. clergymen of all
denominations assembled in the alderman
ic chamber at City hall for the purpose
of discussing appropriate public religious
ceremonies for tn. victims. II was decid-
cd that these services he held at 30
O'Clock. Thursday afternoon, in the CITY
theatre. at which two clergymen. one
Catholic. the other Protestant, will make
short addresses.
An overflow service was held at the
Proctor Congregational church at the
same hour The committee appointed to
take charge of the ceremonies consists OF
Mayor Keith, chairman; Rev. A. f.
Pierce, Rev J. S. Wordsworth. Rev. w.
S. Heating and Rev w. Fl. MORRISON.
After the services the funeral process
sion. headed by band will proceed to
the Mclrosc cemetery. where the unident-
flied bodies will be inferred. The lot Sc
lected bv the city officials for this pur-
pose adjoins that set apart for veterans
Of the Civil and crapict wars