The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1905-03-22
Sixty Hurled TO Death.

Brockton. Mass, March 2O.-Tkis
city is in mourning tonight for at least
three. score people whose lives were
blotted out early today by the cxplo-
sion OF boiler in q large shoe manu-
featuring establishment in the Cam
pello district, conducted by the X. B.
Grover company.
The explosion was Immediately fol-
lowed by flash of flame, which con-
sumed the factory, long. four story
structure, as II it were house of cards,
and ineineratcd an unknown number
or men and women who were unable
to extricate themselves from mass of
tangled wreckage formed by the terri
fic upheaval in the boiler room More
than half a hundred of the employees
in the building were MANNED, burned
or bruised by the time they reached
safe ground. Some had jumped from
the roof, some from windows and 9TH
ers had been injured in the Lad rush
to escape from the doomed factory,
which from all parts emitted the in
tense. awful heat of an inferno, driv-
ing back the band of heroic rescuers
who In few brief moments had per-
formed gallant service.
1t may never be known just how
many persons perished in the wreck
age. No one knows exactly how many
persons were in the factory The
number has been estimated at 400, but
Treasurer Charles o. Emerson said to-
night he doubted whether there were
30 many ut work. Two hundred and
fifty survivors have been accounted
Tor and at midnight tonight the re-
mains of 80 bodies had been recovered
from the ruins, the search being con-
unued ail night. Fragments of hu-
man frames which possibly might be-
long to bodies other than those emu
merated have also been found. Few
| of tte remains have been identified.
| The head in nearly every case is mis- .
lng anu except In rare instances it
was impossible even to distinguish the
| sex.
Chief of Police Boyden at late hour
tonight, expressed the opinion mat
| some OF the employees had not reached
the factory at the time of the explO-
sion and that undoubtedly number
or those living In nearby places were
injured and had gone home without
reporting their Injuries. He thought
That many or those not accounted tor,
upwards of 100 in number, were among
these.
An inspection of the wrecked boiler
by the State boiler inspector showed
that there was sufficient supply OF
water i'll it. The cause of the explo.
sion ID at present mystery. The dis
| dslcl VIII DC luFtHer investigated DJ
the State authorities.
The explosion occurred shortly after
tho operatives had settled down t
work tor the day, and without warn.
ing. Suddenly the air vibrated witt
the roar Of an explosion. at the same
moment the larger wooden frame o
the factory. q four story structure
qulvered and then the rear portion OF
IT collapsed In fraction of seconC
this section >of the great building hat
been transformed into mass of iroI
and wood wreckage, in the midst o.
which human beings were pinioned
In another moment fire had broker
out in the debris and death by fire ant
snffocation became the fate of scorer
of the operatives.
When the boiler exploded it passet
upward almost perpendicularly, tear
ing n passage as it went, killing many
ON the way. After rising high in tn
} air, it descended half the distance ant
then swerving northerly, cut it's wa,
like some huge projectile through
dwelling house so feet away and pier
ced another dwelling further along
demolishing the latter structure. Her,
lts course was stopped.