Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-03-21

then to a building adjacent o,,raa
49,, A" ,e'ice, and used as a lodging
house. dwelling horse IN CsI,,n
-, o"iieo ny John Holinguest and
d "iacksnlth shop owned by William
VII the corner Of Calmar street
".'u De.i'oi' which extends i'm the rear
Wy Grover factory site. also caught
s,, me rear OF the factory the
"'n.SH stretched across Denton street
:" INC u"eliihs houses of Mrs. SOphie
e''isoii ana family and to the resi-
reii.e VI Nhafles % Brien. 10th two and
nan Sto'5 structures. By this time. the
thtre hre department ana all the no
me- r'FS were on the scene together
WIN ldrSe lofces Of operatives from
othef factories The irjdred were con
NeEed 10 the hospitals IN ambulances
or I" the mouse beyond the fire belt
Fear OF contiasratiOn led Fire Chief
Ma!Ston 70 direct the efforts of his de-
partment to check the SPREAD Of the
IRE rather than to try 20 extinguish If
in the Grover factory. This was no easv
task, for It strong wind was blowing
From he blacksmith shop, the fire
spread To a three stor: tenement house
on Denton street, owned by Sylvester
Rice and then across the way to the
cottage Of John ". r 1T a jeweler. All
the buildings mentioncl were practi-
cally ruintd by fire. At this point. the
fire was stopped. Occupants of the
dwellings succeeded in saving much
furniture. The house to the north of
the Grover factory through which the
exploded boiler crashed vas owned and
occupied by David w. Rockwell. the
engineer il charge of the boiler
TIE house was practically demolish-
ed. tie roof being ripped off and two
walls torn down.
Mrs. Rockwell. who was sitting by
the kitchen stove. had a miraculous
escape from death. receiving many
cuts and bruises from flying bits of
timber which descended upon her when
the boiler sreeded like a mortar projec-
tile through the upper portion of her
house. Crawling from the mass Mrs.
Rockwell Snatched w her two children,
who We're uninjured, from another
room and started for the home of her
nearest neigllbor Mrs. Eta Hood. She
found this cottage had been practically
rent asunder by the boiler, the head
Of which was buried in the middle of
the structure. Miss Ella Pratt, IS
years Of age, a relative Of the Hoods.
WAS alone in the house. The cottage
was thrown several feet off its founda
ton and Miss Pratt was knocked down
and stunned. She soon recovered and
after securing the deed insurance pol
icy and other papers, ran from the
house.
Not until Afternoon was it possible to
begin Il search of the Grover factory
ruins. Several charred and headless
bodies We're recovered together at the
end of the factory ruins nearest the
boiler pit and the bones of others We're
quickly found. They We're placed in
pine boxes and removed to u temper
AIRY morgue.
Mayor Edward H. Keith personally
superintendent the search and Medical
Examiner A. f. Paine viewed each
body as it was taken out.
Treasurer c. O. Emerson, of the
Grover Company. estimated the loss on
the factory at 100000 and the ag-
gate loss on the other burned struct- |
urrs was placed at about $4,000. The |
Grover factory, machinery and stock |
We're insured for 100000
Perhaps the most pathetic incident Of
tho explosion was Mrs Lena +. Bakers
escape from what looked like certain |
death. with the assistance of an unknown
man. who afterwards lost his life.
Mrs. Baker worked in the stitching room
on the fourth floor and a moment or two
after the explosion she rushed for t!,.
roof. 1t was just at that time that the
building began to crumble and fall. and rs
STARTED tIa hpI t,pf Epri M, |