Columbia courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1902-1905, 1905-03-24
BOILER EXPLOSION and fire AT
BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS.
Large Shoe Manufacturing Establish
ment of S. B. Grover Company De-
stroyed-Bodies Fifty-three People
Recovered-LossW Will Reach More
Than S25o,ooo.

plUSlOu VI JULIET LII d large sioC Aah-
ufacturing establishment in the Cam
pelle district, conducted by the S. B.
Grover company.
The explosion was Immediately fol-
lowed by flash of flame, which con-
sumed the factory, 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 recuers
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 a blacksmith shop.
The wooden dwellings near the engine
room were practically demolished by
the flying boiler, but none Of their &C.
cupants were seriously hurt. The total
financial loss is estimated at $3.50, 200,
5000, 900 of which falls on 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
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 vas impossible
even to distinguish the sex.
The work of identifying those killed
by the explosion progressed slowly, ow-
ing to the generally unrecognizable re-
mains of the victim s.
The explosion which was followed by
such a sacrifice of life entailed appall-
ing human suffering, occurred shortly
after 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, four story
structure, quivered, and then the rear
portion of it collapsed. This section
of the great building had been trans
formed into a mass of iron and wood
wreckage, in the midst of which hui
man beings were 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 as it went, killing many
on the way. After rising high in the
air it descended half the distance and
then, swerving northerly, cut its way
like some huge projectile through a
dwelling house so feet away and pierc.
ed another dwelling further along.
The scenes of horror followed the
wrenching apart of the factory build.
ing. The three upper floors, weighted
as they were with heavy machinery
collapsed with crash that was heard
for blocks. Men and women working
in departments of this section who
we're busy at their machines had time
but to turn in an attempt tc flee after
he first dull roar when the flooring
sank beneath them, and they were car
ried to the ground floor, crushed and
bruised amid the mass of debris. Many
fell mot veritable efiry furnace. In
the sections of the factory which re-
NAMED 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
perously injured. The crush on the
sttairways resulted in numerous mino,
injuries.
Scarcely had the rear portion of the
structure collapsed when tongue OF
fame started up from the boiler pit
and reaching out, burned the splinterE
If the wreckage, and Immediately at
forward the standing walls. Soon the
entire story was in flames.