The San Francisco call., 1905-03-21
SIXTY KILLED BY EXPLOSION
IN MASSACHUSETTS FACTORY
Fire Adds to Horror in Large Shoe Plant
Scores Fatally Injured Live to Per
form Deeds of Heroism.

BROCKTON, Mass, March 20.-At
least sixty persons were killed early
to-day by the explosion of boiler in
a large shoe manufacturing establish
ment in the Campello district, con-
Quoted by the R. B. Grover Company.
The list of dead may reach as high as
eighty.
The explosion was Immediately fol-
lowed by fash of flame, which con-
sumed the factory, long, four-story
structure, as if it were a house of
cards, and incinerated an unknown
number of men and women who We're
unable to eXtricate themselves from a
mass of tangled wreckage formed by
the terrific upheaval in the boiler
room. More than fifty of the employees
in the building were MANNED, burned
or bruised by the time they reached
safe ground. Some jumped from the
roof, some from windows and others
were injured in the mad rush to es-
cape from the doomed factory, which
from all parts emitted the heat Of an
inferno, driving back the band of
heroic rescuers who in few moments
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
one owned by Charles F. Dahlberg,
the others being cottages of small
value and blacksmith shop. The
wooden dwellings near the engine room
were practically demolished by the fly
ing boiler, but none of the occupants
was seriously injured. The total finan-
cial loss is estimated at $3.50, 900, $500, 900
of which falls on the r. B. Grover
Company.
FRAGMENTS OF BODIES.
It 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 num-
ber has been estimated at 400 but
Treasurer Charles o. Emerson said to-
night that he doubted whether there
were so many at work. Two hundred
and fifty-three survivors have been ac-
counted for and at midnight the re-
mains of fifty-three bodies had been
recovered from the ruins, the search
being continued all night. Fragments
of human frames which may belong
to)bodies other than those enumerated
have also been found Few of the re-
mains have been identified. The head IN
nearly every instance is missing, and,
except in rare instances, ii was impOS-
sible TO even distinguish the sex.
Chief of Police Boyden at late hour
tonight expressed the opinion that
some of the employees had not reached
the factory at the time of the eXplo-
sion, and that undoubtedly number
of those living in nearby places were
injured and had gone home without
reporting their injuries. He thought
that many of those unaccounted for,
more than 100 in number, were among
these
There is no trace of the body Of Da-
vid w. Rockwell. engineer Of the plant.
who was not seen after the explosions
1t is supposed that he perished at his
post
An inspection of the wrecked boiler
bv the State Inspector showed that
there was a sufficient supply of water
in il. The cause of the explosion is not
known.
VICTIMS OF DISASTER.
The work of identifying those killed
progressed slowly. owing to the gener-
aIly unrecogniza BILE remains of the vic
Tins. .The list of identified dead fol-
lows
J. RAY COLE.
HARRY H. HALL.
JEREONA MAYO, aged so.
GEORGE SMITH.
EMMA B. PRAY.
FLORENCE A; DUNHAM, book
keeper, aged 19.
SAMUEL A. TILEY, foreman stitch
ing room.
ERNEST CARLSON. aged 80, for
mer City Councilman.
NELLIE LEARY.
MISS SERENA SHAW BURROWS,
aged 90.
= MARION TUFTS.
miss FITZGERALD.
EsJAMES n. BELL.
Fat midnight a list of missing was
given out at the Campello police sta
tien. There is good reason TO believe
that all were killed, as every effort
made TO locate them has failed. The
list follows:
Andrew johnson. John Lundell Jennie
Styles. Almoran Hallett Miss George Emer-
son. Miss Mary Fftzpatrick. George Burgess.