Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-12-07


to Lynn today. and hit hard the man.
GfacturinG district of the city. Eleven
persons were injured and the loss of
property will exceed half a million of
dollars. The cause of the disaster was
the blowing up of an imperfect boiler
in the four-story shoe factory building
OF the p. J. Harvey Shoe Manufacture
ing Co. The fire which Immediately
broke out inside the Harvey plant
communicated so quickly with the
nearby structures that IA buildings
We're consumed before the fire was
checked by the firemen, who included
workers from Lynn, Boston. Salem and
SauguS. OF the injured only one was
in a dangerous condition.
The people of Lynn as bad as the fire
was. discussed chiefly tonight their es-
cape from a calamity. for had the fire
swept through the factory district at
the hour when the employees We're as
sembled at work the story of the disas-
ter might have told Of a terrible loss of
life. The explosion, however. occurred
just before the operatives We're due at
the various factories.
In the list Of injured are some OF
those who arril ed before the usual hour
ana who were cut of from escape ty
the flames.
In addition to the Harvey Co.. whose
loss, is placed at 100000. the heaviest
loss was felt by the Tufts d Friedman
shoe 60. The later company loses about
$50. eco. Small wooden dwelling houses
located near the burning factories we're
food for the flames and several "s them
had disappeared before the fire was
checked.
Persistent reports reached the police
that several persons employed 1T the
factories were missing. buc up to =
o'clock tonight. all those whose names
were, reported had been accounted for
as aliv" ana uninjur"d.
1t was but IL short time after the
breaking out of the flames that the o.
fcials started an investigation OF the
cause of II. explosion. state Building
Inspector Cheney expressed MS opih-
ion that n dcfcctiv" seam i'll the bo!ier
of the Harnev factory was the actual
cause Of the trouble. just as: it was IN
the case of the explosion ut Brockton IN
March. 1905. when the blowing W 81 the
boiler 1T tho factory of II. Il. Grover
resulted in the death of about 90 per-
sons.
The official inquiry today brought on
tI,e fac. that the Harvey boiler was in
sure,i and therefore not amendable TO
state inspoction Under the law. how
ever. insured boilers must be regular
t,l,cs the risk. The records at the state
;,,,lt
was observed in the case Of the Harvey
boiler.
SNOW and sleet made the work Of the
fremen today a hardship The insur-
ance was estimated ut about $51o.ooo.
During the day a mcSsag" was re-
cciycd from the trustees OF the reilei
fund Of the Grover disaster at BROCK
ton expressing sympathy to the mayor
of the city and stating that Brockton
would be found ready to tender assist
ance if needed.
The six injured persons al the hospital
at S O'clock tonight were reported as COM
Portable, with the exception of Celia Ira
denburg. who had not recovered con-
seriousness The physicians fear that
Miss Tradenburg's skull is fractured and
that she will not recover.
For several hours after the fire 1t was
thought that Nathan Friedman. an en-
ploye ut the Harvey factory. had been
| burned TO death. In fact. several of his
fellow workmen stated with tears in
their eyes that they tried to save him in
the alleyway between the Harvey and
owen factories, where he was pinned
down by wreckage, but were driven off
bv the flames. 1t was learned. however,
that after Friedman had been abandoned
| by the workmen. Capt. Kelly and Lieut.
| Sullivan and two other firemen dashed
| into the alleyway and succeeded in pry-
| ing the timbers off the man just before
| the flames reached him, in fact the fire
was so close that Lieut.. Sullivan was
scorched Friedman was suffering from
4 a nervous shock tonight.
The inspection Of the boiler by the rep
| resentatives of the insurance company
and the state officials ceased temporarily
| tonight but will be resumed in the
morning. No decision had been reached