The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1907-01-10
Fail to Find Cause


mill, it will be an easy matter to find
them.
Fail to Find Cause
The inquest over the remains OF the
six victims of the explosion was held
at the Hansen morgue on Sunday
morning, and nearly all Of the other
employees Of the plant we're summoned
to come to Kenosha and give evidence
of the explosion. The inquest failed
to reveal the cause of the terrible loss
of life and it is probable that the mys-
terry will never be solved. The mute
testimony of the burned forms OF the
men in the morgue was the principal
evidence before the jury. Other wit
nesses were called, but they shed no
light on the matter. Only the men
who were In the mill knew Of the
awful story of the explosion. Andrew
Fox, the yard foreman of the COM
pany, was within few feet of the
corning mill when the explosion took
place, but he stated that he could
give no cause for it. The mill con-
tanned something like three tons OF
powder, which was being rushed
through the grinders in order that it
might. be taken to the glazing mills
and prepared for shipment as finished
powder.
Edward Main was the only one of
| the men who was outside the mill
when the accident occurred. The
evidence showed that Main had left
the mill with carload Of powder and
was probably hundred feet from the
door of the mill when the explosion
took place. He was blown from the
track on which the car was being OPP
Grated and was found running about
half crazed. II got away from the
first explosion and would have been
all right if my car had not gone up, Z
was the only statement that he made
] which would throw light on the ex-
! plosion. He told several men of this
! fact and this leads TO the inference
that there were two explosions.
| It will never be known whether the
| car or the mill exploded first. Main
was in such pain that he could not
tell Of the accident and it is probable
/ that had he been in his right mind he
would not have been able to give any
more evidence. Fox testified that men
had been known to violate the rule OF
the plant and smoke about the
grounds, but he gave It as MS opinion
that no one had been smoking at the
time of the accident. Fox had left
the corning mill only few seconds
before the accident took place and
six Of the men had just gone into the
mill with a car of unfinished powder.
Anderson, Main and zotkiervicz were
the regular employees IN the corning
mill and the other men had been
called in to aid in rushing the powder
out. Other employees were placed on
the stand but their evidence was
simply repetition of that given by
Fox.
It was certain from the evidence
that no one saw the explosion. The
story of the removal of the dead and
injured was retold in all its terrible
details, but none Of this had any bear
ing on the cause Of the accident. The
witnesses testified that the company
had used every possible precaution to
prevent an accident and that at the
time the mill exploded the men were
all wearing special clothing designed
to prevent such accidents. General
Superintendent Maddox was present
at the inquest, but he stated to the
| jury that he could assign no cause
for the accident. He was not at the
plant when the explosion took place.
The members Of the jury argued for
more than an hour before they rend-
cred a verdict and the verdict as re-
turned found that the men came to
/ their deaths as the result of an explo-
sion at the plant of the Laf1in-Rand
Powder company, the cause of which
was unknown to the jury.
/ The explosion has caused reign
of terror in the village of Pleasant
| Prairie, and the people of sthe town
are already seeking to get another in
/ junction to prevent the reopening OF
the plant. 1t is certain that the plant
Il Will 1lG 1OlS AOl A4du WO0hS nS - $500
be necessary to rebuild the corning
mill before the work of making pow
] der can be resumed gain. The awful
fate of the men killed on Saturday
will make it hard matter for the
company to get men in this part Of
the country, as few men will be wills
/ ing to take the risk of working in the
/ plant. Some of the Russians who are
now at the village have signified
! their intention to leaves at once.
Considering the awful loss Of life
from the explosion, the property loss
was exceedingly small and Superin-
tendent Maddox stated Saturday even
ing that the loss toa-the company
| wouldsnot exceed ten thousand dol
lars. AS only one mill was destroyed
/ It will be an easy matter to repair the
damage. The men at the plant seem
/ to considersit nothing less than mir
acle that the fire did not spread to
some of the other buildings of the
/ plant. The big magazines in which
y a DC