Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-01-10
Officers of Company at
Pittsburg Suppress
Facts.
BAR EVEN THE POLICE
Reported 35 Men Were Caught
in Oisaster---Seven Bodies
in MOrgue.

Pittsburg, Jan. 1O.-As a result OF
last nights explosion of molten metal
at the Eliza furnace of the Jones a.
Laughlin company, Limited. the char
red trunks of seven men are at the
morgue and II badly burned and Grip
pied foreigners are in the hospitals,
while anxious workers are digging
through a mass of steel and cinders for
the bodies of several more who are
still missing.
PftifuI scenes nt MOrgue.
OF the injured, three will probably
die. Scenes at the morgue today were
pathetic. as the building was besieged
by constant stream of relatives of
the unfortunates who lost their lives
in the accident.
Bodies of the victims were badly
burned and almost unrecognizable. but
despite this five of the seven taken
out have been identified.
Allow None tO Enter.
The company officials absolutely re-
fused to allow onyone to enter the
plant today. Superintendent Messler
stated in his opinion the accident was
caused by the loosening of one of the
steel bands about the bottom of the
furnace. II fell. said he, and that made
that portion Of the shell weak. The
great pressure Of the steel charge and
gas against the weak point resulted I'm
the plate giving way, and other plates
were naturally affected.
Compnny's Loss $4,000.
There were 100 tons of metal i'm the
furnace at the time The loss to the
company, according TO Messler, will
not be less than $4,000, and may great
ly exceed that figure.
Crernnted I'm an Instant.
Pittsburg, Jan. 1O.-After an explo-
sion of gas which flooded the furnace
rooms of the Jones & Laughlin steel
plant with tons Of molten metal. "a
men disappeared All were cremated,
almost in an instant. They were
buried under six feet of white hot
liquid steel.
There were 35 men at work about
the furnace at o'clock last evening
when the explosion occurred. Three
bodies were recovered, horribly mutt
lated. Seven men were rescued alive
and are in the hospitals, all, IL is be-
lieved, fatally injured.
One man alone OF the 80. George
Knox. escaped injury. The others not
accounted for were consumed by the
awful heat of the awful fiery flood.
One Out of the Inferno.
Knox tells a graphic story of the dis
aster from which he alone escaped un-
harmed He says:
1T was awful. The furnace Is one
of the improved style and 35 OF MS
were working about never thinking of
an explosion.
Suddenly there was a terrific roar
and Immediately | started to run.
Molten metal was thrown every place.
Streams OF It were running in all d.
rections and was confronted with an
awful death unless ! could run faster
than the metal could travel. Thank
God. reached a place of safety and
not a minute too soon.
81 don't know what happened TO the
other men. did not see any of them
following the explosion. If they did
not run quick and fast all are buried
unuer SIX IOOl OF mOlten metal.
Men Runnings In FInmes.
Charles Bennett, yard brakeman.
who was passing near the furnace on
a freight train when the explosion oc-
gave additional details of the
disaster
Our train was right near the fur
mace" he said when the metal
poured out of the furnace over the
ground I saw the men running for a
place of safety. To the right OF the
furnace ! saw party of 10 men, all of
them running wildly and their clothes
a mass of flames. Apparently some OF
them had been injured when the explo-
sion occurred, as they could hardly
run. and several of them tripped and
fell. The hot metal ran over the poor
men in moment
Just at this time a second explo-
sion occurred, and looked towards
the furnace. In a minute ] again
looked to the right OF the furnace for
the 10 men. but could not see any OF
them. and believe all of them were
burned to death.
"My train was I'm the path OF the
metal. and / was compelled TO uncou-