The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1907-01-17
BURIED BY TONS
OF MOLTEN METAL
DISASTROUS EXPLOSION OCCURS
IN STEEL WORKS AT PITTS
BURG.
INJURED IN PITIFUl SHAPE
cRAzED BY INJURIES ONE YOUTH
SEEKS DEATH IN POT OF
METAL.

Pittsburg, Jan. II. - A disastrous
explosion occurred last night at the
Eliza furnaces of the Jones & Nc
Laughlin Steel works. when a large
quantity of gas, which had accumu-
lated at the base of the furnace. be-
came ignited. Tons of molten metal
were showered around the furnace for
a radius of forty feet. Out of a force
of t~hirty-five men employed at the fur
mace when the explosion occurred.
three OF them. John Cramer, Andrew
Featherka and Gustave Chester, have
been taken to the morgue, their bod
ies horribly mutilated by the fire.
Seven men are in hospitals, fatally in
jured, and twenty-four others have
not been accounted for.
Only One Turns Up.
While the mill officials are inclined
TO believe that all of the missing men
were not cremated in the molten met
al. nothing definite is known as to their
present whereabouts. Only n man,
George Knox, has turned up since the
explosion, and Knox says everything
happened so quick that he doubts
whether the men escaped. Chief Pc
ter Snyder of the Fourth fire district
was seriously injured while directing
the hremen to extinguish the fire
which followed the explosion.
Even Police Kept Out.
The officials at the mill refused to
allow any one to enter the yard where
the furnace is located. All fnforma-
ton was refused to newspaper men.
the officials saying hat later they
might issue a statement. A heavy
guard of foreign workmen was placed
at the yard entrance, and even the po-
lice We're powerless to get past the
foreigners.
Forty Men Dead or Missing.
Pittsburg, Jan. 12.-Partial inresti-
cation to ascertain the number Of fa-
talities that occurred at the Eliza fur
naces of the Jones & Laughlin Steel
company last night, when an cur
lation of gas exploded, bursting the
base of the large furnaces and shower
ing tons of molten metal over Iabout
forty men. was completed last night.
and shows that the bodies of twelve
men, horribly mutilated, have been
recovered, from fifteen to twenty men
are missing, it being generally be-
lieved their bodies were consumed by
the hot metal, and ten men are in hos
pitfalls, terribly burned, four of them
expected to die momentarily.
Enguifed by Fiery Metal,
1t is doubtful whether the number of
men killed will ever be known. From
present indications over fifteen men
were caught like rats in a trap by the
fiery metal which flowed over their
bodies to a depth of six feet. No trace
Of thems it is said, will ever be found.
OF the dead bodies now in the morgue,
several are minus arms, legs and heads,
while the others are burned and twist
ed beyond recognition.
In Pitiful Condition.
The condition OF the injured is pitt
full. A number of men have their
eyes burned out, and others we're so
badly injured that amputation of arms
and limbs was necessary. A grue-
some story is told by Deputy Coroner
Laidley, who says one foreigner, APP
parently a youth, became crazed by
his injuries and before he could be
prevented leaped into a pot of molten
metal and was incinerated.