Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-10-10

Richford, Vt.-An explosion of dust
and gases in large grain elevator
owned by the Canadian Pacific and
the Boston & Maine railroads in this
village, caused the death Of at least
13 persons late Wednesday afternoon,
while 1t is possible that the deatf roll
may be still further increased, when
the full extent of the disaster is known.
OF the victims, II were men employ
ed in the elevator, while the other two
were women who were walking on the
railroad track near by.
The fire destroyed not only the ele-
vator building, but a -four shed also,
and rs freight cars which could not
be removed from the danger zone in
time. The property loss is estimated
roughly at 100000.
The explosion occurred at 4.S5 in the
afternoon, while work was going on
within the elevator. 1t is supposed
that it was due to spontaneous COM
bustion of the dry drain dust, ignited
possibly by the suns rays through a
window.
With Concussion which could be
heard for miles and which shook every
building in the town, the roof of the
great elevator was blown skywaTd,
while flames burst from every window
and door of the structure. The roof,
or the greater part Of it, was carried
long distance and fell in a field.
Several freight cars which were
standing on the tracks beside the build
ing were blown over and broken into
mass of wreckage, and every person
within a radius of a quarter of a mile
Of the structure was knocked off his
feet and wholly or partially stunned.
Twenty-one men, all employees of the
elevator, are known to have been in the
building at the time. OF these all but
II had been located as living late We'd
nesday night. OF the others, one body
only was found. The bodies of this
mans companions are supposed to have
been incinerated in the tremendous
heat Of the burning grain.
The two women were walking on the
track near the building and were prob
ably stunned by the explosion. Both
were alive though badly burned when
picked up by rescuers and taken to
neighboring house, but they died with
In few hours.
Aside from these, the only body thus
far recovered is that of Robert Man
digo. He was at work near the top of
the elevator. A short time before the
explosion occurred he was seen look
ing from window near the roof. He
was carried aloft when the explosion
took place, and his body, lifeless and
terribly mangled, was found near the
wTeckage of the roof, 800 yards from
the site of the building
There is but one piece of fire appar-
this was entirely inadequate to cope
with the blaze. Every part of the ele
vator was quickly enVeloped in flames,
and in very short time one of the
two -four sheds nearby was also blaZ-
ing. The firemen directed all their ef-
forts to saving the second -four shed,
and 1t seemed probable at late hour
that they would succeed in stopping the
fire there.
The village of Richford, which has a
population of only 1900, is hard hit by
the catastrophe, and the scene around
the burning elevator was one of desc
lation and woe. Mothers, wives and
children OF the men who were victims
of the flames were gathered about Sob
bing and wringing their hands in grief,
while still hoping against hope that
their missing loved ones would yet re-
turn.
Mrs. Guard and Mrs. Jellefour, the
two women who were burned, were
new comers to the village, They were
wives of laborers, but the exact names
of their husbands could not be learned.