Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-07-01
EIGHT Perish IN
Blast AND FIRE
MOTHER AND BABES AMONG
DEAD AS RESULT OF ExPLo.
SION IN CHEMICAL WORKS.
WOMAN AND CHILDREN
DIE IN THE FLAMES
Many Others Are Rescued from Death
Trap-Probe Into Condition Of
Building Commences by Chicago
Authorities-Fireman Fatally Hurt.

Building Commences by Chicago
uthorities-Fireman Fatally Hurt.
Chicago, June 26.-Eight persons
were killed and nearly score were in
jured, two perhaps fatally, Thursday
in fire following an explosion of
chemicals in the plant of the Pabst
Chemical Company, Its Huron street.
Four of the dead are members of the
Nolan family-a mother and three
children. An alarm of fire was sent
in by employees of the chemical com
pany and members of truck company
No. 5, whose headquarters are less
than a block from the scene, hur.
ried to the building. Mrs. Nolan and
her three children attempted to reach
the rear fire escape, but apparently
were overcome by the heat and smoke
and fell to the floor. They were suf-
located when the fire spread to the
upper floors of the building. After
the fire had been gotten under control
members of truck company No. 3 went
to the third floor and found their
bodies huddled together.
Chemicals in Explosion.
The three upper floors of the build
ing, which is four stories high, were
occupied as living apartments, and in
the first floor and basement were the
factory and office of the Pabst Chem.
ical Company, a proprietary medicine
concern. The explosion occurred in
the basement, supposedly from COM
bustion of the chemicals stored there.
Flames and suffocating fumes swept
| through the building. There was a
rush for the fire escapes and win
dows, when the occupants recovered
from the force of the explosion and
found themselves in the midst of fur
mace. Hands and faces were burned
and hair singed off in the rush to
safety
On the third floor at the rear Mrs.
Jane Nolan and her children were
hemmed in hopelessly.
Rush Made for Roof.
The explosion was heard for blocks
around, and the flames almost imme-
diately cut off the tenants of the upper
| floors. They rushed for the roof of an
adjoining building at 100 Huron street,
where they gathered crouched to-
gether as the flames licked their way
to them.
Women and children on the roof
were badly frightened and threatened
| to jump, but were dissuaded
One of the men who were gathered
on the roof of the building at 1870
Huron street was not reached by the
rescuers, who were soon joined by the
members of hook and ladder company
No. 3, whose house is just in the rear
of the burning building. He stood for
time on the edge of the roof and
then leaped to the ground below, four
stories beneath. He was picked ur
unconscious and taken to the Passa
want Memorial hospital.
Many Others Near Death.
Many of those who were rescued
stood on the fire-escapes for more thar
ten minutes before they could be res
cued by the firemen. This delay was
caused by the intense heat and smoke
The employees of the chemical com
pany suffered their injuries in beint
struck by flying glass and debris scat
tered through the concern by the ex
plosion. None of them were taken tt
hospitals, but were attended il
the offices of nearby physicians
Ambu]ances and patrol wagons from
police stations as far north as Sum
merdale, west as far as Warren ave
nue. and south as far as Stanton ave
nue. were sent to the scene to care
for the injured and remove the dead
Probe Cause Of Fire.
Fire Attorney Frank Hogan and hi.
assistants Immediately began an in
vestigatiOn into the cause of the fire
and the manner in which those killed
came to their deaths. He declared tina,
he would summon officials of the Pabs,
Chemical Company and the owners O.
the building to his Office to be ques
toned. Il learned from several per
sons who were early on the scene thai
the f1re-escapes on the building were
old and too weak for the occupants
of the upper floors to risk going dowr
them," said Mr.. Hogan. "A man wht
said his name was John Fisher ant
who was among the first to get to the
building told me that he saw two o.
the Nolan children run out on the fire
escape at the third floor and then saw
Mrs. Nolan and another child appear
He said they all turned back into the
burning building" Fridolin Pabst
president of the Pabst Chemical Com
pany, is Frustrated as a result of thu
fire and fatalities. He was taken tt
his home by friends.
Fireman Fatally Burned.
While on the way to the fire in re
Spouse to the second alarm, engine
company No. I, stationed at VanBure1
street and Fifth avenue, met with Z
mishap which may cause the death o.
John Doody, the engineer. The engine
was going north in Fifth avenue whe1
at Adams street the rear axle broke
The boiler toppled to the right, pin
ming Doody under the machinery. Els
Gaping steam from the broken con
nections enveloped the fireman, anG
before his comrades could extricat<
him he was fatally burned.
An ambulance was summoned from
the Harrison street police station ant
Doody was taken to the Harrison
street emergency hospital
Unnecessary.
Howles-Hallo, Salter; I suppose
you are going to write my book down