Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-12-30
-16 DEAD, II INJURED
BY BOILER EXPLOSION
At MoreWood Lake, Near Pittsfe|d, Mass,
Two More Will Die--Men We're
Awaiting Starting Of Ice Har-
vesting, hudd|ed Around Boiler.

PlttSfield. Mass, Dec. 29.-The lives
of Is workmen were obliterated today
by the explosion of a boiler at the
plant of the Norwood Lake Ice Co.
at Norwood lake, two miles south OF
this city. Twelve men We're killed in
stantly, one died shortly after ant
three others died in the hospital. Ir
addition II others were seriously in.
jured, and it was stated tonight at the
House of Mercy here, the hospital tc
which the injured were removed, thai
it was feared that two of the patients
| would die.
The dead are:
William Dunn. engineer: George
Ward, fireman; John Raymond car
penter; Edgar Allen, employee; Leo
fernando. laborer: NJ. f. Smith, labor
err; Wyatt Moore, laborer: William
Pepsen, laborer: Alfred Benco, labor
er; Frederick Ruther. laborer; Elmer
Eldridge. laborer; James McNalus
laborer; George Houghtaling. laborer;
Joseph Gallogo. laborer; Oberlino Gal
logo, laborer: unidentified laborer.
The following is a list of injured al
the House of Mercy:
'SNPii L tilI'1ii, II. MULE, IkoDft
! Hall, Michael r. kenney, George W
Nye. Myron Burr Charles o. Kean, Au-
gustus Johnson. Fred Boucar. Henry
Tower Charles S. Barber.
John Lennon and William Patten
were also severely injured but were
taken to their homes. All those at the
hospital are lacerated and burned and
Il number have bone fractures. The
dead and injured all lived in Pittsfield
and vicinity.
But a few hours had elapsed before
State Officer A. F. Mcneil was assign
ed by the Massachusetts District Po-
lice officials to make a thorough in
veStigatiOn of the cause of the ex-
plosion and determine the responsible
t.. At a special meeting of the city
council, hastily called this afternoon
to deal with the situation, resolutions
were adopted calling for immediate
action to supply the wants of those
Upon the suggestion of Mayor William
II, MacInnis. subscription paper Was
started and within d short time nearly
$4,000 had been subscribed. United
States Senator Winthrop Murray
Crane whose home is in Dalton. near
here, headed the list with $500 and
Arthur N. Cooley, Fred G. Crane and
Senas M. Crane each gave an equal
sum. Many other smaller coptrbu-
tions were made.
Gathered this forenoon in and about
the little boiler building which was
some distance from the ice house were
about 1875 men. mostly Polanders and
italians. awaiting the chance to earn
a few dollars by cutting ice. With a
crash heard for miles around, the boil
er burst. Bodies of men. blackcned and
mutilatcd and fragments of iron ana
timber were hurled through the air.
Those of the wOrkmen who were not
killed outright We're either seriously
injured or dazed by the shock.
Members of the firm Of Shand & Le-
shure. the owners of the ice company,
stated several hours after the explo-
sion, that William Dunn. the engineer,
George Ward. the fireman, and Edgar
Allen, were the only men in the build
ing regularly employed by the com
pany. According to the officials all of
the others had been engaged today to
commence the harvesting of the crop
of ice this afternoon. When 1t became
known here that serious explosion
had occurred, parties were formed ana
proceeded Immediately to the seen.
Physicians took the lead. followed by
every ambulance in the city. Many au-
tomobiles assisted in the removal OF
the injured. A number of friends ana
relatives of the victims fastened to the
scene and sad group surrounded the
demolished boiler house. The injured
men were placed in ambulanceS or au-
tomcbles and hurried to the hospital
here. Then the dismembered bcdles
were carefully gathered together ana
removed to the homes of the families
| of the dead. In some instances the
bodies were so badly blackened aho
mutilated that identification was I'M
possible for many hours.
Several parts of the bodies were III
some cases found from 100 to 200 tee'
| from the site of the destroyed oulid
| ing. The boiler house and the boiler IL
| Golf were broken into hundreds o1
nieces. The ice house was damaged but
little and the entire monetary loss Is
| not expected to exceed S500.
| Officials of the ice company were d
n loss to account for the disaster Ihes
said that changes in the boiler ordered
bv state inspector last summer mac
baen made and that test made yes
terday had shown the water gauge U
he working properly. No definite deter
minstion of the cause of the explosion
is likely until the state officers nave
com Iefed their investigation.
I The propertv damage Will pIoodpi.