The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-08-08

meH were pTOUdDly fatally Injured dHu
five men were seriously injured in an
explosion which wrecked a grain ele
vator of the glucose plant of the
Corn Products Refining company at
Granite City yesterday afternoon at
$3.50.
Two unidentified men, employees of
the plant, believed to be burned to
ashes.
Injured.
Tilden Batson, foreman; compound
fracture of skull, right leg broken,
ribs crushed, burned probably fatal.
yelick Mitchie; both legs and arms
broken, skull crushed, burned; prob
ably fatal
Stun Dritchie: inhaled flames,
burned upon face and hands.
Tony Mactz; inna'ed flames, hands
and face burned.
Dalla Yafks; inhaled flames, hands
and face burned.
John Gallo; inhaled flames, hands
and face burned.
Thomas Coffman; broken hand
Spontaneous combustion which oc-
Cured In large quantity of finely
4 powdered corn stored in the wrecked
! ding is thought to have been re-
| sponsible for the disaster. The three
| top stories of the six-story building
were completely wrecked Following
| the explosion fire broke out, and this
caused the injury of most of those
who were hurt. They were imprison-
ed In the upper stories of the six
story elevator and inhaled the flames
and suffered burns upon their hands
and faces before they could be res
cued.
Tilden Batson, one of the two most
seriously injured, was blown from the
third story window by the force of
the explosion. Dr. W. j. Marney of
Granite City was passing the elevator
at the time Of the explosion anc saw
Batson blown from the window. He
rushed to his assistance and carried
him to the company's dispensary and
gave him emergency treatment.
4 A few moments later Supt. F. L.
4 Jeffries, with others, had arrived on
the scene and had seen the danger
i of the imprisoned men and had
j stretched blanket below for them tc
J jump to safety. Thomas Coffin jump
ed and escaped with slight injuries.
I Following the rescue Of Cofiiman
1 Jeffries and Assistant Superintendent
A. H. Keeling rushed into the burning
building and attempted to ascend the
, stairs where they knew number o.
J men were held by the flames. Or
reaching the third floor Jeffries was
I overcome and fell distance of 2:
Il feet, falling to a pile of corn. He re
covered on reaching fresh air and re
turned to the work of rescue.
!, One Of the thrilling features of the
/. fire was the rescue from the sixth
floor Of velick Mitchie by Assistan
Fire Chief Leo Wise, who heard tht
cries of Mitchie, who had both leg:
and arms broken and a fractured
skull. Wise climbed up a large feet
pipe to the third floor and called t.
Mitchie to slide down the pipe. De
spite his fearful injuries he obeyed
and Wise caught him as he cam
down the pipe. He was taken to tn
!. Granite City hospital.
u The other four men who still re
NAMED in the building were carrie
from the third floor by Jeffries an
4 Keeling. All were taken to the hos
9 pital, where their injuries were trea
ed. The wrecked building had no tr
escape, which made the rescue o. tn
men difficult and dangerous.
The bodies of the two men VIII
were burned to death had not bee
recovered up to late hour last nigh
k and may never be found Batson
authority for the statement that ther
were nine men in the building at tn
time of the accident
d The damage to building and col
t tents will reach $4,000, according
) Keeling, who said that there were i
g the elevator about 10000 bushels {
e corn product, worth 100000. TIL
a damage to the building itself wi
+ reach $4,000, and to the machiner
d $4,000. There was no insurance O
V the building, which was almost new.
Pood T-ka Daily Gate City