The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1912-11-29
WORKERS ARE KILLED
IN A MIGHTY BLAST
Terrific Explosion in Plant of
Corn Products Company.
Spontaneous Combustion Wrecks
Building and Injuries Every Man
in It-FIames Cremate Bod
les in Torn Ruins.

A rigid and most thorough inves-
tigation of the explosion which wreck
ed the starch house of the Corn Pro-
ducts Refining company on the out
skirts of Waukegon, ILL.,, causing the
death of seven known persons, the
supposed killing of four others and
the injury of twenty-five men, women
and children, was ordered by Coroner
Taylor of Lake county.
The known dead are: John Adams,
Peter Dogela, Joseph Jobowsky, about
twenty-five years DID, Frank Stanley,
married, thirty-eight years old, leaves.
wife and fifteen-months-old child;
Joseph Selenc, twenty-five years old,
leaves three sisters; Martin Slater,
assistant superintendent of plant,
died at hospital; Charles Tomalis,
died at hospital. The missing:
Michael Bunch, Martin Matachuk,
Louis Monday, Joseph Perodski.
Immediately following the explosion
the building, which was a four-story
structure, took fire, and burned to the
ground, and it is believed by the po-
lice that some of the missing were
cremated in the ruins. The injured
were hurried to hospitals. Three of
them are in critical condition.
All Dead Are Men.
All of the dead and injured are
men. Most of them are foreigners
and are known only by check num-
bers. One man was blown one hun
dred feet. His crushed and mangled
body was found on top of a bluff that
distance from the building.
The explosion occurred in the dry
starch building of the Waukegan
plant of the Corn Products Refining
company. The Corn Products COM
pany is an adjunct of the Standard
Oil company It's principal plant is
at Argo, ILL.,, just outside of Chicago
at the southwestern extremity of the
city.
The dry starch building was four
story brick structure. About fifty
men were at work in it.
The explosion came at 1870 o'clock
in the afternoon soon after the men
had returned to work after the noon
hour.
Defamation Heard for Miles.
There was a roar that was heard
for miles. The defamation was ter
rifle 1t startled every one in Wauke-
gan.
The four-story brick building was
&c 1of
The walls were blown out. The roof
was found some distance away.
A number went to their death in
that first awful explosion of dust.
Almost Immediately the building
took fire. This added horror to hor-
ror.
The fire spread with great rapidity
It seemed to rush from end TO end
of the wrecked building and from
foundation to the topmost pile of
shattered brick.
Every Man in Building Hurt.
Then came an almost indescribable
scene Men with clothing afire and
crying piteously came from the burn
ing building.
Many were so badly burned that
the flesh was dropping from them.
They staggered out of the dry
starch structure and fell to the
ground moaning and crying for help.
There was not a man who was at
work in the building at the time of
the explosion who was not more or
less seriously injured.
The dry starch building was some
distance from the other buildings.
Otherwise the loss of life must have
been much greater.
The distance between the wrecked
and burning building and the other
buildings of the plant also prevented
the fire from spreading.