Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1920-03-05
MANITOWOC BLAST
TAKES FIVE LIVES
EXPLOSION AT ALUMINIUM FAC
TORY RESULTS IN PANIC
AMONG GIRL WORKERS.
2OONEAR SCENE OF DISASTER
Clothing and Hair of Many Burned
off During Wild Scene Which
Followed the Burning
of the Gas Tank.

Manitowoc - Five girl employees OF
the Aluminium Goods Manufacturing
company here have died as the result
OF an explosion at the plant, which
was heard for over two miles. Four
other girls are in the hospital in
precarious condition and little hope is
entertained for their recovery.
The explosion took place on the
third floor of the plant in a tank which
serves to collect dust and poisonous
gas in the process of polishing alumni
mum ware.
THE DEAD.
Hattie Holtz, 80 years old.
Pauline Komorowski, about 20 years
cid.
Josephine SchIeisleder, 10 years old.
Frances Budycz, 10 years old.
Esther Rusch.
The probably fatally injured are:
Emily Becker.
Anna Schade.
Lillian Sprinkler.
Blanche Komorowski.
Frances Rystikan.
Leap r rom WINDOWS.
Hattie Holtz was the first victim Of
the disaster She died shortly after
being taken to the hospital. 1t is said
that she jumped from the third floor
of the building when the explosion
came without warning Miss Komo-
rowski, Miss SchIeisleder and Miss
Budycz succumbed a few hours after
being taken to the hospital. Esther
Rusch, the fifth victim, died after a
24-hour attempt to save her life.
Emily Becker is lowering between life
and death and little hope is held out
for her recovery,
Anna Schade, who leaped from the
third floor Of the factory with her
clothing in flames. is expected to re-
cover In telling her story of the ac-
cident, she said that she was blown
fifty feet sacross the room. She man
aged to crawl to the door of the roonl
out fearing that she would be tram
pied under foot in the wild rush which
followed the blast, she leaped from
the window. She alighted in snow
bank, which probably prevented more
serious injuries.
The explosion, coming without
warning and while more than 200e
men and women were at work in the
building, created panic among the
employees and in the wild rush many
sustained severe injuries.
EnveIoped in Flames.
The 200 girls employed in the buf-
fling and polishing department. in
which department the explosion oc-
Cured, were terror stricken by the
blast, which for a few moments en-
veloped them in a mass of flames, and
the escape of the majority of these
employees was regarded as miraculous.
Their clothing and hair was set afire
and in their rush for the. doors and
windows they came into contact with
other employees, whose clothing also
caught fire.
The blower pipe, in which the
flames are thought to have started, it
is said, leads from the various polish
ing, grinding, and bufing machines to
the huge tank, in which dust and acid
are collected This dust and acid are
drawn into the tank by large fans 9an1
it is thought that friction in the pipe
may have created the fame
Until the investigation now being
conducted by the state is completed,
there will be no statement made or
the probable cause of the explosion
The inquiry is being conducted by e.
w. Remission of the Wisconsin indus
trial commission. He was called here
at the request of officials of the Alurl,-
mum company.