Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1924-01-03

eIhOulltrlnk ithrlS, and building NDr-ZI.
the starch Muse. still blazing. it|r.aIIs
standing but giving off heat 80 intense
that no efforts could BE- made 10 search
for bodies
Although ordinarily 25O men were
employed IN the starch houses. accord
nr to Frank Nelde. manager. only Wy
men We're lin the starch powder house
where the explosion occurred.
Between and 500 persons gather
ed outsi4 .np walls NJ the plant were
forbidden to enter while the work Ok
rescue Nrnt On
Heroic measures we're adopted NV fefA
Tow employees in aiding the injured aud
the salvation army and Red Cross work
ers from both Pekin and Peoria. eleven
miles distant, gaze first aid 70 the in-
iurcd before they were removed t0 PeO-
ria and Pekin hospitals
More than score 81 those believed 10
have perishcd were trapped iu INV base
msnf of the plant when th a. Och
CURED hut rescue work was M impos-
sihlc by thp fire. which will ha to be
brought under control before rel al of
these bodies can wv started " she
death list estimated at between and
- persons. physicians believe this will
WV increased by the number wy those SER
iorsiv injured. Physicians estimate that
1t least % more will die before night as
w result WIZ their burns.
The plant employed about 500 men,
snd w is estimated that 250 were at
work IN trr starch house when the ex-
nlosion occurred.
Tine cause Of the blast has not been
dftermincd. hHt id IN believed ii was
caused hv dust explosion
The eNnlosinn was NV terrific That
crai box cars alongside the nlant ~
shattered ana blown off the tarck IT,
force wrecked the sta-ching department.
table and retahle houses and the kiln
house. causing more than $500 600 dam
are An tht NM DEPARTMENTS.
Fire companies from Peoria, respond
ed t1 calls for aid. The fire quickly fol
lowed the explosion. and the distances
and severe cold Handicapped the fire1
fighters and aid workers
Many of thc victims believed to have
lost their lives were said wv have been
trapped In the basement of the starch
powder house and believed 70 have had
ro chance to escape.
The heat wns IND intense that except
for those who staggered out or we're
helped 0ut hy others, there was little
chance to rescue those caught i'm the
starch powder house which burst into
flames which quickly sct ablaze the
nearby starch house building No. 27.
"A score IVY more of those taken wv the
hospitals are reported to have been I'D
severely burned that they are expected
to die
The disaster. the first to nvertake the
WIZ plant. which covers ten acres or
more IN believed to have been caused NV
dust explosion
raped wv the third floor WI the burn
ing plant. Frank Lichtweiss. 26. sang t0
his fellow workers for nearly one hour
tO calm them and when the last re-
treat was cut off. jumped from the third
s,ory window w the blazing building.
INV was at work 0n the third flcUR
when the explosion occurred that soon
made the building seeshing furnack
The young man has voice of unusual
quality and some q. his companions went
wv their death with the strains w the
songs i'm their memory. lie did not
Jump until an the men who were able 10
leave the floor had done Sol He was Sc
vercly burned and il i'm q hospital hero