Columbia courier. [volume], March 24, 1905, Image 2

About Columbia courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1902-1905

Image provided by: Washington State Library; Olympia, WA

                
SIXTYPEOPLEKILLED
BOILER EXPLOSION AND EIRE AT
BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS.
Large Shoe Manufacturing Establish
ment of S. B. Grover Company De
stroyed—Bodies Fifty-three People
Recovered —Loss Will Reach More
Than $250,000.
Brockton, Mass., -March 21. —At
least 60 persons were killed by the ex
plosion of a boiler in a large shoe man
ufacturing establishment in the Cam
pello district, conducted by the S. B.
(trover company.
The explosion was immediately fol
lowed by a flash of flame, which con
sumed the factory, a long, four story
structure, as if it were a house of
cards, and incinerated an unknown
number of men and women who were
unable to extricate themselves from a
mass of tangled wreckage formed by
the terrible upheaval in the boiler
room. More than 50 of the emlpoyes
in the building were mangled, burned
or bruised by the time they reached
safe ground. Some had jumped from
the roof, some from windows,
others had been injured in the mad
rush to escape from the doomed fac
tory. From all parts of the building
the heat of an inferno was emitted,
driving back the band of heroic recuers
who in a few minutes had performed
gallant service.
The fire extended from the factory
to seven other buildings in the vicinity
and destroyed them. One of these
buildings was a three story wooden
block, the others being cottages of
small value and a blacksmith shop.
The wooden dwellings near the engine
room were practically demolished by
the flying boiler, but none of their oc
cupants were seriously huit. The total
financial loss is estimated at $250,000,
$200,000 of which falls on the B. B.
Grover company.
It may never be known just bow
many persons were in the factory. The
number has been estimated a 400 but
the Treasurer Charles O Emerson said
tonight that he doubted whether there
were so many at work. Two hundred
and fifty survivers have been accounted
for, and at midnight the remains of 50
bodies had been recovered from the
ruins, the search being continued all
night. Fragments of human frames
which possibly might belong to bodies
other than those recovered also have
been found. Few of the remains have
been identified. The head in nearly
every instance is missing, and except
in rare instances, it was impossible
even to distinguish the sex.
The work of identifying those killed
by the explosion progressed slowly, ow
ing to the generally unrecognizable re
mains of the victin s.
The explosion which was followed by
such a sacrifice of life entailed appall
ing human suffering, occurred shortly
&fter the operatives had settled down
to work for the day, and without warn
iog suddenly the air vibrated with the
roar of an explosion.
At the same moment the large wood
en frame of the factory, a four story
structure, quivered, and then the rear
portion of it collapsed. This section
of the great building had been trans
formed into a mass of iron and wood
wreckage, in the midst of which hu
man beings were pinioned. In another
moment fire had broken out in the lob
bies, and death by fire and suffocation
became the fate of scores of operatives.
When the boiler exploded it passed
upward almost perpendicularly, tear
ing a passage as it went, killing many
on the way. After rising high in the
air it descended half the distance and
then, swerving northerly, cut its way
like some huge projectile through a
dwelling house 50 feet away and pierc
ed another dwelling further along.
The scenes of horror followed the
wrenching apart of the factory build
ing. The three upper floors, weighted
as they were with heavy machinery,
collapsed with a crash that was heard
for blocks,. Men and women working
in departments of this section who
were busy at their machines had time
but to turn in an attempt tc flee after
he first dull roar when the flooring
sank beneath them, and they were car
ried to the ground floor, crushed and
bruised amid the mass of debris. Many
fell inot a veritable efiry furnace. In
the sections of the factory which re
mained standing the operatives were
panic stricken as they sought escape.
Mnay fled down the stairways and
reached the street. Others ran to the
windows, the fire escapes in many
cases having been torn away by the
explosion. It desperation many jump
ed from the second and third story
windows to the ground and were dan
gerously injured. The crush on the
sttairways resulted in numerous minor
injuries.
Scarcely had the rear portion of the
structure collapsed when a tongne of
flame started up from the boiler pit,
and reaching ont, burned the splinters
of the wreckage, and immediately af
terward the standing walls, boon the
entire story was in flames.
Instant death was the fate of many
who went down with the floors that
collapsed. A large number of men and
women who were working near sup
portswere alive after the floors and
walls fell. From these unfortunates
cries of agony and terror went up.
Almost all had been caught between
broken timbers, lighter wooden wreck
! age and heavy pieces of machinery. A
j few persons succeeded in extricating
themselves in thb wreckage, but more
were roased to death.
Later.
The remains of 53 persons have been
recovered from the ruins. Fifty three
persons are known to be still missing,
the names of 31 of whom have been ob
tained. Many others are reported miss
ing, but it is i onsidered possible that
some of them are at their homes in_
nearby towns. At his hour, 253 survi
vors have been accounted for. The es
itmates of the dead range from 60 to
80, and of the injured from 50 to 100.
Many persons not seriously hurt
went to their homes and did not report
their injuries.
"A cracs in the lap seam of the
boiler was repsonsible from the acci
dent," said an expert engineer of the
Hartford Steam Inspection & Insur
ance company. "It was practically
impossible to detect the crack," said
he, "as it was on the inside part of the
lap running beside the rivets." The
boiler, being insured and inspected by
this company, was exempt from in
spection by the district police under
the laws.
PETER DOOLEY FINDS $40,000.
Gives His Newly Wedded Daughter
$20,000 —Everyobdy Happy.
Peter Dooley, who a few weeks ago
found a strong box containing $40,000
in gold buried in the cellar of an old
house at Prescott, Mich., and was in
doubt for some time as to whom the
money rightfully belonged, has decided
that Peter Dooley himself is the only
man who has any claim on it.
The good natured Irishman has a
generous heart and the money is go
ing freely for the benefit of others.
Half of it he gave to his daughter,
Mary Ann Dooley. who has just be
come the bride of Allen M. Mullen.
The couple had built them a little
log house and furnished it partly with
bare necessities. The windfall of $20,-
000 has transformed their lives as ef
fectually as could the wand of any
fairy godmother. Their little log cab
in in the woods will be exchanged for
a palatial residence.
The wedding day will be long re
membered. The town was crowded
with people to witness the annual fool
race on the snow. Peter Dooley pre
sented each contestant with a sack of
tobact j and a new pipe, giving the win
ner a meerschaum valued at $5. Be
sides this, he gave a free dinner to
every man, woman and child in Pres
cott to celebrate his own good fortune
and his daughter's wedding.
Waiting for Lands.
Boise, Idaho, March 22 —There is a
great influx of people to Twin Falls in
anticipation of the opening of the last
installment of lands of the tract to be
reclaimed by the Twin Falls irrigation
work. The lot will embrace 70,000
acres 2,20.000 acres having been pre
viously open.d.
A singular feature of the rush is that
there are a great many people from
far western points. For some days
large parties have been coming from
Oregon, Washington and northern
Idaho. A large number come from
the Coeur d'Alene region and all hold
powers of attorney from others to lo
cate lands. The opening will be by
lottery system, the order of choice
being determined by drawing. The
town of Shoshone, which is the nearest
railway point, has been crowded for
ten days, people finding it difficult to
secure cots on which to sleep. Every
available conveyance is engaged in
hauling passengers to the new town.
The drawing will occur on Thursday.
Peace With Mad Mullah.
London, March 22—In pursuance of
arrangements arrived at in December
last b tween Great Britain and Italy
to offer the Mad Muliah an assignment
of a sphere in Somaliland, together
with grazer's rights in certain parts
of British and Italian territory, for
which the Mullah binds himself to keep
the®peace, an agreement has been con
cluded at Italiigak, a village in Italian
territory, between the Mullah and the
Italian diplomatic agent, Signer de
Stialozza. By its terms the Mullah
undertkes to observe peace toward
both Great Britain and Italy. The
Mullah places himself under the Ital
ian protection.
N. P.'s New Attorney.
Tacoma, Wash., March 22—James
F. McElroy, who has represented the
Northern Pacific in a legal capacity at
Seattle for some time, is to retire
within a short time, and will be suc
ceeded by Carroll B. Graves. The an
nouncement of Mr. McElroy's retire
ment was made by B. S. Grosscup,
general counsel.
Japanese Destroyer Lost.
During a recent storm a Japanese
torpedo boat destroyer was lost off th«
Indo-China coast.
AROUND THE WORLD
SHORT TELEGRAPH NOTES FROM
ALL POINTS OF HEMISPHERE.
\ Review of Happenings in Both
Eastern and Western Hemispheres
During the Past Week —National,
Historical, Political and Personal
Events Tersely Told.
Many earthquakes have occurred in
Italy recently.
Grover Cleveland celebrated his 6Sth
birthday on Saturday.
The wife of Congressman B. F.
Marsh of Illinois, is dead.
Major Alexander O. Brodie was or
dered to proceed to Manila.
The president has nominated as min
ister to Corea Edwin V. Morgan of
New York.
Ex-Governor Cyrus G. Luce, of Mich
igan, died recently, of goiter. He was
SO years old.
Formal ratification of the treaty of
peace between Chile and Bolivia has
been exchanged.
An appropriation of $25,000 for a
Minnesota exhibit at the Lewis and
Clark fair has been made.
It is reported that profits of $100,-
000 a month are being made by the
Granby mines, near Phoenix.
The fishing schooner Pearl from
San Francisco is lost with 36 men, off
the Alaskan coast near Sanak.
St. Petersburg announces that the
internal loan of 200,000,000 roubles at
1 per cent interest has been arranged.
The bite of a cat nine month ago
has caused the death by hydrophobia
of Henry Pflasterer, of St. Louis, aged
9 years.
Secretary of State Hay on boarding
the steamship Celtic to sail for Eu
rope was seized with a fit of weakness
and collapsed.
Professor William C. A. Freerichs,
a well known marine and animal paint
er, is dead from paralysis at his home
on Staten Island.
The Frankfurter Zeitung, of Berlin,
says that the negotiations with Ger
man banks for the Japanese loan is
nearing conclusion.
Senator Boies Penrose of Pennsyl
vania is now regarded as the leading
candidate for chairman of the repub
lican national committee.
Motorman James Francis, a strike
breaker in New 'York, was recently
sent to the Tombs prison by Coroner
Scholer, charged with homicide.
Mrs. Mary Fox Vardaman. mother of
Governor Vardaman of Mississippi,
•.vho lives with him at the executive
mansion, dropped dead recently.
Queen Alexandra and her party have
sailed for Lisbon. Owing to rough
seas the royal yacht took shelter in
Portland harbor Saturday night.
Much regret may be caused in the
northwest by the news that Daniel
McDonald, president of the American
Labor union has resigned from that
position.
It. is reported at Aden, Arabia, that
•he Arabs have captured the town of
Sana Yalan, in a province which is
supposed to be garrisoned by 5000 Tur
kish troops.
The senate at 3:39 p. m. Saturday
adjourned sine die. Before the ad
journment the senate confirmed James
Wickersham as judge of the district
court of Alaska.
The president has accepted an invi
tation tendered by a delegation of coal
miners and officials headed by John
Mitchell to address a meeting at Wilk
esbarre on August 10.
A cyclone struck Porch, Oklahoma,
recently. One man, name not given,
was killed; J. E. and Charles Jones
fatally injured and 16 others hurt. Six
teen houses were demolished.
William H. Hunt, former president
of the defunct Panama Banking com
pany, has been released from jail in
Chicago on a $10,000 cash bond. He
is accused of embezzlement.
Frank Vokoun, a Chicago tailor, aft
er firing two shots through a closed
door in an attempt to kill his wife at
her home, shot and killed himself.
Mrs. Vokoun was uninjured.
Owing to the ravages of bubonic
plague not more than 500 inhabitants
remain in the city of Pisagua, Chile.
The place had a population of 20,000,
but all who were able have fled.
The rumor is being persistently cir
culated in court circles that the czar
is on the verge of a nervous break
down and that physicians are in at
tendance on him day and night.
The final step in many New York
gambling cases was taken recently
when, over $30,000 worth of gambling
paraphernalia was taken from the
criminal court building and burned.
Many valuable paintings and pieces
of statuary and articles used in in
struction were destroyed by a fire
which damaged the building occupied
by the National Academy of Design,
at Washington.
The Union county (Ky.), grand jury
has returned 151 indictments against
the Standard Oil company for selling
oil in retail lots without a license. The
penalty is a fine of from $50 to $1000
for each violation.
Robbers Got $10,000.
Berkley, Calif., March 22. —J. E.
Daly an Oakland liveryman, was held
uj> and robbed of $10,000 while on his
way to the Standard Oil office at Point
Richmand. There were two highway
men, one of whom was tall and the
other short and stout. Both carried
revolvers, but only the taller of the
men wore a mask. The short man had
a heavy black beard. The hold up took
place at a point on the roadway be
tween Stege and Poiut Richmand.
The highwaymen jumped out of a
clump of bushes at the roadside and
cover Daly and former Deputy Sheriff
Roach, who was riding with him. At
the point of revolvers Daly and Roach
were compelled to jump from the bug
gy and give up the sack of money.
Then the robbers tied them to a fence
and placed gags in their mouths. Daly
and Roach freed themselves after con
siderable difficulty and then proceeded
to Stege station on the Southern Paci
fic about half a mile away.
The robbers took the buggy as well
as a dilapidated rig which they drive
to the scene of the^holdup.
War Talk a Bluff.
Chicago. March 22—The Daily News
prints the following from its St. Pet
ersburg correspondent:
Mobilizaion of the last man and
spending of the last ruble to beat Japan
is a mere bluff. The czar's treasury
is empty, the army is annihilated and
a new one cannot be raised. Nicholas
himself and nine tenths of the people
desire peace. The Alexieff clique is
fighting for existence and is strongly
opposing the better infoimed statesmen.
General Bjetzki said to the Daily
News correspondent this morning: "To
speak of continuing the war wo ald be
inaccurate, it would be more correct
to talk of a beginning. It is not enough
to have a new commander. We mast
have a new army, new ammunition
and new railroad. Where are we to
get them? Even if we had them it
would be impossible to think of assum
ing the offensive. General Linevitch
is condemned to act on the defensive.
Is it possible that Russia can look w*th
any degree of confidence to th» Baltic
fleet to save the situation? Rojest
vensky's squadrons arr. weak and with
out proper sea base. They would have
to risk all on a single battle?
Japs Celebrate at Tckio.
Thirty thousand persons went to
Hibiya park. Tokio. Saturday to at
tend exercises commemorating the
Japanese victory of Mukden. Mem
bers of the cabinet, the elder states
men, mary effioers of the army and
navy and members of the diet were
preser.t.
Mayor Osaki read congratulatory
telegiams to oe sent to Field Marshal
Oyama on behalf of the municipality,
'the crowd cheering its approval.
Lieutenant General Teracliui, minis
ter of war, and Admiral Yamanoto.
minister of the navy, spoke on behalf
of the army and navy respectively,
thanking the people for the support
they had given the government during
the war. Sports in the afternoon and
a display of fireworks at night con
cluded the celebration.
Wreck in lowa.
Des Moines, March 21.—The Rocky
Mountain Limited, westbound, on the
Rock Island railroad, was wrecked
near Homestead, lowa, early today,
and seven persons were injured. Ac
cording to railway officials, the wreck
was caused by train wreckers.
The wreck occurred on a high em
bankment, where the roadie 1 had been
made soft by recent heavy rains. The
roadmaster reported the wreck in the
following message:
"The wreck was caused by an un
known party removing spikes, bars and
angle bars, and misplacing the rail.
Spikes were removed from two rails.
The engine and first four cars were
thrown down a 45 foot embankment.
The engine was completeiy stripped,
the mail destroyed, the buffet car
thrown on its side and two sleepers
badly damaged."
Bandit Captured.
Chicago, March 22.—After a rifle
and revolver battle, in which one man
was wounded, a band of policemen has
succeeded in capturing John Nodalski,
later identified as one of the three ban
dits wanted for the murder of French
Kruger, in the holdup of Abraham
Rieger's saloon early Sunday morning.
His companions escaped.
Eastern Roaa Makes Terms.
It is announced that the sub-com
mittees of the Brotlierhoou of Loco
motive Firemen and the Brotherhood
of Locomotive Engineers of the New
York, New Haven & Hartford railroad,
had reached an agreement relative to
the long existing trouble between the
two unions.
Butte Man Killed.
Bntte, Mont.. March 22—Dan Hick
ey, a Northern Pacific section foreman,
was decapitated by a switch engine in
the yards here tbis morning. He went
to sleep on the track. Hickey was 60
years old, unmarried and had no rela
tives here, and Mb home is not known.
During the first nine months of this
year Spain imported nearly 40,000,000
francs' worth of machinery, chiefly
from Geraany and Great Britain.
MINERS ENTOMBED
TWENTY-FOUR MEN LIE DEAD IS
TWO COAL MINES.
Rescuing Party of 14, Who Entered
the Mines to Take Out Bodies of
Fellow Workmen, Were Killed by a
Second Explosion and After Damp—
Shook the Mountains.
Charleston, W. Va.. March 20.—As
a result of the horrible explosion in
the Rush Run and Red Ash mines near
Thurmond 24 men now lie dead in the
two mines.
Ten of those were killed in the ex
plosion Saturday night and the other
14 were a rescuing party who entered
the mine this morning to take from
the mines the bodies of their fellow
workmen. These latter were killed by
a second explosion and the after damp.
The first explosion seemed to shake
the foundation of the mountains and
the angry twin flash from the two
neighboring drift mouths lighted up
the heavens tor miles around.
Soon from the mining villages for
several miles up and down the river
hundreds of people rushed to the scene
of the disaster. The first explosion
was caused by a naked'flame coming
ir.to contact with the gas. These
flames leaped irom the drift mouth and
set fire to everything in the mines
which were not olown out by the force
of the explosion. The great drums by
which the cars are run from the drift
mouth down the incline to the tipple
and the empties drawn up, was blown
from its moorings and down the moun
tainside 600 feet, and the drumhouse
caught fire and was totally consumed.
The cars that stood at the mouth
of the mine were blown far down to
ward the tipple, and much of the track
of the incline was destroyed, the r&iis
twisted and the crossties whipped from
their beds in the ballast and sent
scorched and charred many rods away.
A rescue party was formed and
about 2ft men entered the mine in
search of the bodies of those who had
perished at the first explosion. The
men explored the mines for about two
or three hours, putting up brattices
so that pure air would fo»iow them
wherever they went. Finally some of
them came out and reported that the
others were too careless in going for
ward faster than good air was being
supplied, carried at the same time a
naked light.
At 3:45 another awful explosion oc
curred, caused by the gas coming in
contact with the naked flame of a
miner's lamp, and 14 men perished.
Mine Inspector Edward Pinckney ar
rived on the ground today and took
charge of the rescue work. The second
explosion again damaged the fan, and
Mr. Pinckney will allow no one to en
ter the mine until it is working prop
erly and a drift of fresh air is running
through the mine. When this is done
he will lead the rescue squad himself.
Attempted Suicide.
Tacoma, March 22— J. W. Viant,
an aged man, attempted suicide this
afternoon by throwing himself into the
channel from the Eleventh street
bridge. A score of pedestrians wit
nessed the act and hurried to bte side
of the bridge. iViant was drawn inot
a boat and taken to the shore and later
to a hospital.
He is 79 years of age adn an old res
ident of Tacoma. To one of his res
cuers he declared that his wife had
made life insupportable for him and
that lately he had declined to either
wait on him or bring him food or other
necessaries of life.
"I have led a dog's life too long,"
said the old man. " Discord has
brought me to the brink of the grave.
She taunted me until I could stand it
no longer and I then made up my
mind that deatn was preferable to life
such as I have lived during the past
six years. I chose drowning because it
wbs the easiest method."
Nineteen years ago Viant brought
$40,000 to Taccoma and engaged in
the rgccery business. During the hard
times, through indorisng notes and
other means, his fortune rapidly dwin
dled. Domestic troubles followed soon
after the loss of his money and his sons
sided with their mother.
Burt Is Chief.
Washington, March 22 — The Post
tomorrow will say:
Horace G. Burt, formerly president
ffo the Union Pacific, will probably be
the new head of the Panama canal
commission, in charge of the construc
tion of the great isthmian waterway.
Newark Goes to Guantanamo.
Word has reached the navy depart
ment from Admiral Sigsbee oi his de
parture in his flagship, the Newark*
from San Domingo waters to Guanta
namo, to join the fleet of
Barker, The movement is simply in
accord with the itinerary heretofore
mapped out