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Newspaper
Boston Post
Location
Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
Date
Mar 22, 1905
Page
3
Brockton March 21 reports describe ongoing feats of bravery and peril amid the Grover factory explosion. Each hour brings a fresh tale contributing to the tragedy of New England's great horror.
A night watchman disputes claims the boiler had been in use for two weeks and says it only started Sunday morning after he fired it. He asserts the boiler, though older, was well maintained and recently inspected, and that two boilers in use together was a winter practice this year. He suspects a weak spot but notes the inspector would have found it.
Brockton March 21 Medical Examiner A E Paine spent the day and night at the ruin site to investigate the factory disaster He said the ruins show many operatives roasted to death and bodies cremated by the heat and that many may never be accounted for as evidence of their fate is obliterated.
Mrs. Rockwell recalls the loving last moments of her husband David Rockwell, a Grover Company engineer. He died in a factory explosion just before 7 am as his widow and children survived the catastrophe. She describes his calm smile, the baby, the 4-year-old girl, and a warning about boiler pressure he feared.
Mayor Keith received a cablegram from Arthur Faire president of the Boot Manufacturers Association in Leicester England offering sincere sympathy with Brockton after its dreadful calamity. Telegrams also came to Mayor Collins and other cities across the state.
In Brockton on March 21 Thomas Langley was killed when a building collapsed after an explosion. His son Charles narrowly escaped due to his mother spotting a tear in his overcoat and delaying him. John Joyce reports Langley was pinned under a beam and died without a word, while a brother escaped with guidance from another.
Somerville women's club the Heptorean Club staged A Midsummer Night's Dream in Unitarian Hall last evening for a dress rehearsal. The play returns this afternoon and again Thursday and Friday evenings for further performances.
The Atlantic ocean if drained would reveal wealth, but untold riches lie in good health and long life. The advertisement touts G. O. Taylor Old Bourbon and G. O. Taylor Pure Rye Whiskies as wise profitable stimulants. Sold by licensed dealers with the proprietors' name on the label and cork. Sealed bottles only.
Granville Hartwell narrowly escaped with his son as a boiler explosion tore through the Grover factory. The elder Hartwell died instantly near his machine, while the son crawled from the wreckage and later learned his father was among the trapped. The deceased was a G. A. R. veteran and a popular worker at the plant.
Mrs James Ray Cole writes that her husband Ray died heroically saving others. She notes his constant selflessness and bravery and says three women survive because of his actions while he lost his life trying to rescue a fourth. He gave his life to help others.
In Brockton on March 21 a boiler explosion at the Grover factory sent workers fleeing its crash and carried bodies to a temporary morgue. Grief filled the scene as relatives searched the charred, headless remains, many with severed limbs, while fingers wore to the joints from frantic attempts to free trapped colleagues.
In Brockton Miss Mary O Connell and Mrs Emma M Tallman perished together under debris near the factory boiler. Both identified by jewelry and clothing. Each woman left family. Tallman survived by her mother and 13 year old son Clark Allen Tallman.
The Post earned public praise for its comprehensive Brockton disaster coverage with an enormous edition. Reporters artists and photographers captured lists of the dead and missing, survivor accounts, and heroic deeds, making the Post a national reference.
In Brockton on March 21 Mrs. Peterson saw a man blown from a factory onto her piazza. He landed dead or near death and was picked up almost immediately by two men, with the sighting giving limited details about the victim.
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