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•o *Two Livesin aat thet. *. . -: ^ . •. .Five Men are Injured and Great Damage* *is■ ■ ■ lt;■ .No Cause Can befor theAccident*Loss Estimated at $2o,000 Not Including theStoping Plant./■For the third time in the past Tour Hose No. 5, located about a block and a half years a disastrous catas- from the plant, had responded earlytraphe has occurred at the Glucose and the members iwere assisting in plant in this city. The first was a fire the work of .rescue; They soon hadwhich consumed the elevator portion a stream upon, the fire, it was: seen of the plant about four and a half that organized assistance would beyears ago. A little over three years needed and a general alarm was sent ago, an explosion occurred in the in by telephone calling all ot the com-same part blowing out the walls and panics to the scene.resulting In the death of four people. in the meantime the crowd seemedLast night a boiler exploded occurred appalled by the awful condition which resulting in . the death of two men, confronted them. No one appeared toJames Coleman, night engineer and take hold and there were hone to lead W. E. Cook, night machinist, injuring them. ‘It was rat this point that Hon.five others and damaging the plant C. A- Ficke, who was one of the early to the extent of about $20,000, not in- arrivals at the plant, in response toeluding the damage to the business of a suggestion from Supt. J. M. Leud-the company and t£e loss to the peo- ers. climbed upon the mass of wreek-ple of this city in the way of wages age- and addressed the crowd. Heand other incidentals, df there is a shutdown,, of any length of time it may necessitate the Davenport Canning and Manufacturing company also closing down as the Glucose company uses the greater portion of the product of this company. Then also the cooperage and the box industries may likewise suffer. The shock of the explosion was felt in every portion of this city and was likewise felt in Rock Island.The dead:W. Ew Cook, Night Machinist Jams Coleman, Night Engineer. The wounded:Victor N* KeifTert,‘ foreman, should* or blade broken. Resides 2217 West Third.John Peters. Injuries not serious, resides 221 Filmore.Charles Peters, injuries not seriouscalled for two hundred workmen to asist the firemen in their search for dead and wounded. The response was immediate and with a will and the work of digging in the debris for others was commenced.The Two Men Discovered.It was a hard task. Men with lanterns crawled about bendath timbers and fallen pieces of machinery. Others tore away the uppermost portions of the wreckage. The crowd of spectators continued to grow larger and many of them crowded in upon, the workers, climbing to the top of the wreckage. Among theme were anxious men and pale faced women who had rushed to the scene with the first news of the accident in the fear that those near and dear had been killed.It was an hour and twenty minutesCarl Giebelstein badly scalded aboyt1 after the explosion occurred that the head, face and hands. Taken to hos-1 bodies of the engineer and machinistpltai. ‘Joseph Wohl. injuries slight It was at 8:50 o’clock last evening that an explosion shook the entire city. The windows in all* of the townbuildings rattled in their casements and the shock was so perceptible that people at home ran to the street to ascertain its cause. On the hilldistricts, while the explosion was not so generally felt still many peoplefelt it and wondered what it meant.Pedestrians upon the streets stopped and ‘looked but knew no more • than other folks. But the terrible meaning came all too soon.Without a moments notice the entire engine room and electric plant, together with a portion of the boiler room of the Glucose works were brown into atoms. In the debris eight or tea men were buried. But a short time before the explosion came the shifts had changed in that portion of the plant and the night men had gone to work. And crushed, mangled and scalded they were taken from themass of ruins.The Explosion,The steam which operates this, thewere discovered. They were near together well towards the southwest portion of the engine and dynamo room, as though they had been conversing together at the time the ex* plosion occurred.In the meantime Superintendent Benders had, with the assistance of his foremen, gone over the lists of men employed in that portion of the building and ascertained that there were no more missing.Something Terrible.ABIcNfCKSOlatitsin*Is!J* / . I,»4^ ‘‘ %/- ., The roar head Cof the boiler was driven off »nd hot oiily, went through the brick wall, ten feet away from the boiler but crushed through a large vat in the Steeping departmentCaufte of the Accident.The immediate: eauafe, of the accident ii unknown. There are many theores advanced but mo far as can be learned there is nothing in support of any of therm. There are many things which could have happened and resulted the same way but in a deplorable accident the mere repetition of theories .might, reflect unjustly upon some ■ one. •The boiler which exploded was manufactured by D. Grupe of this city and was installed about five years ago. sIt was; eighteen feet in length and -72 inches in * diameter with 43 flues. It was of three-eighths inch steel and- was; provided with a regulation pop-valve. ' The boiler parted along the longitudinal s'eam and the force of the explosion flattened the plates as though they had been hammered out, yInvestigation has been commenced as to the cause by competent parties under the direction of the general officials of the company who arrived this morning.Clearing the Debris.The work of clearing away the debris was commenced last night and has been continued right along with unabating energy on the part of the company. By night all of the rubbish, will have been cleared away and the work of removing the machinery will be commenced.Superintendent Leuders worked with the men all night and the great er portion of today. He was on hand early last evening and did all in his pow*er to assist in caring lor the men who were injured and is securing the j xju bodies of those who were beneath the f en ruins.Will Immediately Rebuild.Vice President and General Manager S. T. Butler and General Superintendent J- J. Merill were immediately telephoned in regard to the accident and arrived on the fast mail this morning. They were at the plant a short time afterwards and were ae-tivelev engaged in directing the workduring the day.Mr. Butler was seen, and in regard to the rebuilding said:‘'The portion of the plant destroyed will be immediately rebuilt. Work will be commenced just as soon as the debris is cleared away.“I do not think that it will be nec esary to kep the plant shut down dur mg -the timildt feor ebutive. .hrahh Ing the time of rebuilding, but think that we can make temporary arrangements to commence manufacturing again in the course of a week or two There are but three of the twenty boilers that are damaged and we cansoon ararnge the other seventeen so that they can be fired. As soon as we can get up steam we will be able to operate a portion of the plant and with a temporarv arrangement of themachinery we will soon he able to getthe greater portion of the plant intr operation/’The two boilers just north of the one that exploded were stripped of their breech and the furnace ends the casings and doors being tom off.Might Have Been Worse.It was certainly fortunate that theexplosion occurred at night as during the day time there are about twice as many men engaged in that portion ofthe building and the fatality would certainly have been much greater.Immediately over the boiler room16 a loft or second floor which is useddnsecsecto?theteswhdisofCO]ivethe:e€be!ofpu anlt; its-i s am err the Jbetth£toufid*ofIbeagiNooelt;lovbalestThe force of the explosion was a work-shop for the steam fitters, something terrific. The boiler that Tbere is but one shift ox this forcecaused the trouble was an oramary type of tubular structure and was onand no one works there at night All of the men who were injuredthe south end of .the .battery next to firemen. Of this force? there are, I AltThr onr! It. Fnot hiit nDothe wall engine and dynamo room. e*5ht and it seems that but one o(. Ail of the boilers were set east and pkem, T,as engaged in that portion -ofwest with their breaches towards the |-?ie boiler room destroyed at the west and close up to the west wall flrae tke explosion the others be*of the boiler room, and their furnace ©n8hg,ed towards the north end. Itdoors to the west, leaving room for *'?5 this manner that they escaped the fuel and for the firemen to mk ^ injuries that otherwisebetween them and the east wall of *ou^ case.cit;ineantatwe’onheeCtraederieduplt;instrlt;colaryIthe building.The boiler that exploded was car-Splcndid Work Done.The action of Hon. C. A. Ficke. andried clear from its foundations and the nature of bis remarks were the•IJcsubject of general and flattering com-bodily carried thirty feet by her own. . __ „ , . *. ..* + # n # t * * m force and thrown against the 'east!meTl^ He took in the situation at agreatest of all of the plants of the Glu waIj of t^e building and turned half Slance knew what to say at the^ ?l\Sar/Zning compnny, is fur- d that it stood n0rth and Pr£Per time-south instead of east and west. ItT*94 «* **nished by batteries of boilers, eigh teen in number. These boilers are known by number commencing at No. 1 in the south end of the long holler rooms. It was this, the southermost of them all, that exploded. People who were walking along Rockingham road at the time of the explosion, were terrified by an awful shock and looking about they saw- an immense volume of smoke, steam and brick dust rising Jpto the air completely obscuring the plant They knew that something awful had happened and sought shelter none too soon, for the air was almost , instantly filled with flying bricks.. People in the immediate vicinity of the -plant rushed from their homes and the workmen in the plant,..which was instantly turned into utter 'darkness, gropedthere way to the open air, wondering what had happened.Soon hundreds of people were gathered from every direction. They.stood and looked In utter amazement. Nowas stripped of almost every vestigeThe response to his words was magnetic. Men dressed in their bestlatlt;300theof its outer covering and the 250 I f^thing jumped in and labored^sidetubes stood up from amongst theby side with the workmen of thewreckage like so. many quills of» a They lifted away the beamsand pieces of machinery in order that they might get beneath the rubbish ingreat porcupine.The force of the explosion demo]-. . . . . . ^ ^ .lshed . the building comprising the f ?rch ^those who might be Pinnedrooms above mentioned from the basebelow. Their work was heroic afteiof the main monster smoke stack for| the5! °°ce ^new their services werea distance of about ninety feet to theneededsouth, as far as the alley or drive way and undoubtedly other portions ofothedingi.OU:showhlt;onTtome:werThe members of the fire dpartment also deserve great credit. The No. 5the main” structure would also” been [ company lt;3idn ot wait for a call but i ^ destroyed and greater loss of life kaJ out immediate after the explosion g would surely have followed, for this I Tiiey w ere joined b the oll’ei'1,com. I ban building constitutes the starch, and l oames justa s soon as they could get oil departments and was filled with j o£ tbe department un-1 ^workmen. Or, had the boiler faced | cier.th® directiQii of Chief Pieningthe other way. and the force of the worked like beavers and it was theexplosion as a consequence been di- discovered the bodies ofrected west instead of east, the entire 'botb Jaraes -Coleman and ^ . E. Cook.colcuousteep”- housn would hav-e been destroyed where some forty or fifty men are employed. An it was, the east walls of this building, whichone knew what had happened save J joinefl up with a party wall to’the en-a Portion of the great building. . room, was badly wrecked andwhich consulates the plant had been undoubtediy have to be tornblown to. pieces.r There wrere none toWh° SeWlied The portion of the biiilding de-to know just what to do. stroyed is about ninety feet long by: = It wast not long however, until itwas noised ;about that there-were men in the,.: ruins. Workmen rushed in with lanterns .and from out of the mass of wreckage five men were taken. Three of•.them were but slightly injured, comparatively speaking, one iwas badly scalded nbout the head-face and- hands and. another was bruised and .his should blade was broken.. . v ’Medical Help Summoned.As soon as the. in en-were rescuedmedical assistance was summoned and Dr. H: U. Braunlich, Dr^. J, jR, Porter and Dr. EJ. F. ^Strohbehn responded, Their attention was at once directed to the injured ones..But there were others still beneath the: debris. Engineer James Cblenihn ,who was known, to have been in the engine room at the time of the accident, could- not be/found among the men who; had* rushed from the plant immediately, following the .explosion. The same. wa!s true as to Night Machinist W. E.. Cook, and how. many more no one knew.To: add to the,terrors of the situation,' fire was seen to commence,forty feet wide. It was a one story structure, the east wall of which wasabout eighteen or twenty^ *eet inheight. Of this the engine lind dynamo room constituted, about'forty Teet’ and was to the smith running to the drive way above referred to.Scattered Debris,The report /caused by the ‘explosion was followed by a prolonged hissing of steam. This was due*- to the fact that all of the boilers, twenty in mimher, were connected^-intb one battery,and of course, when the pipes were broken the entire- head Of steam, which was..enormous in so many boil* ers, escaped as fast . as the. vent would permit. The steam mounted heavenwhrd in one vast cloud enveloping tbe • 'entire plant. It could be seen in the moonlight for a great dis-;tahce. ’• , . i “ •.The debris froin .the explosion was scattered in./every direction? Timbers, ten andr fifteenth'feet in length were blown a distanc of k block*and a half while pieces of /brick ^ are scattered ovbr, at’lerist half of tfie Clty~ Cemet-•plant on the east, rThe Dead Men.James Coleman, the unforiunate waj engineer who lost his life, was a mar- whe ried man and is survived by his wife The and two children. He is a member of in i Carnival Camp No. 1 Woodmen of the biej World. He was about 35 years of age sevlt; land was greatly respected by all who gro\ knew him.W. E. Cook was about the same age schlt; land is survived by*a wife and three gin. : children. He came here something trac iover two months ago from Waterloo, seat | where he was employed by the same mg ■ company, to accept the position as bun . night machinist here.! All of the men who were Injuredside1X3are reported as getting along well to- a slt;iday.and*• Tton£The following men have been sub- larg poeaned to serve on the coroners com jury: H. W. Blunck, Fritz Postel, and j tear : A. O. Day, and the following witnesses will be examined:Wm. Schnendlin, master mechanic I seat at the nliant, A.* W. H. Lenders, sup- ly I erintendent, Charles Peters, fireman, the C. J. Wilkins, fireman. John Mohr, wer boiler boss Joseph Wohl, coal pass-1 opplt; er, John P. Thode, ash wheeler and Fritz Grazow, fireman. Cook and Dodge will appear Tor the company.Mrs. Janies Osborn, wife of Capt bledandduritearwraOsborn, of the Diamond Jo company here, left at noon today for Chicago. She will continue to Washington and to Philadelphia. In the latter city she will visit relatives for about three weeks.Indi T star at : app end^
Newspaper Details
Davenport Weekly Leader
Davenport, Iowa, US
Sat, Nov 03, 1900
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
CA, USA 15 Oct 2021
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