Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 March 1901 — DIE IN AN EXPLOSION. [ARTICLE]

DIE IN AN EXPLOSION.

MANY KILLED IN CHICAGO BY BURSTING BOILER. Twelve Dead end Over a Score Inn Jared, Borne Fatally—Disaster Occurs In • Big Laundry, and Completely Wrecks the Entire Building. The boiler In the Doremus laundry, at 458 West Madison street, Chicago, exploded Monday morning, killing twelve persons. Injuring thirty more, and wrecking the entire block of buildings on tb* south side of Madison street, from Loomis atreet to Throop. With the exception of the barracks of the Volunteers of America, in the middle of the block, next to the laundry, the structures were one•tory high, with thin partitions between the stores, and with back doors opening Into an alley. The barracks is two stories high. Candy stores, second-hand stores, Chinese laundries, feed stores, tailor shops, a rifle gallery, a bicycle store, and a shoe store occupied the rest of the -block. Back of them in the southwest corner of the building was the boiler. The proprietors of these places were getting ready for the day’s business. Thirty-six of the sixty girls employed in the laundry had passed the automatic timekeeper. The boiler was holding almost the full pressure of steam aud the girls in the place were sorting out the linen for the washing. A deafening roar rang through the building. The whole place shook as if with fright, and then came the crunching of timbers and the shattering of glass. Most of the girls bad not time to move on inch. Tons of debris crashed in upon them, and the noise of the wrecking drowned out their shrieks for help. Then came the hiss of escaping steam, with its terrible menace of scalding to those who lay helpless beneath the twisted iron and broken beams. The light wood caught dr®. The big room, which had fallen like a bouse of cards, now was lighted up by slender threads of flame which crept through the wreckage and came closer to the maimed bodies. Thousands of men and women rushed to the assistance of the victims. The police and fire departments and various hospital corps were soon oil the scene. For two blocks up and down Madison street buildings were shattered by the force of the explosion. Nearly every window in these two blocks was broken and the list of persons cut by flying glass will amount to fifty or more. Persons who were in bed in the near vicinity were hurled from theif beds by the force. Men in neighboring stores were dashed to the floors and covered with the shower of glass. Passengers in street cars Were thrown violently from their seatSu>* The' terrible roar of the manfmoih boiler as it went tjyiug skyward and the crashing of the walls intermiuiled with the shrieks hr the injured and lying.