40 Killed In Detroit

The íive -story briolc building occu pied by the Kroning Jouraal, on tli corner of Lamed and Shelby streets Detroft; was the scène of the most har rowing disaster that has ever been wituessed in that city. The buildinj is divided into three sections by twc lire walls vvhich rnn from the founda tion to the roof. ïhe.twu seetions to the west we re occupied by the Journal princïpally while the eastern sectioi [coVitairiea the Journal builer rooms in I the basement, and the Journal stereo rooms on the iifth iloor. The i intermedíate floors were occupied bi Hillier s bookbindery; John Uavis & Co., manufacturing' chemists; VVm Dunlap it Co., machinists; the Journa mailing1 rooms; II. C. Kohlbrand, en j graver; P. F. Collier, Detroit branch of the New York publishing house anc McNair & Co., bookbinders. John Davis fe Co. and Hiller employee quite a number of persons and the employés of the other firms would brinf the total number of people in that section of the building up to about 50. It was about 9 o'eloek in the ing wheu without the least warning there was a sudden explosión in this east section. The floors heaved upward and an instant later the entire five stories collapsed and crashed down, down into the basement, carrying between 40 and 50 precious souls ; down in the awf ui wreek and ruin. All that could be seen was a frightful mass of broken and twisted and tangled timbers, ironwork, bricks, stone and piaster and in the midst of this conglomeration were the dead, dying and wounded. It seems miraeulous that the entire Journal building was not carried down. If it had been the loss of life would have been more than doubled. As it was the walls were badly cracked, the windows all smashed and other damage done. Surrounding buildings on all sides had their windows broken by the concussion and a great many people were injured by broken glass. Hefore the people in the vicinity of the disaster had recovered from the shock cries of distress were heard from the pile of debris and two or three men were seen staggering out of the edges of the mass. They were badly dazed, cut and bloeding. These were taken care of by the crowd which at once began to swarra upon the street. j The fire departmeut and ai) the ambuI lances were called out and in a few moment scores of rescuers were tearing- at the ruins like mad in their endeavors to rescue those iinprisoned in the wreek. The terror of the situation ; was increased by flre which soon broke 1 out aud the sinoke became so dense that the workefs were threatened with suffocation. Several streams of water were turned on, but the steam only added to the difficulty of the rescuers and presented thepossibility of drown: the poor victiras who might yet ! have a spark of life. However, four I dead bodies were recovered within three hours, three persons having been previously rescued alive. It then I bf-came apparent that there was no possibility of saving any more alive, but the force of men was increa&ed until over 300 were at work and 50 teams were hauling away th rubbish. Thus the work continued throughout the day and by G oclock the number of bodies recovered had increased to ia Electric lights were provided and the labor was carried on during the nig-ht. Within as many hours 16 bodies had been taken from the ruins and still there were 25 persons missing, all undoubtedly having surrendered their lives long bef ore. As the elïorts of the workmen progressed there were many heart rending scènes as fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters awaited with pitiful grief for the remains of their loved ones to be brought to view. The work was very difficult and as the bodies were discovered one by one the heavy timbers often had to be cut from about thein and in most cases the bodies were horribly mutilatcd, burned and scalded. In some cases the only means of identification was by small portions of thé clothing which remained. AVhen the men had been at work about 36 hours their labors had been rewarded with bringing to light 34 bodies, but three were still missing. The list of thedead bodies recovered, of the missing is as followiuy: The Df-ail. John Francis Derby, cavpenter. married. two ciiWren. Joscph Urng]cy, rarpenter, married, I two chudren. Louis U. Riecker, machinist Dunlap & Co. Rosa Hretz. ïemains frightfully bnrncd and mutilated. identinea by a buckle on belt, Em:nu Lichtenberg, terribly mutilated. eroplnyed at Hiller's. Anna Wiedbuseh. ".ved at Hiller's. Rutie Ieonard employed by John Davis & Co: sole support of wuiowed mother. M. Kosa Morgan nared al■:tly died of suffocatlon. John Breitenbecher. aged 89. employed at HiHer's. married but nine monthg. ,.i,hi, i.oerber, aged 17 emt in biudery. Sarnest Parkins, mail clerlt. Journal. Jenme Neubauer. aed 1 employed at Hiller s. badly mutilated. Bi-rtha' tnisoh. employed at HlUer's. James Ross, eroty per, Journal. Hcnry Larivlere 10. mailer. Journul. John Bommer. aged' la, employed by Kohllirand & Co. Walter P i.itust. Dunlap & Co. I.izzie Taple.y. aod ai, emplo.ved by Uavis i Co. Henry Clou Wa'sh. aged lö. employed by kohlbrand "■■'" Jotin .1. Reuter, aged m. employed by Dunlap & Co, Geo. H. Soule, engraver. tleo. f'havv. aged 18, maüer, Journal. Willie Hawes 16, maller, Journal. Carrie M. Boncr' aged :já. bookueeper in Hiller's blnderv Hattiv Hiller. lorewoman In bindery. Michael n ard, aed 2. Jourual Btereotyper. vilnnie Líese. af;ed2'., book bmrter. Wm. VV. Dunlap of Dunlap & Co., macljinists. Adolph Sclirieber. Jr., book binder at Ililler's. JohnGordon, electrotypor. Catlierme Hiller, forewoman In bindery. Lue Fretz, aged 19. employé of Dunlap i Co. Geo. J. Hilier. owner f binderv. Auna Lnllk, presswoman n Htller's bindery.' The MlsKing:. Chas. Lind. aged 20, book binder at Hiller's Jas. B, Thomas, machinist with Dunlap & Co Llzzie Wiedbuseh. employed at Hill-.r's. Frank Ayres accidentalli' sbot and killed himself while hunting' near Wheeler. Frank üreealand. porter in the Hotel Columbus at South Haven, while lig-htinr a fire with kerosene oil, was severely burned. The Standard Wheel Co., of Kalamazoo, raised the wages of their 250 employés 10 per cent at the request of the Wheelmakers' union Thos. A. Ryan, a "Soo'' saloonkeeper jumped overboavd from the steamer Colorado in I,ake Superior and was drowned. He had been drinking hard.