Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2016 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== The Pentwater News, Friday, October 28, 1898 EXPLODING BOILERS Cause Death and Destruction AT PENTWATER BEDSTEAD FACTORY Three Victims Dead - Two Others Horribly Injured While Several Others Were More of Less Injured By Flying Brick and Hot Water Notes on the Disaster. Pentwater has added another to the list of shocking calamities that have been visited upon this usually quiet and peaceful vil- lage - one that carries sadness and sorrow into a number of homes. It sometimes seems as though Pentwater is destined to furnish more than its share of calamities on a large scale or shocking in their details. Last Friday, at 12:15 standard time, the citizens of the village were startled by a heavy report which jarred the buildings more or less throughout the village. Nearly all agree that there were two reports in quick succession, one following the other, but THE NEWS is inclined to believe from subsequent developments that the second report was caused by falling walls and crashing timbers. The first thought of a good many was that it was an earthquake shock, and of others that it was heavy distant thunder, but these ideas were soon dispelled. First the cry of "Fire!" then "The factory's blown up! the factory's blown up!" passed from mouth to mouth. As the clouds of steam seen rising in the direction of the factory seemed to verify the latter, the feelings among those who had fathers, husbands and brothers among the 175 employes at the factory may be better imagined than described. From all portions of the village there was a rush toward the factory, each one in- tent upon learning whether or not their dear ones were safe, or among the injured or killed. At the factory, while everything was quiet and orderly, the excitement was intense, as anxious ones hurried about trying to ascertain whether members of their families were safe, or buried beneath the debris. The confusion in the factory building was so great that nearly the whole town had arrived upon the scene before the employes had all gotten out of the machinery building, and this added to the anxiety, until one by one the employes in the main building were accounted for. The engine room was a complete wreck - it could not have been more complete had a 13-inch shell been exploded under it. The spot was one mass of hot brick, broken timbers and twisted iron, and it was all too apparent that lives had gone out in the ruins. Before the cloud of steam had fairly lifted, willing hands were at work removing the debris in search of unfortunate victims. ELMER FISHER, who was one of the first to arrive from the machinery room, found OTTIE GREEN, who it seems was in the engine room at the time, staggering to his feet, with his left arm cut off, badly scalded and otherwise injured, but conscious, and assisted him out. FRED GIRARD was found near the same spot, also badly scalded, and otherwise injured and was carried out. Then engineer, T. L. PALMER was found at the door of the oil room at one corner of the enginer room, partly buried under a mass of hot brick. When found he was still conscious and directed the men in their efforts to release him, and also told them where to find L. O. TUPPER. Mr. TUPPER'S body was found partially buried beneath debris, lying partially over the engine, where his life had been instantly crushed out, apparently without suffering. The body of MILLER SORENSON was next found beside a dump cart just outside the engine room to the west where he had also met an instant and painless death, part of the skull having been torn away by flying debris. This accounted for all the missing ones, and not more than twenty minutes elapsed from the time of the explosion until the last body was taken from the ruins. The physicians of the village were among the first upon the scene, and immediately upon being found, the injured were removed to the operating rooms of Drs. NICHOLS & SWITZER, where the com- bined efforts of the physicians did everything that science and skill could do for the unfortunate victims, and trained nurses were telephoned for and arrived from Grand Rapids on the evening train to give them the best possible care. Engineer PALMER was found to be horribly scalded on the upper portions of the body, the right shoulder dislocated and broken, and the left leg literally baked from the knee down, and other injuries, so that his chances for recovery were only one in a thousand. His pain was alleviated as far as possible, and he lingered until 9:30 o'clock Saturday evening, when death relieved him of his sufferings. FRED GIRARD was found to be very badly scalded about the face, breast, arms and legs, his lower jaw broken by some flying missle, and otherwise bruised and cut, but is doing as well as could be expected. OTTIE GREEN'S left arm was taken off just above the elbow, and he was also badly scalded about the head, face, neck, arms and legs. Just what caused the explosion can not be determined. The fac- tory was running on time three-quarters of an hour faster than standard, in order to take advantage of daylight hours, and con- sequently the throttle of the engine had been opened and the machinery had just nicely started - most of the machine men were just about oiling their machines when the explosion occurred. Engineer PALMER, as was his custom, undoubtedly opened the throttle, and was either blown from there to the oil room door, or else had started out to the front of the boilers. Mr. TUPPER, who had charge of the dynamo, had just gone around to the south side of the boilers for a large wrench in a tool chest there, and was caught by the falling arch walls and crushed to death instantly. MILLER SORENSEN, who kept up the fires during the noon hour, was either just in the act of putting in a fire, or had just finished and turned to go out of the door. OTTIE GREEN was just going out at the door of the engine room, and his arm was caught and cut off as sleek as though done with a guillotine by one of the smoke stacks in its descent. The stack undoubtedly shot high in the air and came down endwise only a few feet distance, and toppled over. The arm was found inside the stack a little later. FRED GIRARD was very likely just on his way into the machinery room to take charge of his machine when the accident occurred. The boiler which exploded was the middle one of a nest of three working boilers, and this was torn into shreds, and the fragments strewn in all directions. The boiler to the left of this one was blown about sixty feet, passing completely over a fourth boiler and small engine used to run the dynamo, and landed under a tree to the north of the engine room. The boiler to the right of the exploding boiler was hurled with its content of scalding water and steam, over the engine, through the side of the engine room, and against the end of the main machinery building, crushing in a great hole as shown in the cut, as though it had been an egg shell. Fortunately its force was pretty well spent, and instead of passing into the building, it dropped back to the ground end fore- most, where it now stands leaning slightly against the building, and nearly covered by falling debris. Everything movable abut (sic) the engine room was moved - the ruin was complete. Those who were outside the buildings state that the air was literally filled with mud and water, flying bricks and debris. One huge timber was broken in two, and had apparently been some distance in the air, half of it striking in the yard in front of H. C. FLAGG'S house, and driving into the ground like a spile, where it still stands. The other half fell on top of the brick finishing building, but fortunately did not come down end foremost or it would have gone through all the floors to the ground. In the machinery room there was considerable confusion for a short time. The building shivered as though shaken by an earth- quake, the concussion being so great as to throw many of the boys down and it was some moments before they fully realized what had happened. Every window in the south end of the building - the opposite end from the engine room - was broken by the concussion, and a few of the boys began to clamber out of there, but as soon as it was discovered that there was no immediate danger from fire, and the building was not falling, order was soon restored, and the boys immediately began the search for missing ones. Sad and horrible as are the details of this calamity, it seems scarcely less than providential that the number of fatalities was not much greater. Several of those who take lunch with them in- stead of going home to dinner, were in the habit of eating in the engine room, while still others were in the habit of dropping in a few moments before going to work. Had the explosion occurred five minutes earlier, the number of killed and maimed would have been four or five times as great. The Bedstead Company is to be commended for its efforts in be- half of the injured and the families of those dead. Orders were given for the very best service obtainable for the injured, even to running a special train from Grand Rapids with the trained nurses, if necessary. ==========================================================================