That the management of the Douglas Starch works is
lacking in its efforts to complete an intelligent check on the missing and
the dead is apparent from its stubborn intention to keep the public as
much in the dark as possible regarding the catastrophe. Naturally, the
officials could not be expected to make a detailed statement,
theoretically or otherwise, concerning the tragedy in its plant, but every
attempt to obtain some sort of information regarding the identity of the
men known to have been in the plant at the time of the explosion, as
compared to the list of unaccounted for, was flatly opposed by the
management and its representatives.
The plant maintains a labor bureau. It is presumed
that this bureau is in possession of other information regarding employes
than their mere names. A check of employees in the factory at the time of
catastrophe, coupled with investigation as to their whereabouts today,
should have disclosed a list of dead and missing by an early hour this
morning.
Indications point to a lack of such a check, for at
noon officials and others engaged in a haphazard effort to get dependable
information still insisted on the maintenance of their attitude of
indifference to the public demand for a comprehensive list.
Shortly before noon it was announced from the
timekeeper's office of the Douglas plant that ten are known to be dead,
five are identified and that there were thirty-five missing.
When it was suggested to P. B. GRIFFITH, one of the
men in the timekeeper's office, that the publication of the names of those
whom the check had shown to be missing would aid in finding those who had
not been injured but had not yet reported themselves safe, “we'll do our
own thinking,” was the reply.
MR. GRIFFITH then called Manager A. W. LENDERS and
asked about news he could give out.
“See MR. LENDERS,” the reporters were told.
“Can't you give us the names of those identified?”
“See MR. LENDERS, and stay out of this office!”
Again MR. GRIFFITH was asked for the names of the
identified dead.
“See MR. LENDERS. That's plain English.”
MR. LENDERS only repeated what he had said earlier in
the morning.
At that time he was asked if the company did not have some theory as to
the cause of the explosion.
NOT THEORIZING
“We are not theorizing. We are in the midst of it,” he replied.
“Well, don't you have some idea as to the loss of life,” the reporter
asked.
“We're checking up on the cards now, and just as soon
as we know definitely what we are talking about we'll make an
announcement.”
“But surely you must have some idea or some estimate
of the property loss to your company, MR. LENDERS.”
“The insurance adjustors will be here probably next
week,” was the reply. “Until they come and we know positively what we are
doing we cannot tell what the total loss will be.”
BODY RECOVERED
Shortly after noon today eleven bodies were in the undertaking
establishments of the city. Eight of them had been identified either
positively or partly. The list of identified was changed during the
morning. PETER STINGLEY instead of being dead is very much alive. He
walked into WYMER'S saw “his” body and said he did not recognize it.
Following is the list of the identified:
JAY KLEMISH, at Turner's.
JAKE _________, at Turner's.
ED. TRENTISSEN, Beatty's.
MIKE TRIALONIS, Beatty's, 104 Tenth avenue.
CHARLES TRIEBEL, at Wymer's, partly identified, 1527 North Sixth street
west.
SHORTY FIFER, Wymer's.
HARVEY ECKERT, 1415 South Second street west, at Wymer's.
SAMUEL GETZ, 828 South Tenth street, at Edw. Lessinger's.
There are two unidentified bodies at Wymer's and one
at Beatty's.
FIREMAN COLLAPSED.
HARRY HALL, a member of the central station fire company, was taken to the
Mercy hospital at 2 a. m. today. He had collapsed from shock and smoke.
This makes two firemen who are in the hospital. The other is C. C. CRAFT,
who was struck by a brick hurled by one of the minor explosions that
occurred during the fire.
Among the known missing gathered from various sources
and believed to be buried beneath the debris are:
WILLIAM LYBARGER, 1438 E. avenue.
EUGENE JEROME BAKER, 820 South Second street
west.
C. J. HAHN, South of Sixth street west.
CHARLES JOHN, 41 Fourteenth avenue.
JOSEF KOSINA, SR., 43 years of age, 231 Nineteenth avenue west.
JOSEF KOSINA, JR., son, 20 years of age, 230 Nineteenth avenue west.
JOSEPH VAVERKA, JR., 17 years of age, 1312 J street west.
A brother and brother-in-law of THOMAS RAMSELL, shoemaker, 223 South First
street, are also reported among the missing.
GALEN FRY was first reported missing but that is now
known to be a mistake.
Coroner DAVID W. KING, has announced that he will
call a jury this afternoon to make an exhaustive investigation into the
cause of the explosion. The inquiry will probably begin tomorrow.
Manager LENDERS has announced that as soon as the
ruins have cooled the entire remaining force of the plant well be put to
work clearing up the debris.
SAMUEL GETZ leaves a wife and six children. CLAUDE J.
HAHN, who is one of the missing, has one son in the army of occupation and
four sons at home. HARVEY ECKERT is survived by a wife and two small
children, it is understood.
The body of MIKE TRIALONIS was identified by a
brother, JACK TRIALONIS, 104 Tenth avenue and a cousin, ANGELUS TRIALONIS,
Fourteenth avenue and Third street.
Windows Blown Out.
In the houses near the plant where the windows were blown out, plaster
knocked from the walls and ceilings and other damage done, many little
children were injured by the flying glass. They are in need of medical
attention. Already the work of relief has been started.
It is understood that the insurance on the starch
plant will not cover the entire loss as no explosive insurance was
carried.
MRS. JOHN EASKER, 1118 South First street west, was
one of the many cut about the face by flying glass.
WILLIAM LYBARGER, one of the missing men, is married
and has two sons, C. LYBARGER, 1526 Ellis boulevard, and NEIL LYBARGER, of
Clinton, and a daughter MRS. W. H. DUVAL, 1539 C avenue.
JOHN KOLOVAKIS was working in the boiler room when
the explosion came. He was knocked down and stunned for an instant but he
was able to get out of the ruins. MIKE CHRISTOPHORAKIS was in the basement
but was uninjured.
There are about eighty men in the R. O. T. C. force
from Coe that is doing guard duty around the plant. A strict guard line is
maintained. Passes are necessary both to go in and go out of the roped
area.
Yesterday the largest exclusive starch factory in the
world was humming with activity. Today the two huge stacks and the wet
starch building at the west end of the plant are all that is left of the
great plant.
White smoke rose from the smoldering ruins that were
once the dry starch building. It was there that the big explosion
happened.
In the large building just south flames are still to
be seen. But the fire has been under control for many hours and the
firemen are standing by still playing streams of water keeping the fire
from increasing and gradually putting it out.
ALL WINDOWS BROKEN
There is not a single house near the plant that does not have a broken
window. Most of them do not have a single one left. Besides smashing
windows and the blast rocked the ground, jerking plaster to the floors,
tore shingles from the roofs, and caved in the sides of the buildings.
Many were cut by the flying glass or bruised by the
falling plaster. It is impossible to obtain even a partial estimate of the
number hurt in this way.
Families whose homes lost their windows so suddenly
spent the night as best they could. Some had storm windows in the basement
that they brought out to cover the gaping holes, for that is what they
were.
Lumber dealers piled their trade last evening. One
firm sent a load of boards through the streets. So-called building board
was also in great demand.
Undertaking parlors were thronged with people during
the night and day looking for their friends or relatives, a father,
brother, husband or sweetheart.
MESSAGES OF SYMPATHY.
Messages of sympathy came into the office of the Douglas company during
the day from all parts of the United States.
Curiously enough there was but one broken window in
the offices of the company just across the street from the plant. The wet
starch building is believed to have warded off the force of the explosion.
This morning piles of broken glass were lying on the
sidewalks in all the down town streets. Offices and store employees had
gotten busy last night and swept the pieces into piles.
All the bodies removed from the ruins were blackened
and charred. In practically every case a hand had been thrown up and
literally baked in that position. It was as if the men had thrown up a
hand in less than the winking of an eyelash to ward off a vague something.
LOSS $3,000,000
It is estimated that the total loss to the plant may total $3,000,000.
There was ruin all about but the piano in the women's room tinkled during
the morning. Coe students on guard were making use of their moments while
off duty.
The Red Cross got on the job immediately after the
blast. Nurses, went to the scene of the disaster and civilian aid was
begun at once. The home service section kas busy all day.
The guard house for the Coe men who walked post on
the downtown streets during the night was in the Hotel Montrose. These
guards were to stop petty thieving in the windows that had been laid open
by the explosion. Most of the merchants cleared their broken windows of
all the merchandise so that their was little temptation for sneak thieves.
In the vacant lots north of the plant and across the Milwaukee tracks
pieces of boards, bricks and stones are strewn.
In the National Tractor company's plant at the west
end of the Eighth avenue bridge, all the big windows were blown in.
One of the men of the day force was about three
blocks away from the plant when the explosion came. It nearly threw him to
the sidewalk. He looked around. Timber and huge pieces of concrete were
all in the air.
It was just 6:30 that the explosion came. That was the time when the clock
in the timekeeper's office stopped.
Without ______ the large dry starch building at the
southeast corner became a mass of ruins. It is believed that the explosion
was one of starch dust. What caused it no one can tell and many
conjectures can be heard.
One of the day shift men said that there could be no
explosion if the vacuum was turned on the driers. He also said that a
spark might have cause it. He said that some of the men if the plant
persisted in smoking about the building despite all protests.
The blast was felt all over the city. Soon afterward
the flames caught fire. Several men were taken from the ruins and rushed
to the hospitals. Others were heard shouting or moaning beneath the debris
but these soon stopped
In some cases it was the creeping fire that stopped
the cries.
It was announced shortly afternoon that the company would have a public
statement to make at 3 p. m.
R.O.T.C. ON GUARD.
The Coe R.O.T.C. Will remain on guard about the ruins and as special
patrols for the surrounding district the rest of today and all night, it
was announced at noon today. The men have been well organized and will
work on two and four hour reliefs. Many of them were on duty most of last
night some for six and eight hours at a time.
Cots were provided in the parlors of the Montrose
hotel after all the rooms had been taken and at the employment office of
the starch works for the men when not on duty. By midnight eighty-nine of
the company had been mustered, and today all the men of the college unit
were on duty.
Capt. ROBERT SHAW is command of the company wired the
adjutant general at Washington last night that he had called out the men
on account of the explosion.
GALEN FRY who was reported among the missing last
night is alive and well. He was in the food house at the time of the
explosion. A lot of concrete and broken timbers fell all around him but he
escaped injury. He said several other men in the same room were cut and
bruised by flying splinters but none suffered serious injury.
South Side Hard Hit.
South side business houses suffered wide damage from broken windows. Not a
single store front with large windows escaped on either side of the river.
The Citizens Savings bank on the west side and the Iowa State on the east
side suffered the heaviest loss in that section of the city. All of the
lower floor huge windows on the north side of the Iowa State were blown
in. Riverside park was strewn with wreckage carried there by the force of
the explosion.
Among the heaviest losses suffered in the business
district was that of the Overland-Doty Automobile company. It occupies a
new building at Third avenue and Eighth street. The entire front is of
plate glass and not one of the windows is left.
The body of MIKE TRIALONIS was identified by a
brother, JACK TRIALONIS, 404 Tenth avenue east, and a cousin ANGELUS
TRIALONIS, Fourteenth avenue and Third street. The ruins were still
smoking this morning but the fire had been under control for some time.
Practically all of the bodies taken from the debris
had a hand raised as if the men had intuitively raised a hand to ward off
something when the explosion came and before they were killed, either
burned to death or crushed beneath the falling stones, bricks and timber.
The damage done in houses close to the plant will run
into many thousands. So many dwellings were damaged, that it is utterly
impossible to determine the total damage with any accuracy.
Dozens of persons were injured in their homes when
they were struck by flying glass or falling plaster. One or two were
injured, it is said when the door near watch they were standing was blown
from its hinges.
Telephone service in that part of the city was almost
entirely disrupted. The hose laid across the Milwaukee tracks stopped the
trains. Street cars running south in that vicinity were also unable to
reach the end of their line.
What the damage to the starch works will total can
only be estimated now. By some it is placed at more than three million.
Others make it less.
It is impossible to estimate the extent of damage to
merchants and homes by the breakage of plate glass but it is known that it
will run into the thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands.
RUSH ORDERS FOR GLASS.
Merchants took steps immediately to rush orders for glass, not waiting to
notify the insurance companies. As one man expressed it, “we ordered at
once and will pay what it costs and then talk to the insurance company
afterwards.”
Local contractors immediately got in communication
with the large glass companies and a number of men, including THOMAS
SUTHERLAND went to Chicago and Davenport to personally aid in getting the
glass here. LOOMIS brothers were on the job early last night and have
ordered a quantity of glass.
It is said that MR. SUTHERLAND took with him an order
for three car loads of glass.
From a hasty count of plate glass in the downtown
loop district there are about 175 panes of plate glass broken, and this
does not include the garages and many buildings outside this district. The
KILLIAN and the DENECKE company are perhaps the heaviest losers in this
line. The DENECKE company had about fourteen large plates broken and
carried no insurance. The KILLIAN company had about forty plates broken
and most of it is covered by insurance. One of the plates in the large
show case of the DENECKE company which was broken is said to have been the
largest in the state and required a single flat car to transport it. The
cost of glass at each of these stores will amount to around $8,000.
The ARMSTRONG-McCLENAHAN company had thirteen plates
broken.
They carry insurance on the tower glass but not on
that of the second and third floors.
All of the glass in the ground floor of the HIGLEY
building was broken and the HINTZ drug company was a particularly heavy
sufferer having ten plates smashed. It was insured. Nearly all the glass
in the GRANBY building was devastated. The insurance expired at noon
today.
The FRANCHERE company had only three large plates
broken and about 100 feet of smaller glass. The large glass was covered by
insurance.
“We are not worrying about our loss or what we have
to stand,” said A. O. FRANCHERE. “We are thinking of the people across the
river and of the dead.”
TRADE AT STANDSTILL
Trade in the stores was practically at a standstill this forenoon. Clerks
were busy assisting in clearing up glass of discussing the event. However
it was not expected that business would be retarded although some
noticeable decline might be expected from the shock to the community and
the unsettled conditions.
“At the time of the Quaker Oats disaster, nearly
everything stopped,” said one business man today, “but it does not seem
that way now.”
The damage to goods which were in the show windows
will not be as great as first feared according to a number of merchants
interviewed. At the KILLIAN company the greatest loss in this respect was
from fine furniture which was cut by the glass.
Dress goods and forms were damaged but this was
slight compared to the larger damages.
HARVEY ECKERT, 1415 South Second street, who is a
Kelly press feeder, and worked at a site very near where the explosion
took place, was missing at a late hour this morning. It is believed that
he was killed instantly. He is married and has two children the youngest
15 months of age and the eldest 3 years old.
CHARLES JOHN, 41 Fourteenth avenue west, was in the
plant at the time of the explosion. No word has been heard from him by
relatives up to a late hour today. He is 28 years of age and is married.
HOLSEY REILLY, who lives in Marion, was blown fifty
feet through a door of the plant, and was uninjured.
ED STARRY, another Marion employee in the Starch
plant did not go to work last night because he felt ill. He thus escaped
injury and possible death as he was employed in a building near where the
explosion took place.
RESCUE WORK ORGANIZED
The firemen were hampered at the start by the crowd, who in their desire
to help got in the way. Some who tried to assist the firemen seized the
hose and with several on each pulled in opposite directions. With the
arrival of the special police and the R.O.T.C., the confusion was abated
and the work of rescue was organized.
One of the injured men who was taken out of the ruins
was buried under several large beams, iron rods and brick. He remained
conscious although he was badly injured and directed the firemen in their
work of rescue. Other bodies taken from the spot were badly burned and in
one case it was necessary to pick up the bones piece meal. Another body
was taken out with the head missing.
The firemen had difficulty in making their way about,
the water thrown on the ruins resulted in the starch and dust to become
exceedingly slippery and as a result the fire boys are hobbling around
with stiff limbs.
INJURED IN HOSPITALS
The following are in the hospitals:
AT ST. LUKE'S.
MRS. G. SHELTON, 84 Ninth avenue west; not serious.
MRS. E. H. WALKER, 807 Eighteenth avenue east; not serious.
ALICE USHER, 723 H street west; not serious.
C. McCULLEY, 117 South Seventh street west; not serious.
JOHN CASTALAS, brother of a missing man.
Serious, But Not Critical.
FRANK ORMISTON, 718 South Second street west.
FRANK OBERER, JR., 518 South Third street west.
TONY STOUT, 219 Tenth avenue east.
W. V. BECHTEL, 417 South Sixth street east.
AT MERCY HOSPITAL.
DRASCOS MANURAS.
FRANK SODOMA, 1804 South Second street west; dying.
DRIT MIROS, 42 Sixteenth avenue west.
EVERETT PRENTISS, 510 Broadway, Fort Madison.
DEWEY ALNULT, 1104 Twenty-third street east.
NICK FALLOS, 611 Third street west.
WENCIL JANIL, 611 Third street west.
JOSEPH CULDICE, 833 Third avenue west.
J. S. HALL, Magnus Hotel, president of the Hall Manufacturing company. He
was standing in the lobby of the Hotel Magnus and was cut by flying glass.
VERLEE PENICK, 705 H street west.
C. C. CRAFT, 808 L street west.
ALVIN HURST, 715 H. street west. Recovered; went home.
F. J. BELDEN, 88 Ninth avenue west. Recovered and went home.
JOE FRANK, 417 Third avenue west; went home.
W. OWAN, 534 H street west; went home.
G. L. COOPER, Eighth avenue and First street, severely cut about the head;
went home.
OFFICIAL LIST OF DEAD, MISSING, AND INJURED IN THE
DOUGLAS DISASTER.
“The following workmen were known to be in the plant
at the time of the fire,” begins the statement proceeding the list of
names given out at the Douglas plant this afternoon. The word “explosion”
was in the statement as it was originally drawn up, but it was changed to
“fire” by the superintendent.
“A search of the ruins,” the statement continues,
“visits to the local undertaking establishments, homes and hospitals, has
given the status of their condition as indicated after their names.”
AT ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL.
WARD MATTHEWS. H. ORMISTER., J. COSTELLOS., W. V. BETHEL., Q. PAYTON.,
FRANK OBERER, JR. , FRANK STANIK., TONY STOUT., F. PENA.
CLAUDO McCALLEY.,
AT MERCY HOSPITAL. - FRANK SODOMA., GUY ALLNUT.,
EVERETT PRENTICE., DRAK MIROS., W. JENIK., NICK FALLAS., JOE CULDICE.
THE DEAD
C. TREBEL, partly identified., JAY KLEMISH., HARVEY ECKERT., P. STENSELD,
partly identified., SAMUEL GETZ., P. PFEIFFER.
MISSING MAN OR MAY BE IN RUINS. - I. SCHULTZ., JOE
VAVERKA., GEORGE COSTELLOS., WILLIAM RUSH., RUBE BIRDSHAW., ORVILLE
WATKINS., H. BERRY., MIKE EZELOUIS., MIKE TRELAS., GEORGE PAPAS., MIKE
TSRIBROGOS., G. GHRIS., PETER ERICKSON., R. RANDALL., D. HARTMAN.
W. D. LYBERGER., T. OSREDSKAR., K. KREKAS., J. COYAT., CHARLES JOHN.
J. KOSINA, JR., JOE KOSINA., JIM NIEBOLD., E. WISE., ALFRED THOMAS.
GEORGE CULDICE., CLAUDE HAHN., E. J. BAKER.,
E. SMITH., J. TALJAT., JOHN MARTINEK., C. VOLPALKA., T.
KUIOATKOVSKY., F. STASTNICK.
GUS KALAROT.
A total of 35 missing.
Thirty five missing, may or may not be in ruins, six identified dead, five
unidentified dead, ten at St. Luke's hospital, eight at Mercy hospital.
UNACCOUNTED FOR.
E. DEVORK, works on day shift and clock card does not show that he checked
out.
Forty-three men returned to their homes, only a few
of them slightly injured. The total number in the list given out by the
company is 109. The company has asked that those who are reported as
missing or unaccounted for and are at their homes to report their safety
to the company.
The Evening Gazette Cedar Rapids Iowa 1919-05-23
DID ACID CAUSE BIG EXPLOSION?
DEAD AND MISSING 48 – AT WORK ON RUINS
GOVERNMENT AGENTS HERE TO START PROBE OF DISASTER
THAT WRECKED STARCH PLANT; INQUEST ON MONDAY.
DEAD TO DATE – 13.
MISSING – 35.
Could an explosion of an acid have caused the
disaster at the Douglas starch plant?
That question is being investigated today, and facts
may be brought out as it is continued further.
Such an explosion is possible. A local chemist said
today that if picric acid was used in the manufacture of the starch, it
could have been the cause of the explosion. The chemist also asserted that
the methods of making starch are somewhat secret. While the books on
chemistry contain information and formulas on the making of starch, each
company has its certain methods and uses certain ingredients which it
keeps as secret as possible, he said.
A relative of DAVID C. HARTMEN, 418 Sixth avenue, who
was killed, was questioned concerning the work which HARTMAN did in the
plant.
HARTMAN, it appears, according to the replies given, was an employe in an
executive capacity in the thin boil department. It was in or near this
room that the explosion is believed to have happened. In this department,
smoking was prohibited.
Some acid used in the starch often ruined HARTMAN'S
clothes and his shoes. He was obliged to always wear pure wool clothing to
protect his skin, the relatives said. It was also remarked that HARTMAN
had often told of the extremely dangerous powers of the acid, although he
had never said that it was explosive.
Thursday morning, according to Manager BURNS, said
the relative, HARTMAN and a fellow employe named “BILL” went to the store
rooms of the plant and obtained equipment for the repair of a pump in his
department. It is not known whether this pump was leaking of merely out of
repair.
Work of searching the smouldering ruins of the
Douglas starch plant for the dead bodies that are known to line[sic]
mangled under the debris, has been delayed several hours. The Rock Island
railroad wrecking crane which was to have been put to work in clearing
away some of the giant masses of twisted iron, and the great masses of
concrete, early today was called to a freight wreck on the lines, and will
not be brought back until 3 or 4 p. m. today.
The restricted district surrounding the plant has
been narrowed. The Coe college R.O.T.C. Guard and military police have
been removed, and the guard now established is one of special police in
the employ of the Douglas company. The men are keeping spectators off the
company's property only.
The smoke from the fire shifted today, and is now
coming north and over the city.
Streams of water are still being played on the
smouldering ruins and on the flames that still burn in one of the
buildings.
A large force of workmen is also aiding in clearing
away the wreckage. Superintendent LENDERS will put all the starch works
force at the work just as fast as the bricks and slabs of concrete cool.
Just now the ruins are so hot that shoes worn by the
searchers are practically worthless within a short time. The Red Cross
asks for old shoes to supply this need that the work may not be impeded.
Shoes should be taken to the timekeeper's office across the street from
the main office of the Douglas company. It is there that an emergency
station and hospital has been established by the Red Cross.
THIRTEEN DEAD NOW.
There are now thirteen dead in the morgues of the city. JOE CULDICE, who
was taken from the ruins Thursday evening badly injured and burned, died
at Mercy hospital last evening. Another body was found late yesterday
afternoon. Beside it were a belt buckle and a pocket knife, the only
things bby which an identification might be made.
INQUEST ON MONDAY.
Coroner DAVID KING announced today noon that the jury
which has been selected to review the evidence on the cause of the deaths
in the explosion at the Douglas starch plant last Thursday will meet
Monday at 1:30 p. m. in the Grand Jury room of the federal building. The
jury will be composed of only three members, JOHN T. HAMILTON, DAVID E.
HOWELL and ARTHUR KURTT. The jury met at 2 p. m. today to view the bodies.
D. J. PRICE, engineer in charge of the bureau of
grain dust explosives, bureau of chemistry, department of agriculture is
expected to arrive in the city at 4:30 p. m. today to begin an
investigation of the explosion at the Douglas plant. VERNON FITSIMONS of
Minneapolis, BENJAMIN W. DEDRICK of Washington, and GEORGE W. CRAWFORD of
Minneapolis of the same department, arrived in Cedar Rapids this morning
and will aid MR. PRICE in the probe. They refused to comment on the
explosion until they had gone into the matter very thoroughly.
INSURANCE ADJUSTORS HERE.
Two insurance adjustors arrived here today from Chicago to consult with
the officials of the Douglas company and local insurance men. They took
the initial steps to determine the total loss of the company and to
classify insurance.
It was learned at noon today that four of the
companies in which the Douglas company carried fire and use and occupancy
insurance were The Providence Washington of Providence, R. I., The Niagara
Fire company, The Mechanics and Traders of New Orleans; and The Fireman's
Fund company, of San Francisco. The Great Eastern Casualty company of New
York, have the insurance on the plate glass of the company it is
understood.
The amount of fire insurance carried in these four
companies was estimated to be between $200,000 and $400,000 and the
company was said to have plate glass insurance of about $35,000.
The following is the corrected list of dead:
P. PFEIFFER., JOE CULDICE., J. KLEMISH., HARVEY ECKERT., SAMUEL GETZ.
ED. TRENTISSN, Negro., HARRY ORMISTON., MIKE TRIALONIS.
PETER ERICKSON.
Two unidentified bodies are at Beatty's and two at
Wymer's.
There are now thirty-five men missing, according to
the latest Gazette check of the list issued at 3:10 p. m. yesterday by the
company.
Deducting the four unidentified bodies at the morgue
from this number there are thirty-one still in the ruins, unless some of
those unaccounted for are at their homes and have not yet reported their
safety.
THE MISSING.
Following is the list of the missing:
MIKE SCHULTZ., JOE VAVERKA., GEORGE COSTELLOS., WILLIAM RUSH.
RUBE BLEDSHAW., ORVILLE WATSON., H. BERRY., MIKE EZELOULA.
MIKE TRELAZ., GEORGE PAPAS., MIKE TSRIBOGOS., G. CHRIS., P. RAMSELL.
D. HARTMAN., W. D. LYBARGER., T. OSREDEKAR., K. KREKAS., J. COYAT.
CHARLES JOHNS., J. KOSINA, JR., JOE KOSINA, SR., JIM NEWBOLD.
ALFRED THOMAS., GEORGE CULDICE., CLAUDE HAHN.,
E. J. BAKER.
E. SMITH., J. TALJAT., JOHN MARTINEK., C. VOLPALKA., T. KUIOATKOVSKY.
F. STASTNICK., CHARLES TRIEBEL., P. STENSELD., GUS KALAROT.
Two bodies were partly identified yesterday as
CHARLES TRIEBEL and P. STENSELF but these identifications were not
substantiated. The body thought to be that of TRIEBEL has gold teeth
whereas TRIEBEL had none.
ONE BODY IDENTIFIED.
PETER ERICKSON was listed as missing by the company but his body has since
been identified.
E. WISE was listed as one of the missing. He was
taken to a hospital badly burned about the face and head but he has since
returned to his home, 716 Eighteenth avenue west.
Coroner KING announced this morning that he would
have the personnel of the coroner's jury to investigate the cause of the
explosion picked today. He said, however, that the inquiry will probably
not be begun until Monday. County Attorney LOCKWOOD will assist in the
investigation.
E. DVORAK and FRANK MacMILLAN who worked on the day
shift and whose cards did not show that they had checked out Thursday
evening are safe, it has been ascertained.
There are still fifteen men in the hospitals, seven
at Mercy and eight at St. Luke's. At St. Luke's the condition of the
injured men was said to be fairly good.
THESE ARE SAFE.
Following is a list of men returned to their homes:
A. AMERICAN, Greek, uninjured., HENRY RENSBY, uninjured., J. HARTMAN,
uninjured., M. PHELLOA, uninjured., G. L. FRY, uninjured., WILLIAM
BOWERSEX, uninjured., J. C. CUTTLER, uninjured., E. HANOS, uninjured.,
JAMES MAITOS, uninjured., VIRGIL BARRY, uninjured., J. B. MALBDUE,
uninjured., W. A. CHAPPELLE, uninjured., R. E. WRIGHT, uninjured., J.
SERROS, uninjured.
G. MANN, hand injured., MIKE KRESTAS, uninjured., H. DEMORY, slightly
injured.
GEO. P. FORNEY, slightly injured., J. L. HUNTER, slightly injured., ADOLPH
ROGERS, uninjured., L. L. COEN, uninjured., W. OWENS, injured hand., C. A.
CLAYPOOL, uninjured., B. W. KRON, uninjured., JOE KRAHILK, uninjured.
H. F. _____ , uninjured., I. STINGLEY, uninjured., J. WILLIAMS, uninjured.
E. W. MURDOCK, uninjured., J. HOLUB, injured about head., H. E. LESTER,
uninjured., W. HOOVER, uninjured., E. WISE, burned about face and head.
Three and four streams of water are being played on
the ruins all the time by the fireman. The wet wood and the steam rising
make a white cloud. Some of the stock on the table house, the building
just south of the dry starch building, is still burning. But there is no
danger of the flames spreading.
REVISED LIST OF DEAD IN DOUGLAS DISASTER IS 20,
MISSING LIST STANDS 24.
The latest revised list of dead and missing follows:
THE KNOWN DEAD. - DEWEY ALNUT., ALFRED THOMAS., DAVID HARTMAN.
RUBE BLEDSOE., MAKE TRELAZ., EMIL or ELMER SCHMITT, partly identified
portion of body by clothing attached., EVERETT PRENTICE., HARRY ORMISTON.
SAMUEL GETZ., P. P. PFEIFFER., J. KLEMISH., HARVEY ECKERT., PETER
ERICKSON., JOE CULDICE., CHARLES TRIEBEL, partly identified, at Wymer's.
One unidentified body at Wymer's., Two unidentified bodies at Beatty's.
Besides the above there are two small boxes of
charred bones. Assuming these to represent two bodies, the total number of
dead recovered, identified and unidentified, is twenty.
There are twenty-nine names in the missing list. This
number has been decreased since Saturday, owing to duplication at that
time. Deducting the five unidentified remains from the twenty-nine
missing, it is believed that there are twenty-four bodies in the ruins of
the plant.
MISSING LIST.
The latest revised list of missing follows:
GUS KALAROT., P. STENSELD., F. STASTNICK., T. KUIOATKOVSKY., C. VOPALKA.,
JOHN MARTINEK., E. G. BAKER.,
CLAUDE HAHN., GEORGE CULDICE., JAMES NEWBOLD., JOSEF KOSINA, SR., JOSEF
KOSINA, JR.
CHARLES JOHN., J. COYAT., K. KREKAS., T. OSREDEKAR., W. D. LYBARGER.
G. CHRIS., MIKE TSRIBOGOS., GEORGE PAPAS., MIKE EZELOULA., H. BERRY.
ORVILLE WATSON., WILLIAM RUSH., GEORGE COSTELLOS., PERCY RAMSELL, charred
remains identified by keys., JOE VAVERKA., MIKE SCHULTZ.
J. TALJAT.
The Evening Gazette Cedar Rapids, Iowa 1919-05-24
Cedar Rapids Fire Department History 1919
On May 22, 1919, the Douglas Starch Works exploded,
taking 43 lives and caused a $2 1/2 million loss. The disaster was twice
as bad as the American Cereal Mill fire of 1905. The explosion occurred at
about 6:30 p.m. There were 109 men in the plant at the time of the
explosion.
The pillar of dust and flames shot skyward about 5000 feet and the
explosion was felt 30 miles away. Doors were blown open and windows
shattered at the Cedar Rapids Country Club three and one-half miles away.
Fire trucks were everywhere. A crowd had gathered and firemen told them if
they really wanted to help they should go to their homes and bring back
anything that could be used as a stretcher, such as old boards or the
front door from their homes. The victims were carried to the building
across the street from the plant where the Red Cross had set up an
emergency Hospital. Also, treated there were men, woman and children who
lived nearby. Two firemen were hospitalized; Fireman C. Craft was injured
by a brick hurled by a blast from one of the minor explosions and Fireman
H. Hall was overcome by smoke inhalation. Of the 43 men who lost their
lives, 10 bodies were never found, 10 bodies were partially found and
buried in a common grave in Linwood Cemetery. There is a monument
inscribed "Erected In Memory of Employees of Douglas Company Who Lost
Their Lives - May 22, 1919" at the burial site.
