Panic Follows An Explosion

Results in Death of Girl and Injury of Others

Article taken from The Iowa City Daily Press, December 16, 1904

Accident Happened in a Toy Cap Factory, and the Young Women Employees Jumped Three Stories

Portsmouth, Ohio, Dec. 16 - Effie Phipps was killed and Mattie Rice and Ola Smith fatally injured as a result of a panic which followed an explosion in a toy cap factory at Lloyd and Adams street. The girls jumped from the third story window. Many other employee's were burned and bruised. The building was partly destroyed.

 

 

 

 

---

GIRLS JUMPED TO THEIR DEATH

Article taken from The Atlanta Constitution, December 17, 1904

Panic Caused by an Explosion at Toy Pistol Factory

Portsmouth, Ohio, December 16 - One girl was killed, two fatally injured, and 3 score of others hurt by jumping from windows during an explosion which occurred in Robert Adams & Simpson's toy pistol factory today. Emma Phipps, of Rome, Ohio, was killed, and Ola Smith, of McDermott, and Mattie Rice, of Sciotoville, are thought to be dying. The explosion occurred in the toy cap room and a panic ensued. Flames shut off the escape and the frantic girls leaped from the second and third stories. Hundreds of anxious relatives crowded up to the burning building. It is believed that all of the girls succeeded in getting out.