1937 – April 10, Charles A Krause Milling company dust explosion & fire, Greenfield, WI–9

–9 Associated Press. “Ninth Victim Dies.” Janesville Daily Gazette, WI. 5-8-1937, p. 1.
–9 NFPA. Report of Important Dust Explosions: A Record of Dust Explosions in the [US]… 1957, p.40.
–8 AP. “Eighth Milwaukee Blast Victim Dies.” La Crosse Tribune and Leader… 4-25-1937, p6.
–7 AP. “Safety Features Largely Ignored at Krause Plant.” La Crosse Tribune, 4-23-1937, p. 4.

Narrative Information

NFPA: “Apr 10, 1957. Greenfield, Wis. Foreign material in grinder. 9 [killed] 26 [injured].”

Newspapers

April 11: “BULLETIN. Milwaukee – Police and volunteers searched in the ruins of the Charles A. Krause Co. corn mill here Saturday night for the bodies of two men believed killed in the blast that wrecked the plant. Of 60 persons in the building, 30 were in the hospital, 15 of them seriously injured, 28 were unhurt and accounted for, and two, Frank Woznick and William Porath, were still missing.

“MILWAUKEE, Wis. – (UP) Forth were injured and between eight and 12 were missing Saturday night as police and volunteers dug through the shattered ruins of the Charles A. Krause milling company corn mill, wrecked in a terrific grain dust explosion. Charles A. Kraus estimated the damage at more than $1,000,000.

“The blast occurred at 4:15 p.m. less than an hour after the night crew of 28 men had relieved 60 on the day shift. Five hours later rescue workers still were seeking between eight and 12 men feared trapped beneath tons of debris. The missing men were standing on the loading platform when the blast came with terrific force. The platform collapsed and the room caved in. ‘There is just a chance that they are alive,’ Police Chief James Kluchesky said. ‘They may have been taken away before we got here. We can’t tell a thing about the injured. Some of those in hospitals are so bandaged up that it is impossible to identify them.’ Some were believed passersby, injured by flying debris.

“A spark set off by an elevator was believed to have ignited the grain dust, lying heavy in the air. A sheet of flame billowed from the wreckage on the heels of the blast and dense smoke, rolling from the ruins, handicapped efforts of firemen and volunteers who rushed to the scene.

“Windows in an area of several blocks were shattered and many workers in the industrial area ran from their offices, fearing an earthquake.

“The mill was located at Greenfield, on the southern limits of Milwaukee.

“Robert Kochheneke, 23, in a hospital with severe cuts about his face, gave the first account of the blast. ‘One minute I was talking to another employe and I fed brewers’ grit into the spout,’ he said, ‘and the next thing I knew I was on the ground outside the building. I saw a man jump from a second story window. Near me were four or five others. They seemed badly hurt.’

“….The blast damaged foundations of three nearby concrete elevators and one leaned precariously….The blast blew out 100 feet of the west wall. The roof was demolished. Police said it had contained 105,000 bushels of corn, 40,000 bushels of wheat, and 40,000 of oats.

“The company manufactures brewers’ malt, seed and artificial snow used in motion pictures.” (Wisconsin State Journal, Madison. “Two Men Feared Dead; 30 Injured by Blast.” 4-11-1937, p1)

April 12, AP: “Milwaukee, April 12 – (AP) – Six were dead and three believed near death today as the result of an explosion and fire which caused damage estimated at $1,000,000 at the Charles A Krause Milling company Saturday. A cordon of police kept thousands of spectators at a safe distance from the ruins Sunday as walls of the five story buildings and two weakened grain elevators threatened to collapse.

“The explosion, which plant and fire department officials believed was caused by accumulated dust, took the lives of:

Stephen Foreit, 24,
Everett Scott, 25,
George Becker, 28,
Frank Wozniak, 67, and
William Porath, 43, all of Milwaukee, and
Raymond Dahl, 42, of Waterford, Wis., plant traffic manager.

“Fellow workers, searching through the debris, found the bodies of Wozniak and Porath Sunday, crushed beneath a mass of concrete and twisted beams of what had once been a loading platform. The others died in hospitals yesterday of burns suffered in flames which raged through the grain bins after the blast.

“Three of the 26 injured believed near death are Raymond S. Dahl Jr., 20, Waterford, Wis.; Robert Reckard, 17, and Charles Holick, 27, Milwaukee.

“A thundering detonation blew out parts of two walls of the brick and concrete structure late Saturday and showered the neighborhood with wreckage. A gap extended from the ground to the third floor in the east wall of the main mill building. Flames followed the blast. Then the injured began staggering out, some their hair and clothes aflame. Ambulances rushed them to four nearby hospitals….” (Associated Press. “6 Dead, 3 Near Death in Milwaukee Mill Explosion.” Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune, WI. 4-12-1937, p. 1.)

April 13, UP: “Milwaukee. – (UP) – Milo Helander, 26, died today of injuries he received in an explosion which Saturday wrecked the $2,000,000 Charles A. Krause milling plant. Helander was the seventh to die as a result of the blast.” (United Press. “Seventh Victim of Explosion at Milwaukee Dies.” The Sheboygan Press, WI. 4-13-1937, p. 19.)

April 23, AP: “Milwaukee – (AP) An engineer at the Charles A. Krause Milling company were seven persons were killed in an explosion April 10 testified Thursday [April 22] most of the 29 safety recommendations of the fire insurance rating bureau were wholly or partly not carried out.

“Another witness at the coroner’s inquest, Charles L. Frister, an industrial commission deputy, said the plant had not been inspected by a commission deputy since July 26, 1934. He said he had been too busy with other inspections to check the company’s compliance with his recommendations.

“E. A. Longenecker, plant engineer, testified no action had been takin on about half of the safety recommendations either because he thought it unnecessary or had not ‘got around’ to it. He insisted the equipment covered by these proposals was either not in the fire area or else was not materially affected by the explosion and fire. Several recommendations were carried out in part, he said, explaining construction and general layout of the plant prevented full compliance. Longenecker insisted everything possible had been done to prevent a disaster and cited a cleaning bill of nearly $20,000 for the last two years and $38,500 paid out to labor for repairs in the last four years.” (Associated Press. “Safety Features Largely Ignored at Krause Plant.” La Crosse Tribune and Leader-Press, 4-23-1937, p. 4.)

April 25, AP: “Milwaukee – (AP) – Jerome Sikorski, 24, eighth victim of the Charles A Krause Milling company explosion April 10, died at St. Mary’s hospital Sunday. He had suffered a fractured let and severe burns to arms legs and head in the blast. Fifteen injured in the explosion and fire remained in hospitals today, while Coroner Frank J. Schultz resumed an inquest into the blast cause.” (Associated Press. “Eighth Milwaukee Blast Victim Dies.” La Crosse Tribune and Leader-Press, WI. 4-25-1937, p.6.)

May 1, AP: “Milwaukee – (AP) – Dist. Atty. Herbert J. Steffes, in a report today to the Milwaukee county board on the Krause Milling company explosion, which on April 10 took the lives of eight workmen, held the Krause company blameless.” (Associated Press. “Krause Company Cleared.” Janesville Daily Gazette, WI. 5-1-1937, p. 5.)

May 8, AP: “Milwaukee – (AP) – the death at St. Mary’s hospital yesterday of Albert Penoske, 35, brought the death toll of the Krause Milling company explosion to nine. His death resulted from burns to the face, arms and body.” (Associated Press. “Ninth Victim Dies.” Janesville Daily Gazette, WI. 5-8-1937, p. 1.)

Sources

Associated Press. “6 Dead, 3 Near Death in Milwaukee Mill Explosion.” Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune, WI. 4-12-1937, p. 1. Accessed 3-11-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/wisconsin-rapids-daily-tribune-apr-12-1937-p-1/

Associated Press. “Eighth Milwaukee Blast Victim Dies.” La Crosse Tribune and Leader-Press, WI. 4-25-1937, p.6. Accessed 3-11-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/la-crosse-tribune-and-leader-press-apr-25-1937-p-35/

Associated Press. “Krause Company Cleared.” Janesville Daily Gazette, WI. 5-1-1937, p. 5. Accessed 3-11-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/janesville-daily-gazette-may-01-1937-p-5/

Associated Press. “Ninth Victim Dies.” Janesville Daily Gazette, WI. 5-8-1937, p. 1. Accessed 3-11-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/janesville-daily-gazette-may-08-1937-p-1/

Associated Press. “Safety Features Largely Ignored at Krause Plant.” La Crosse Tribune and Leader-Press, 4-23-1937, p. 4. Accessed 3-11-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/la-crosse-tribune-and-leader-press-apr-23-1937-p-8/

National Fire Protection Association. Report of Important Dust Explosions: A Record of Dust Explosions in the United States and Canada Since 1860. Boston: NFPA, 1957.

United Press. “Seventh Victim of Explosion at Milwaukee Dies.” The Sheboygan Press, WI. 4-13-1937, p.19. Accessed 3-11-2023: https://newspaperarchive.com/sheboygan-press-apr-13-1937-p-19/

Wisconsin State Journal, Madison. “Two Men Feared Dead; 30 Injured by Blast.” 4-11-1937, p1. Accessed 3-11-2023: https://newspaperarchive.com/madison-wisconsin-state-journal-apr-11-1937-p-2/