Grover Shoe Factory disaster

The Grover Shoe Factory disaster was an industrial explosion, building collapse and fire that killed 58 people and injured 150 when it leveled the R. B. Grover shoe factory in Brockton, Massachusetts on March 20, 1905. Following a boiler explosion, the four-story wooden building collapsed and the ruins burst into flames, incinerating workers trapped in the wreckage. The Grover disaster brought new attention to industrial safety and led to stringent safety laws and a national code governing the safe operation of steam boilers. Contents 1 The factory 2 Explosion 3 Collapse and fire 3.1 Escape 3.2 Death 4 Financial assistance 5 Failure theories 6 Inquest 6.1 Engineering study 7 Bankruptcy 8 Legacy 9 See also 10 References [edit] The factory The R. B. Grover shoe factory was big, but not the biggest in Brockton, a town that had 35,000 shoe workers. The wooden building, shaped like a letter E, occupied half a city block.[1] Grover made the popular Emerson brand shoe,[2] a... (see more)