[1] Around 125 men, mostly Italian and Polish immigrants, gathered in and around the boiler house of the Morewood Lake Ice Company waiting for work.
The boiler had been inspected in the spring of 1910 and after changes were made, it was permitted by a state inspector to operate at 70 psi (480 kPa).
[3] At 9:30 am, a violent explosion blew the boiler to pieces and sent fragments of iron and timber through the air.
The injured were transported to the House of Mercy and the dismembered bodies were gathered up and brought to their families.
[1] At the inquest, witnesses testified that on the morning of the explosion, the engineer removed the cap from the safety valve, as he believed it out of order because the boiler blew off at a pressure of 35 to 40 psi (240 to 280 kPa) when it was set for 80 psi (550 kPa).