Hancock County Historical Society Carl, Carol Goodrich Killed in
Keokuk Guard Armory ExplosionIt was Thanksgiving Eve, people were in a festive mood. A large group, many from Hancock county, had gathered at the National Guard Armory in Keokuk, Iowa to participate in a fun-filled evening of swirling skirts and foot-stomping music. The Swing Ezy Square Dance club's party was in full swing and the time was 9:30 p.m.
A sudden fiery blast erased all merriment and left in its wake tragedy, death, pain and destruction. The explosion ripped the roof from the armory building and let it drop into the gathering of nearly 75 people. Leo May of Keokuk died in a hospital Tuesday morning, the eleventh fatality of the holocaust.
A young Hancock county couple, Mr. and Mrs. Carl Goodrich of Carthage, R. 2, were among the victims. Their deaths left four young children without parents. Many others from the county are in serious or critical condition in one or more hospitals.
Carl Goodrich, 30, attended Carthage Community high school and was active in football and basketball. Carol Jean Gronewold Goodrich, 29, also graduated from Carthage high school and later attended Gem City Business College. The couple was married while Carl was still serving in the army and the marriage took place in Trinity Lutheran church in Carthage.
The explosion survivors told how the terrific blast apparently lifted the roof and let it fall in flames on members of the dance club, People, they say, were running in all directions, their clothing afire. They were screaming, begging for help, asking for doctors and ambulances. The scene was one of stark terror.
Heroic Deeds
There were acts of heroism, Teenagers, most of them unidentified, along with scores of others rushed in and out of the flaming and darkened building. They escorted people to safety, released some from the tons of debris. When they could no longer help they quietly left the scene, always to be haunted by the memory of the accident.
An appeal for blood was sent out. The response was overwhelming and many were thanked and sent home when blood was no longer an urgent matter. William Marshall, shop foreman of the Journal Printing Company, was among the first to donate blood for the explosion victims, Francis Smalley of Carthage was second in line when the waiting donors were told that enough blood had been donated.
The Carthage fire department rescue squad was sent to the scene about 10:45 Wednesday night. The tired group of men, headed by Chief Jack Hulen, returned to Carthage, weary and grim, about 5 a.m. on Thanksgiving day.
Some were fortunate. A few escaped the blast with but minor injuries. Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Lasswell of Carthage got a late start to the dance and were within a few blocks of the Keokuk Armory when the explosion occurred. Another couple had reportedly planned to attend the square dance but cancelled plans when a baby sitter was not available.
The stories are many, the pieces will never be entirely put together. Pain and suffering will continue for a long time as an aftermath.
Cause A Mystery
Authorities are still attempting to determine what triggered the chain of tragic events. During the explosion and fire seven persons were killed and 44 were rushed to hospitals in Carthage, Keokuk, Burlington, Quincy and Iowa City. Five more have since died.
Seven of the victims were taken by Military Air Transport Service (MATS) from Burlington, Iowa airport, Tuesday, to the Burn Center at Brooks General Hospital, San Antonio, Texas. The flight took three hours and 45 minutes.
Among those taken to the Burn Center, all considered serious, though not critical, were Mrs. Vera Pilkington of Nauvoo and Mrs. Don Hoambrecker of Keokuk. She is the wife of Don Hoambrecker, C.B. & Q. agent at Colusa. He was a relief agent at the Carthage depot just a few weeks ago. He too was taken to Burn Center.
Others taken to San Antonio were Robert Anderson, Jay Joy, Richard Davis, and Richard Smith, all of Keokuk.
The Surgical Research Unit at Brooks is a special unit under the control of the Research and Development department of the U.S. government and normally treats only service men and their families. On instructions from the Surgeon General's office at Washington, special permission was granted to treat the explosion victims.
Burn Teams
The Burns Center was established 15 years ago to treat GI's who were severely burned in combat. The Center has five burn-teams which can go any place in the U.S. within a short time with a complete portable hospital which is generally transported in MATS planes.
Iowa Adjutant Gen. Junior F. Miller and State Fire Marshall Wilbur Johnson have agreed the explosion was caused by gas. They explained, however, that they have not determined the source of the gas to the building or how it was ignited.
Those among the survivors who have been able to describe the chain events say they detected no odor of gas prior to the searing blast.
Children of the dancers were being cared for in the basement of the building. Cindy Goodrich, daughter of the Hancock county couple killed in the explosion, was among them and sustained only minor injuries.
Goodrich Funeral
Double funeral services for Mr. and Mrs. Goodrich were held Monday, Nov. 29, at 2 p.m. in Trinity Lutheran church in Carthage, the Rev. William H. Swarbrick officiating. Mrs. Ralph Logan was the organist. Casket bearers for Mrs. Goodrich were Frederick Folkerts, Irvin Huls, Junius Har-
(Continue on Page 6)
Armory Explosion
(Continued from Page 1)berts, Larry Huls, Ernest Huls, and Wilbur Huls, and for Mr. Goodrich the casket bearers were Darel Carroll, Gary Kerr, Richard Lucie, Wayne Miles, Jack Higgins, and Terry Vance. Burial was in Immanuel Lutheran cemetery south of Carthage.
Carol Jean Gronewold Goodrich was born Feb. 24, 1936, a daughter of Henry and Mattie Huls Gronewold.
She attended Carthage Community high school from which she was graduated in 1952. She then attended Gem City Business college in Quincy and for a time was employed as a bookkeeper for the Huey Seed Co. in Carthage.
She was married to Carl Goodrich Aug. 22, 1954 in Trinity Lutheran church in Carthage.
They were the parents of five children, Robert Dale, who died at birth in 1955; and Cynthia Lynn, 8, Jeffrey Edward, 5, Dean Allen,4, and Jacquelyn Ann, 2.
Mrs. Goodrich also is survived by her parents; and a sister Laurine.
Carl Edward Goodrich was born April 23, 1935 in Kansas City, Mo., a son of Max E. and Lillian Fern Anderson Goodrich.
He attended Carthage Community high school and served in the army for two years.
After he returned from service he and his wife lived on a farm near Basco.
In addition to his children, he also is survived by his mother, Mrs. Lillian Goodrich of Carthage; his father and step-mother, Mr. and Mrs. Max E. Goodrich of Lebanon, Mo.; and a sister, Mrs. O. R. (Sharon D.) Murphy of Pease Air Force Base, N. H.
