The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-17 00:00:00

FATAL BOILER EXPLOSION.

- -
DUDLEY, SUNDAY.-At two o'clock yesterday after-
noon the inhabitants were thrown into a state of great
alarm mid consternation by a tremendous explosion, caused
by the bursting of one of the boilers of the engine used at
the Fire Iron and Glass Cutting Factory, in the Minories,
of Messrs. David and Simeon Davis. Most fortunately it
occurred just before the workpeople got into the shops, or
the loss of life must have been greatly increased. As it
was, four were killed yesterday, and of the life of an-
other of the sufferers slight hopes are entertained. The
effects of the explosion on the factory are quite ruinous,
the building being wholly destroyed, together with all
the
e
machinery, which was blown into the air, and scattee
over the houses adjoining, in many cases, the large
masses of iron, weighing 5 cwt., 6 cwt., and even 7 cwt.,
falling on the roofs of the houses and breaking through
*hem. The engineer, named Joseph Millward, was
blown to a great height in the air—perhaps near a hun-
dred feet—and fell on the roof of a house about eighty feet
from the factory wall, through the slating of whichm
and
the
the
ceiling of the room under, his weight carried hi to
floor. The unfortunate man was not dead when he was
found in the room nearly half an hour after the explo-
sion, but he did not survive more than an hour.
besides the engineer there were killed, Elias Sheldon,
about 20 years of age ; Peter Ellis, who has left a widow
and five children ; and George Stokes, who was a mar-
ried man, but had no child. The remains of these poor
fellows were shockingly mangled, the hand and arm of
one of them severed from his body has not yet been
found. James Taff, a lad in the employ of Messrs. Davis,
is so dreadfully injured that little hopes are entertained
of his recovery. Thomas Cif thes and his wife were found
buried under the ruins ; but, extraordinary to relate,
they were comparatively little hurt. James Evans was
very greatly injured, but it is hoped not fatally. The
sufferers were most promptly attended by Messrs.
Fisher, Johnson, and Houghton, surgeons, in Dudley.
The engineer (Millward) bad only yesterday commenced
working the engine, not having been before in the em-
ploy of Messrs. Davis, Of course the cause of the ac-
cident cannot at present be satisfactorily explained, and
perhaps never will be.
We have heard that the engine had been in use 26 or
27 years, and was of 20 or 25 horse power. It worked
the whole of the machinery in the factory for driving the
grinding millstones and polishing machinery for the fire
irons and also the glass-cutting apparatus. The dilapi-
dation to the houses surrounding the factory is very
considerable ; portions of the bricks, of the joists of tim-
ber, and of the iron boiler and machinery being scattered
about in all directions. The force of the explosion dis-
lodged the other boiler of the engine from its bed. It
has been a very sad calamity for Messrs. Davis, as they
have only been proprietors of the factory about three
years, and have expended something like 4001. in repairs
and alterations. Much sympathy is felt for them% here.
Great numbers of people have been yesterday and to-day
to visit the scene of the accident, and a box has been
opened at the entrance to the ruins of the factory to
receive contributions for the benefit of the widows, &c.,
of the deceased. The loss of life has not been so great,
but the extent of damage to property is probably more
than resulted from a similar occurrence at Hart's Hill,
about two or three years ago, since which nothing has
happened in Dudley of so disastrous a character till the
present sad affair.