Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1850-02-08
terrible ExploSion---IOrc II an Hundred Per
sons Buried in the Ruins Of n Building,



New IoRK, Feb. 4-3r. I.
An awful ex losion occurrel here
this forenoon, the IuIl particulars of
which. at the pre- ent writing. il is I'M
possible to give. The accident occurred
at half past A. NJ, by The bursting of
a boiler OF 30 horse power. in ,he print
ing press and machine shop of Mr.. A.
Y. Taylor No. Ilaguc-st.. within \
loor or two of PearI-st
As soon as the explosion took place,
the whole building. which was 5 stories
nigh, was actually lifted from its found
ttion To a height of feet; and when 1t
reached that elevation il lurIblcd down,
crushing amid the ruins a great many
people. The exact number we have
not yet been able to ascertain. So
gr,at was The force of the explosion,
that fragments of he building were
scattered in every direction Windows
N the neiJhborhood were br ken, and
= large portion Of the front wall of the
ui'ding WAS thrown with tremendous
10 &c into the houses opposite.
Various opinions are afloat in regard
to the Cause OF the explosion, but the
most generally received opinion is, that
the boiler was imperfect The propri-
tors state that il was Il new boilcr, and
hat the frost last night caused it To cx-
pIole when il was fired up this morning.
A nearly as can be ascertaihed. there
were 100 or more persons nj the ti.u,
OF the cataStroI lie scattered through the
machine-sh~p aud pattern factory, As
well as a bindery, in which great MA
ny men and girls were USUALLY en-
i Ioyed. The number Of persons killed
ii IS difficult TO estimate. VIM. Mcr-
riIl, of Hose Co. No. ii, was killed. He
was dreadfnlly mangled, his features be-
ng scarce y recognizable. $. Je>Sup,
Assistant Engineer, was badly injured,
Amid the confusion which prevailed,
cries OF the wounded and The warning OF
the relations of those who were known
TO have been in the building at the time.
the noise of the friends, of the workmen.
and the dust, smoke AMI excitement
which prevailed. we found it impossible
to GIT anything Ike aconnected account
OF The awful catastrophe VIM. Grip:
per, the chief engineer in the machine
shop, has not been heard of since the
explosion, up to this hour 1t is though
he IS among the killed. At IL o'clock
we visited the 18th ward station house,
and found several persons there IN cots
who had been severely, but 1t is hoped
not mortally, injured. Among them
there were Charles Dougberty, John
Thompson, of Engin, No, 10. ard
boy named Flood Seven pc sons who
were taken out of the ruins were re-
moved 10 the Hospital
In the machine shop and pattern shop
together there were usually about 1870
hands employed. Pre- badly there were
from 100 to 100 men and boys present
at the time of the explosion. Up TO -
o clock about 30 had been taken out, SO
that there must be some so or 10 per-
sons there still. There were at l2 o.
clock number of voices still heard I'M
der the ru rs. Their cries before noon
were most piteous. Ii is feared that a
large majority of those under the ruins
are either crushed to death or drowned
from the immense quantity of water
poured ID. Several who were taken
out were dripping wet, and shivering
Ieartully with cold A little boy stated
that there were others beyond him when
he was taken out. A large number of
are engaged in search of those
still buried under the ruins.
New YoRK, Feb. 5-P, M.
Upto present time, 25 bodies have been recovered.
Some of them present the most awful appearance
we ever witnessed. number have been recos-
lized; but some so badly burned that it is i'm.
possible to identify them. Women and children
lock around the station-h house to see if they can
ind any trace of absent husbands and fathers, ut
erIng the most piercing aud heart-rending cries
The scene is truly a solemn one. The utmost
lvIty prevails in removing the rubbish and tho
Mayor has issued orders not to have the work stop
ped Tor single moment, but to gel new hands as
soon as those engaged are exhausted A little boy
named Samuel Findale, who under the ruins
IS hours, was taken out this morning, but died in
4 few hours. Now that the ruins are being cleared
apdly. and tina; the attention and energies Of tie
ireInen, which were before concentrated ON the