Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1850-02-15
SECOND DISPATCH.
New York, Feb. 4-7P. NJ

| ohh, Cu' - Il. W. .
The explosion in Taylor's machine
shop and printing press mandatory
took place this morning-the engine was
in the cellar. ST. John, Burr e. Co, hat
manufacturers, occupied the first floor;
The second and third floors by Taylor; he
had six heavy power presses and other
heavy work: in fourth story book bind
cry, and there were altogether about ] so
persons empl Dyed in the building. 1t is
supposed that not less than 100 were kill
led. Instantaneously with the explo-
sion, the whole building was raised six
feet from its foundation, and fell down
with terrible crash. Thirty dead bod
les have been taken from the ruins up to
noon; 60 or 70 bodies are still buried;
voices are still heard among the ruins,
and cries the most distressing and heart
rending. The bodies are mangled most
terribly, and it is almost utterly impossi-
bic to recognize them. A large crowd
assembled, and workmen are engaged in
digging out the bodies. r
Various opinions have expressed rs to
the cause, the general impression seems
to be, that the boilers were imperfect
| One man rescued from the ruins said it
| 81 H.. III L.
been patched up. The proprietor states
| that il was new boiler, and that the ex-
plosion was owing to the frost last night.
A great number have been drowned. as
floods of water have been poured into the
building since o'clock this morning. -
Had the explosion been an hour later the
loss of life would have been much greater.
Further Accounts Of the late
Dreadful Explosion.
.. New York, Feb. SIS p. Nj.
Altogether up TO noon to-day, % dead
bodies, and 81 wounded, have been taken
from the ruins; the worklnen are still
digging. 1t is impossible to ascertain the
cause of this explosion, the conjectures
are SO various. Many persisted by fire,
others by cold, yesterday being the cold
est day of the season, the thermometer
standing at ls degrees below zero.
/ The building was situated on street
s. feet wide. Many of the unfortunate
persons could be heard imploring assist
ance, others begging TO be saved from the
fire which had attacked :her limbs, fas-
tened immovably as The were--others
praying that the streams of water might
be stopped-others were rapidly becom-
ing paralyzed by the severity Of the cold.
A lad IGOR IL years old, while in that
horrible prison, manifested the grea Attest
heroism, cheering men whom he heard
above him, encouraging his FELLOWSHIP
ferers with hope of release, and Gliding
their expressions Of impotence. An
other exhibited the most remarkable cool
ness--alie. he had been in this fiery
tomb more than six hours, and suffered
extensive injuries, by burning and the
compression OF the rubbish was SO far
removed as 10 give access TO his head,
brandy and wafer wete rendered to him,
he steadily refused any stimulani, on ac-
count of his belong to temperance So
ciety. His recovery is doubtful. Scenes
in the vicinity of Hague street and Sta
ton House are narrowing in the extreme
women in mournful anxiety as To the
fate of those most dear TO them, crowd
ing every avenue, and heart-rending were
their cries of distress when blackened
corpse was found to be all that remained
of husband or father.