The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-05-16

from the Philadelphia orth American, May 1871


From the Philadelphia North American May ISL
Yesterday afternoon, between four and five
O'Clock, large steam boiler exploded on the
premises of Messrs. ]. p. Morris 4 Co., iron
of Richmond and Lehigh streets, Wide several Of
the employees of the establishment were testing
ITS strength under the superintendence Of the fore
man, Mr. w. NJ Sheppard, in the usual manner.
The immediate effects of the explosion were ter.
rife and fatal, one man being instantly killed and
several others seriously perhaps nortaily, injured
Hugh Sweeny engaged at work in close proximity
TO the boiler, lost his life simultaneously. Ills
head was blown entirely of, and his body torn
and maDgled in horrible manner J. b. Rey-
nolds, draughtsman for the establishment, was
scalded from he nd to foot and blown u considerable
distance from the spot, and what is singular, when
taken up his watch found to have stopped at ten
minutes before o'clock, and was filed with water.
The clothing of Mr.. Sheppard was torn of, one leg
broken, and his body severely scalded. 1t is feared
that the injuries Of these two men serious AS
to necessarily prove fatal Philip Lehman was
blown into tho dock, and when recovered, it was
found that he was severely cut on the head and
much bruised about the body. Fears entertained
that one or two others have met their death by this
dreadful accident. The boiler was torn into many
pieces, fragments Of which We're projected in vari-
Gus directions great distance from where it stood.
Three principal pieces We're thrown with fearful
violence from so feet to 300 yards. Two Of the
fues Were discovered sticking up in the river,
one hundred yards from the shore, and the
head OF the steam drum was thrown over
into schooner passing down the river, . distance
Of two hundred yards. A man on the stern OF II
steamship lying in tie dock, either jumped or was
knocked into the river by the conclusion, but for
tunately succeeded in swimming to tho wharf. Tho
boiler supposed to weigh seven TONS was three
eghths OF inch thick, aud built of the best Hangc
iron. Ii wac designed fol u low pressure eng inc
steamboat at tho South, and believed to have been
capable OF bearing pressure OF steam OF two hun
drsd POUNDS TO the square inch. The Immediate
cause Of the deplofablc catastrophe is rot
known, all the usual necessary precautions
we're taken in making the trial. The per-
SOM injured We're the only ones o,gBizant Of the
state OF the operation at the time OF the explosion,
and their ondtion preclnde the possibility of OBJ
tanning infoi nation from them, as to determine
the cause Of the accident. Mr.. Sweeny has left u
wife al four children, and or two Of the others,
1t is said, have families.
Iron the Philadelphia Sun. May l5.I
The CONSERVATION which prevailed is described as
having been dreadful. The steamship Mannclita
Rosss was lying on the south side OF tho wharf, and
at the time Of the explosion, man was either
blown from deck, or jumped overheard. He swan
TO near wharf and save himself. Tho steamboat
Cricket was lying on the north side OF the wharf,
and Captain Benjamin Aigen was standing under
the promenade deck, near the front part Of the
boat, at the time OF the ex plosion He says that
the doors Of the steamer were opened by the con-
cusson, ard that he himself was we'll nigh pros
trated. portion Of the boiler struck the forward
railing ofthe Cricket, demolished il and also smash
ed in the side of small boat lying the forward
deck. The head Of the steam drum, weighing two
or three hundred pounds, thro IN upwards,
and 1t passed over pair of shears at least ninety
feet high, the eni OF the wharf and propelled
to a ds tance of about two hundred yards The heavy
piece Of iron fell within few yard. OF schooner
bound down the river. number of the
fucs of the boiler were blown nor;hward to
distance varying from hundred feet to two
hundred yards. About third Of the boiler
was blown westward, and fell in the Dock distance
OF at least eighty feet and the remainder torn
~ III g0 lpn
the Twhaif. The boiler about fourteen feet in
length and five feet in diameter. At the time it
blew up, there a number Of people standing on
the wharf, and it is said that a man wearing u
white hat, who stranger, suddenly disappear
ed. The roll was called at six O'Clock, and there
was one man missing from the foundry shop, whose
name we coud not learn. Ii is hoped that he has
not shared the same fate poor Swccny.