The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-05-08

Early yesterday morning. iae manufacturing district
OF Paterson, New Jerse, WA thrown into alarming
state Oh excitement the information that terrible
explosion hs taken place at the machine workshop OF
Messr logers Ketchum and Grosvcnor by the bursting
Of locomotive boiler whereby four were in
sta y killed and some fifteen twenty injured, the
recovery of of whom is considered very doubtful
During the day reporter visited the scene Of ca
laity the following facts respecting the cause OF
the explosion well the subsequent circumstances
together with the names Of the killed and wounded
aseertained from the most reliable sources =
1t appears that locomotive Of superior workmanship
weighing twenty tons, made for the Rochester ana
Syracuse Railroad had just been completed, valued at
$4,000 and that morning undergoing the last test
when to have been transported to its detinatul
Yesterday morning fire made the furnace order
make the final of its capacity for steam having
been twice before steamed for that purpose As the
fire kiHAed up, and the steam was rising the pumps
were set motion when the boiler burst with fearful
explosion The effects Of the explosion confined
almost wholly within compass Of thirty feet square,
those without 1t consequently uninjured,
ccpt experiencing shock The locomotive was thrown
from story the roof and in its descent lodged
the sill Of the front second story door having turned
a complete somerset. The building itself was injured
only within the space mentioned except by the break
ing Of windows most of which shattered and broken.
There must have been something like $50 men in the
building at the time, and it is almost miraculous that
the explosion was confined in its ciIe- 70 the limits it
appears have been The accident Is attributed her
to an impertcton in the iron or careessness on the
part Of those trying the engine and present it would
be unsafe to venture an opinion as to which was the
cause.
The following the Of the killed and wepaded
KILLED,
Thomas BASTARD Patrick Dougherty
James MacSamara, Amos Whitehead
William Warren, foreman, Lewis Keuck,
John Cook do, Charles Benjamin jun
Watson Cook, John Ayres
John Brown, James Ayres
Reign Berry, James McClory,
Joseph Nichols, Patrick Daley,
Patrick Delany, Michael Kane,
James Keenan,, John King,
Edward McEvoy Robert Houstown,
Lewis llener, Robert Harold.
William scofeld David Turnbull,
John Benjamin, William Hawkins,
Samuel Wallace, James Mac Namara.
Mr. Warren the first the above list Of wounded,
ceiyed conclusion; also had his jaw broken and
otherwise scaded be Is not expected to live and
when reporter left last night, he had become in
sensible and was expected to die before morning The
other injured persons laborers and Ineehanies
scalded and bruised but no bones broken 1t is believed
they will recover Michael Kane was thrown by the
plosion up with the locomotive and his leg became
tangled in the wheel of the engine, aud there he
manned suspended on the totterng fragments of the
shattered building for space Of nearly hours
pecting every be precip;aed to the ground
and crushed by the locomotive The walls propped
up and the sufferer ber ated from perous situation
and found to have suffered comparatively little. Those
named AZ dead gave little signs Of life, though
rescued within a few minutes after the explosion
The body CT Thomas BASTARD extricated the
ruins dead Ills watch in his vest pocket ascertned
to be without back Subsequently man picked up the
where 1t blown from the pocket o deceased 1t had
been struck from the watch If severed with knife u
The boiler il seems made capable of sustaining
leo lbs to the inch and the day previous it had been
tried with 100 lbs to the inch; but this morning there
was but 70 lbs on when the explosion took place The
impression appears to be- that the of the explosion
was attributed to the want Of water in the boiler from
the fact that the iron plates, sheets exami
nation were evidently red hot at the time of explosion
and when the water flowed against the red hot iron
steam was generated too rapidly, thereby causing
pansion powerful than gunpowdor and the result
Coroner Vail called to hold an inquest the dead
bodies. jury sworn and the evidence commenced
with Mr. David Stoddard, Of the workmen who tes-
tilted before the jury that about o'clock that morning
about i've minutes before the explosion took place, he
visited the shop with two engineers, and took look
the locomotive. he then took particular notice Of the
safety valve which appeared to be struggling and lifting
up and down in dangerous manner; he felt fearful at
the appearance Of the engine and walked away with
two engineers fearful that accident would happen
and scarcely had he left the locality the engine when
| the explosion took place.
Mr.. Rogers the owner Of the locomotive was next ex-
amined lie stated that he believed the Of the
ploson to have been for the want Of sufficient
the boiler; that the furnace became oyerheated the
crown sheet became red hot and the water then flowing
against the red hot iron the immediate Of the
calamity.
The Coroner here remarked that many rumors we're
in circulation the Of the explosion he would
adjourn any further examination until o'clock on
Friday next in order to allow sufficient time 10 have the
valve and other parts Of the demolished engine properly
examined any further investigation hereupon with
held until that day We understand that the bodies Of
the deceased persons will be buried this day
The accident attribute either 10 mperfection In
the iron neglect the part of those whose duty
was TO see that sufficient water in the boiler before
trying the engine However, 1t would possibly be
safe and to indulge in opinion to Who was
consurable In this matter in the present stage Of
proceedings The facts sufficiently narrowing with
out adding to the universal grief the community by
sotting blame where IL l. known with certainty
exist We might enlarge into minute particulars
but Is enough TO know that most hea rending ca
lamity has occurred among the citizens Of Paterson
Thomas Bustard and Amos Whitehead were me-
chancs and have left wives and families their
loss. Patrick Dougherty was a laborer and a single
man, and John Mcnamara apprentice. VIM
Warren, tie foreman, who built the engine, a
ried man.
The loss sustained by the explosion will be near
$1,000 and cannot be recovered insurance as no
fire occurred.
During the day crowds Of people congregated about
the building and its vicinity, commenting on the cause
and whether the parties should be held responsible for
the apparent culpable neglect All the factories stopped
work and the community exhibited universal gloom Of
sonow.
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