The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-07-20
DREADFUL EXPLOSION OF A STEAM BOILER,


DREADFUL EXPLOSION OF A STEAM BOILER,
AT the FOUNDRY OF >. n. Pratt Ira Attorney
Street.-The Engineer and several Work.
men Badly scnldeO.
At about O'Clock yesterday AFTERNOON a steam
boiler in the iron foundry Of Pratt situated at Nos
co and 62 Attorney street exploded with great Violence
blowing out the end wan Of the basement building
leading into Ridge street spreading the brks and frag
iron in evsy direction njuriug severa persons,
two OF three OF whom sil in oil probability die from tho
injury tustaiIed By TIE scslding steam
II appears that just at O'Clock, as the work.
about ing their labors after dinner Mr..
Thomas Service, the acting engineer and foreman
of the establishment set the engine in notion
when the explosion took place. Great eonstsrna-
tiop manifested by the workmen ard persons
in the immediate vicinity. it believed that
many lives were lost. Captain Russell Of the Thir-
teeDth ward police, prompt he is occa--
sions summon ed forthwith platoon Of his men, and pre-
ceSdd to the of the calamity and rendered all the
assistance possible The injured bcough. to the sta
ion house Dr. FULLY Of Broome street. and other physi-
Clans present Who gave their immediate attention.
and applied the proper relief to the unfo, sufferers.
The steam boiler located in the basement Of the
shop about the Of the block BET yesa torney
AID Ridge streets extending through Ridge street. ana
wien it burst it took almost horizontal direction
tending upwards destroying portion Of the brick wall
and scattering the hagmen into Ridge street. Mr..
Tn Riley, who seated at the Of his gro
Gerry store, No SO Ridge street, received very 30.
rious injury shout the face and head from the
bricks and pieces Of lion blown from the foundry
by the explosion. Mr. Riley conveyed to the
Hospital for surgical attendance.
The engineer, Mr.. Service. knocked down by tho
copcussoD and received scads The breast
1uud nhi 30 d-.iIl TnA.
lo~irg il list of the il inIed:-
Thomas Service engineer resides at No. 90 avenue B.
Very severely scadsd about the face breast and hands
Doubts of his recovery.
David Barry soIkmsn resides at No 1888 Hester street.
Badly scalded about the face and hands.
Thomas kerrgsn, boy II years OF age restless at No.
225 Stanton Str est Very badly scalded about the BODY
face and hsnos.
William Riley, keeps grocery store q. No % Ridge
street. Badly injured by the fragments brisk and iron
blown from the explosion He was sitting at his store
door at the time of the accident
Pieces Of iron from the boiler we're found blown over
two hundred feet from he explosion piece weighing
near two pounds vent through windo. il to room in
Ridge street passing close by the head of shoemaker
VINO SAT there at work. causing reasonably sup
pose much alarm fo his safely He mme left the,
window
The explosion is said 10 hsve been o4used through
want Of efficient water in the bser. kfr Doape sr.c
fcsl engineer, residing at 429 Grand street examined
the boiler after the explosion and gives as nj, opinion
that the explosion the result of want water in the
boiler.
ANOTHER ACCOUNTABLE LATEST PARTICULARS
Yesterday afternoon about o'clock shortly after
the return from elmer of the workrnen eapoyed at
Prats Iron Foundry explosion of factory boiler
took pace, by which several Of The employees nsuoae
Ea eats
sod one man, hile entering his home in Ridge street. op
polite to toe of the oundry, was supposed IA
tally wounoed The premises in which tnis dreadful
catastrophe occurred are situated between Broome aad
I.ispcy streets, exten3Dg from Attorney street. where
is the office entrance to Ridge street in the rear. The
sbnent s rather extensive employing con3idera
Bile lumber of wokmen and it'd business ii confined to
TIE manufacture Of iron casr gs, such columns grid
ers &c The engine house whore the aceaont occurred
is situated on one side about midway Of the building and
il separated from Tie other workshops BY substantial
BRICK walls At the time when the ac;ideot occurred
the men bad not yet commenced work. but were
inside, 1t being customary to ring the bell few
minutes previous to the hour. The engine had
not yet been tarted, indeed had 1t oean in oper
alton during that day at all its aid is not constantly
required in places of this description The FIRE was
lighted at eleven O'Clock in the morning and
s large amount of steam must have been generated
during the Intervening period Suddenly TIE moulds-s
and other wOhmen employ ed In tns esab hrnent we're
astourdee by hearing Shzzing SQUAD reseubed.
to u.e the words of person present. "tbe noise Of
sbhl~ind" Instantly the place was filed Vita stsam
which abscrIed everything wi dense mist and the az
f,ighec worknen Tor a moment bswijered E5-
cape from the moulding shop by the rear into Ridge
street was imprachcab'e, as the windows strongly
barred and egress at .he other end FOE Sine i'm.
possible on account Of the rapid gushing in Ct the
confined steam By this time the alarm ba b.en raised
and body Of police assisted by the freru ~ who had,
Laebed to the Iot re the best of their wy into the
interior of the buiIAsg. Hexs a dreaiful sight
presented itself. That part of HIS boiler which had
proved too weak for the pressure of the steam had
neen rent and doubled back like a shea. of card
board, tie engine house of ruios add the
brick work in front ard around the sdss of the boiler
had been hurled dosn, and lay scattered sbout the
in all directions So great had been the force Of
the escaped steam that iron platform some height
over thu boilers and which weighed nearly ton, vas
torn from the wss and hurled to the other end Of the
engine house. Here 'he opposite wall, which from it's
op had to endure the first brunt Of the explosion,
by the tremendous force of this escaped
The foreman, who happened unfortunately to be
sanding this wall, inside the engee house. re-
c,sed consequence ta first shock of ths aud
ater aid entering the place found lying down
severely scstd. The only wohder il that he yet alive
HE il Thomas Service and besides acting fore
man OF the foupcr, he nsewite engineer de vas
taken up severely setd.e about the aud body as
wen about the face md head ard to his resi-
dencs avenue u. de = married man On the other.
side ~ the va In contiguous Sion we're three
dividuas mao and two boys, Who wers likewise Dad
~ hurt The man named David Barry was a laporer
belonging TO the pltce, and IL severely easlded
lie J. alt married man, convey ed TO tho CITY
Hospital ~hsre he iea The ames OF the ooys are
IhoEss ke1rgsn who vas badly scalded and kewse cut
about the head, and William Cronoy, who was also oaoly
feacsd BON were conveyed home to tnsr residences
] D. also reported tina known by the name of
Jenny who acted as fteman, PRESENT vhe time II
toe NEGLIGENT ard 30 he must have been buried 10 the
nnH for We could obtain certain account especng
BIN ano therefore tbte IL parity cppecturst Ia add
TOD 20 toe above nan named Riley who resided opp
sire 10 the rear OF the foundry in Ridge street struck
bF me q the bricks md frscroen's Of retp that
pur'.o through he rosf Of the foundry sdoDg
str,et, aid Is ID fsaisd esaLy wSuIded lie wss NJ the