The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-01-18

Terrible Explssson or . steam Dealer At
nssal.g, f..lInree Lavss Lost and Five
On the 18th inst, says the Reading Pa.) Gazette,
about quarter past O'clock p NJ, the boiler at
tached to the engine of Messrs. Leze & Snyders
steam saw mill at the northeast corner Of Sixth and
Spruce streets, exploded, blowing the engine, ma
chinery, and the building in which they were en-
closed, into thousand fragments. and scattering
them in all directions. The hands employed at the
mill had just come from dinner when the explosion
took place Three persons, all spectators, sitting
by. on log, watching the movements Of the mill
were killed, and several others seriously wounded.
The following are the names Of the unfortunate per-
sons who lost their lives =
William Duncan, lad of fourteen years. living in
Sixth street. He was struck by some of the frag-
ments on the temple and back OF the head-skull
tractured-and both shoulders and legs broken.
Lived for a few minutes.
John Eiler, aged about 57-face mashed, and skull
| and left arm fractured. Died at p. M. He leaves
a widow and three children
Peter Shenielder, aged about &c. a well known and
respectable citizen Right leg and arm broken, face
somewhat bruised and femoral artery ruptured Died
about p. M. from internal hemorrhage.
WouNDED-Daniel Schmehl the engineer In
ured internally, supposed by inhaling the hot steam
He is still lying i'll, but not dangerously.
Jonathan Bitner, the principal sawyer, from Bern
township Face, breast and shoulders considerably
cut. Confined to his bed, but recovering.
Jacob Kreider, a laborer employed in the saw mill
Lives In Sixth street. close by. Received several
cuts in the face and shoulder. Recovered.
John Beatty, another laborer in the nan. Right
arm and forehead wounded. He has also recovered
son of Jacob Young, Of South Sixth street. was
slightly wounded on the nose; and we learn that a
woman who was passing when the explosion occur
red was struck by fragment, and slightly hurt.
The locality Of the disaster presented scene OF
frightfu destruction Fragments of iron, heavy logs
boards bricks, and other articles, were strewn about
for more than square distant. The smoke-stack
flew trough the air to the coal yard, at the
Of Sixth and Chestnut streets, where it fell upon
the scales, just a man was about to weight some
coal. He escaped almost miracuously. stray
fragment was hurled as far down as Fifth and Ches
nut streets. Loose bricks and pieces of iron fell
like hail upon the roof of the railroad company's car
shop, Seventh street and broke through in several
places A large fragment forced considerable hole
in the wall, just below the caves. The walls and
windows OF a number Of dwellings on Sixth street
and Spruce in the vicinity of the mill, were cons
deraby damaged But the greatest injury Of this
kind sustained by the store and dwelling Of Mr.
John Settley, on the opposite corner. The north
side was battered into almost total ruin The
window sashes were all destroyed, shutters broken
into spnters, and several large breaks made in
the wall
One heavy beam about thirty feet long, was pitched
the street with such tremendous force to be
thrust oneourth its length through the kitchen roof
which covered with TIM and the ceiling below it,
where it stuck, with one end protruding like flag
staff an object of wonder to all who observed it. On
looking at the house, rddled it was, the fact could
scarcely be credited that its inmates escaped this ter
rible bombardment unhurt. 1t is worthy Of remark,
that the same house suffered In similar way from
the violence of storm early last spring, during
which the roof was blown of, and the gable-wall
somewhat injured.
From all we can learn in regard to this catastrophe,
it appears to have been owing mainly to the negli-
gence Of the engineer in not having proper supply
of water in his boiler