Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1857-10-31

The most disastrous ire that has occurred
since the destruction Of Howard Block and
the Museum, four years ago, took place yes
terday morning. At about half past seven
o'clock loud report was heard over large
part of the city. 1t shook the houses in the
neighborhood, and at distance 1t sounded
like some violent conoussion near by, Tt wac
the explosion of boiler in the extensive In
dia Rubber Works OF Nathaniel Haywood.
Such was the force Of this explosion that the
boiler, weighing some four tons, was thrown
out, carrying with it the wall of the building,
hitting and cutting off an elm tree nine inch
es in diameter, and breaking away the side of
a house opposite, and not expending It's full
force against these obstacles. it continued
some three hundred feet along the road, and
there fell, part OF it red hot when it struck
the ground.
The engine had been started about twenty
minutes before the explosion. The ashes and
coal and scalding steam were thrown into all
parts Of the building, and the whole was al
most instantly enveloped in flames. The de-
struction Of the works is complete, and a pile
of ruins is all that remains. The counting
room, which is separate, was little injured,
except by water.
The works consisted of five buildings be-
sides the counting room. They were all con-
nected; the older portions were built of wood
and three stories high, and the additions were
of brick and stone, four and five stories high,
covering III all eighteen or twenty thousand
feet of land
There were over two hundred persons en-
ployed in the works, more than half of them
females. At first it WINS supposed that the
stairs had been separated from the portions of
the buildings in which the greater part of the
people were at work. A terrible panic en-
!; a.
could be restrained from throwing themselves
out of the windows. Some of them jumped
down upon shed, and were removed from
that by ladders; and others went down by the
chains used in hosting goods. In this way
some of them sustained tnhing injuries, and
a few of them were hurt more seriously but
none Of them, it is hoped, dangerously.
Mr.. F. E. Hewes, the superintendent Of the
shoe department, was badly scalded and
wounded. At the time of the explosion, he
was in his room over the boiler room. His
first knowledge of the disaster was his find
ing himself sinking. Presently his down.
ward motion was partially arrested. He was
| blinded and covered with loose bricks and
mortar. Here he supposed that he received
| his burns, and the wounds on his face and
arms. On his first real consciousness, he
| found himself on the lower story among the
medately assembled TO the story where the
| girls were, and remained till the last one had
| been rescued. He then went home, at 208
| Friendship street, where DR.. Miller dressed
| his wounds The Doctor thinks that he is
not injured internally, and that he will soon
| be out. His escape was almost miraculous.
| Elijah Ormsbee, the engineer, was blown
| out with the boiler. He was covered with
brick and rubbish to the depth of eighteen
inches. His leg was badly broken, his wrist
and face were cut, his back badly scalded /;
and it is not certain if he will survive all his
| injuries, but DR.. Miller hopes he win.
| Daniel Higgins, heel cutter for shoes, had
one side of his face badly torn, and was other
wise injured. His recovery is doubtful.
Elizabeth MILAN had one rib broken and
her spine hurt.
! Mary Frazer was slightly hurt.
Harriet Keath had her knee hurt and her
ankle sprained
Jane M Gwin had her thumb broken.
| Ann Kenney had her fingers badly cut.
Several others of the girls were injured by
| jumping from the window and sliding down
the chain. All of them lost their bonnets,
cloaks, and shawls.
DIR. Hartshorn said the establishment two
years ago for 1914, 900 The land was valued
at $4,000. The buildings and machinery
were probably worth about 100000. There
was large quantity of manufactured and
unmanufactured stock on hand, of which it
is not possible to get an Estimate, as Mr..
Hayward is at his residence in Colchester
The insurance is stated at $50, 900, but the
exact amount could not be ascertained yes.
terday.
The house which the boiler struck, was
occupied by Michael Drury and Michael Il.
McGwnn in the upper story, and by James
Faulkner and Mrs. Catherine McElroy in the
basement. Mrs. Faulkner was sitting in