New-York daily tribune., 1857-10-01
EXPLOSION OF A STEAM BOILER.
One Person Killed and Fifteen Wounded
THREE HOUSES DEMOLISHED.

totally demolished. One PofeOn was lnstdnl kuieo
aud about ten or twelve persons seriously If not fatally
injured.
The Plaster Factory was three stories in hight, a
feet 'front.' and 81 feet deep. The bOler was located
in the cellar, and exploded during the temporary sb
sence Of the engineer. There were at the time at
work in tie establishment about dozen persons,
nearly al Of whom more or less injured.
So violent the explosion, that it completely de-
mols6ed the factory, together With the adjoining build
rgs Eo. 5ll and 5l2 West street. The alarm Of fire
for the Third District was sounded by the City Hsu
and other BELLS and in little time the remen were on
the ground.
A rumor was circulated about the city relative to
the violence Of the explosion, and that 30 persons
were killed and this served to draw hundreds of
people to the ground. The scene in aud about the
ruins was n ost appalling Tee shrieks aud cries OF
the wounded among the ruins could be distinctly
heard while here and there about the streets in the
vicinity might be seen men, women and children in
the ~;deet state Of eXoitement wrpging their hands
and bewsir & the loss of relatives and friends.
The iremen soon mouLted the ruins and commenced
removing the rubbish n order to rescue the wounded
ard recover the bodies Of the dead. II any huge
beams we're borne away upon the shoulders OF the
fremen and great piles OF brick were removed in the
.esrcb after those who known TO be ia the build
ings at the time Of the explosion. In the short space
Of an hour Sufficient of the rubbish was removed, aud
the following persons we're taken from the ruios OF the
factory:
Wiism Waterecn, engineer and fireman, se'ious'y
injured by the escaping steam from the boiler. Re-
moved "a his residence in King street.
Jehp Walsh. badly Injured.
Hepry pullman, badly injured:
James M. sden, eighty injured.
Tboma. Welrh seriously injured His spine 10 sup
posed to be brokeo.
slghily injured.
John an was the onl, person at work in the fac
tory who escaped unipjured
There we're three or four persons at work in the e.
tablishnept whose lanes we could no. ascertain, but
who We heard were slightly Injured.
The building No 5il was OF brick aud three stories
in hight, ar was occupied by The following families:
First floor by James Fauel liquor store, abd third
floor by himself ard my, consisting of wife and sis
terin-law, Mics Catbsrine Duganne. Mrs. Farrell
was slightly injured Catbariue was instantly killed
and ber eless body, horribly mutila.ed by the falling
rubbish, was removed from the ruins by the freneo
The upper door also occupied BY Wm no
Donald wife three children, AID an old woman called
Widow Dugsnne, mother Of Ca.harine, deceased
The mother and her children escaped with slgb. rju-
ries TIE Old woman was badly bruised and one OF
her legs broken.
and wife both of whom were slightly Injured.
The persors who were in the liquor store escaped
With tish injuries.
Building No 5l2 was three stories bgh and OF brick,
and was located corner OF West and Hora'io streets
The first cer vas occupied By Richard Elfere as .
Iouor store Second foor by Christopher Brock and
wife Samuel An6erson wife and two children; John
Recdy wife aud two children. Third floor by Michael
Cony wife aud three cbiltren Larry Farley aud wife,
John Ryan, bosrder with Farley aud "a old woman
named Hughes.
At the time of the explosion there were four persons
in the sto,e-EI'ers, the proprietor HE barkeeper'
boy nan ed Herman TcbeD, and two men Hugh Till
mour and CT srles GriDme. TIE two latter were con-
yer.irg together when to use the language of the
latter. "Tbe first knew Of t,e affair was great
"hiss:np rourd, and in second was covered witr
"rubpi.h, spd Gilmour Wa lying across me. told
"Girnour TO have courage The steam aud not wster
"thsn poured in and nearly spfocsted me-" Both of
these men were badly iqjued, and were removed 70
their homes.
The proprietor and bis boy were taken to the Hos
ptal.
Andersen az also taken to the Hospital badly in
jutd.
The .emairrg occupants Of the house were moro or
less Ijvred, but rot seriously it is thought.
The Factory belonged to J. b. Kiog, who was oh.
sent at the time or not known to be tho prsmi
ses. Lose on the building, $1,000; on stock and
mscbir cry so OOO The stock and machinery are in
sured for g. 200 in the Equitable aud Harmony In.
surapce Companies.
The loss on the other buildings is estimated at
$500.
No 5II, owned by Mr.. King, is insured for $500 10
the United States Insurance Company. and No. 5l2
hy Mv Kiru l.. for IA
Greenwich Insurance Company
Tire boiler wss made by j. s Bunce & Co, two
years ego last Jsrusy. 1t 90 feet long by feet
inche. high, was made in the most substantial man.
Ter. snd c,+t very seary 81 200. Isss yet too much
covered by the runs Of the buildings to admit OF 90
exarainst.cn bit no nents Of It have been discov
cred.
The cause Of the explosion appears to be perfect
rys'er but from the situation in which the engineer
vac found i, is believed that he had left his poet and
gone Ito tie upper part of the building Ioasmucb
a. scarcely ore brick remains upon smother, 10
tie foundation Of the building, it is truly wonderful
that q single ird, cua escsped. Of the mite persons
rabep fr, the ruins 10 a sit gle instance only life
fvpd 20 tie extinct The shock occssoreo BY the
e,Ilcsi1r WIS 70 great .hat it caused lady Who
tskrg more than ock di,sot to 10. the cap fell
frou, her hsid.
Ltrg aiiet dark the excitement about the ruins wss
iuense aud hundreds Of person. durirg the evening
yisiteo the Of the oi-a-ter Excepting tue lcs
of he. tpis explosion quite ss violent as the
Hsgue-su,et explosion. The telegraph wires and
poes for some blocks along West street were disar.
ranged
A strong Gordon Of police from the Fifth, Eighth,
Ninth, Fifteenth and Sixteenth Wards promptly re-
:.