Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1858-12-24
From the 81 Iouis Republican ~ Monday.
Fri htfill Calamity

upon to record more hcartrendng calamity than
was witnessed yesterday morning in the explosion
&c a steam boiler at the St. Louis Sugar Refinery
| The accident occurred at about twenty minutes
! past seven o'clock, little while after the night
! workucn had been relieved by the day men. The
boiler room is situated ut the Northeast corner Of
! the alley, between Main and Lewis Streets
! OFaiIon and runs backa distance Of one hundred
and twenty five feet Mr. Thomas Shepherd the
pracipai engineer Of the establishment. happen
ing to be detained ct home half an hour later than
usual was at the corner Of Broadway and Ashley
streets, on his way to work. when the explosion
took place. He describes the noise, at that dis
tsnoe. nearly four squares, as IA rnmbfng dis
! NAL sound, iike that produced underground by a
| blast" The shock must have been terrific The
whole length Of the wall leigheen inches thick,
! or the boiler room, three stories in height, was
icyelled u the ground in few seconds, and such
was the force Of the cnneussion, that part Il the
! boiler eight feet long aud weighing at least loo
/ lhs, together with fues weighing $500 pounds
more we're lifted into the air carried sixty yards,
ard thrown upon the peak of the roof OF the main
buld,ng. which, seventy five feet FROM the ground,
Where they rll through the roof to the floor be-
meath. A steam drum, weighing II ton, was pro-
icctei over high stack Of boilers, and fell nj a
distance OF thirty feet from its original position.
Dnc ii the hues out of tie main boiler went into
tie roaiaf dwelling house On Bates street, max
ns hole six feet long b, two in width; and
apafher made The singular ight OF passing through
'NH lHpsfe NlhItNs III iiIf VI '' ia'-
hn,,y, falling on the top of II two-st"ry building
he}pw. Pieces Of machinery. timhers, &c, were
thrown in all directions, and scarcely pane OF
ia SIS in the ncehborhood was left unbroken.
But all this destruction is nothing, compared
y. IA the suffering aud loss Of life which tine neci-
dsnt ocensianed. Immediately succeeded the re-
rirt the walls gave way. the raf:ers fell in, aud
in half minute more ali thai portion of the hull
dug situated as described above, was leyeed to
she earth
l.r>an Graham Greman. whe had been employ
vlavrI ten years in the establishment, was taken
tln The ruins dead. lie ,,alded OYER his
j !e body, both legs were broken in several lla-
.e,.> and there was IA awful cut IN his forehead.
lie leaves wife AMI five children.
Another fireman named John Conner was Ike
wise taken on, lead. lie was terribly scaled and
was Yerir ny black. He leaves family.
.T1oh Hrlna,i~ ho.rer, miil-wrirh,, was taken out
5ti,te.s. His neck aud several bones were broken
AYES n wife and three childrnn.
IIenry u. Pr'tingl maehiuist was alive when
removed from the rubbish. He was, however,
ro,tnieiin all parts # lis body, and his le!thand
s,as completely cut 90, lie takea to the Me-
rha'i-s Exchange, near by where he suffered un
~t"akahly for about an hour and died. Pcttin-
.jn hai been engaged III the establishment since
me first Of November. lie was formerly from
R,ekfotd, Illinois, ut which place he invented
Sha, il known the ''Rockiortl h,er." He
caves A wife and three children in Illinois.
mcnt
Michael Kcfee, fireman. was frichifully scald
cl.'o much 80 a. to be almost unrecngnizable. lie
was taken 70 his residence. northe>t Of
Bates and Lewis streets. His wounds were found
20 he extensive, and lac had injuries about
che head. He recovered his consciousness during
she afternoon, and favorable opinions
pre.eed a 10 his recovery, but despite everything
;ha, could lie done for his permanent relief, he
died IN great suffering at abDxt II o'clock at night
( lie leiycs wife and four children.
! Robert Cook. young man Is years of arr, who
WA working AT The drill press was badly cut
about he head the scalp being torn across the top,
and almost from ear. His skull also
! iro-tuie.i. and his shoulders badly injured. His
/ brother. YIN. Cook. jumped from window when
I the explosion occurred, went back, took Robert
( icom the aims. and carried him home, between
! IL h aud 10Th aud Biidle and O'Fallon streets--
1t Is con,idered doubtful whether he will survive.
Archil AID Mclean, machnst, had Que of his
! shoulders dslocated, and badly bruised in
,c,c ra parts Of his body. lie was at work in the
upper shop. i'll the third story. and fell to the
/ basement. On hearing the report, and feeling the
tonr giving way, he chung to IA large wee. which
came down With him. aud struck him in the
breast. In the fall his right hand rendered
| poweriess, but notwithstanding his injuries, he
| had presence at mind Ia arrange timlcrs over his
hel with his left baud. i'll such II manner as to-
project him from the falling bricks. lie Ia
ken 10 the Sisters, Hospital. aud will rgohaly l."
cut in two or three weeks lie has wlie and iiy,
! children in Bellcy lie, Illinois.
| John Booth, ma,hinist, badly injured,
I though not danger, us Y. His place oi wolk
about the centre OF ie machine shop, mmediau"-
" above the builer-'ooln, from where he fell
through IN the basement.
Ernest II llorr WIS seycraly hurt about the
arms and legs. but fortunately not IN such man
! ner as to endanger his life.
Julius .ibrecht kusta aen a number ofprctty
bal Commissions, but it il belived none oi his bone,
were broken.
Tbc above list of the oundcd embraces, we lie
lieve, all whose condition such as To require
medical attention. Scser. others were slightly
burt, and some who in the building made
almost miraculous escapes.
The boiler which exploded was an upright tub
ular one, containing ~ lues. 1t was originally
made by Gaty, McCune & Co.. but had been al
tered several times so that very little remained
Mt first. 1t not long ngo subjected to test
Of the hydraulic press and withstood a pressure
Of 10 pounds Of steam ON the square inch. The
customary guage IS pounds and it is asserted
that not more than that amount on ut the ;ime
OF the accident. though it appears almost lncredi-
bic that that power would be sufficient To bnrl an
object weighing over 1000 pounds n distance Of
lG5 f., aud lodge it the roof OF house 10 feet
high. Whatever have been the direct cause. 1t
appears that some Of the stay bolts which hold
the inside and outside sheets Of tie boiler toGeth-
cr gave way, but whether this was from the pres
sure or not, cannot be said.
: Safety ofthe Steamer Ariel.
l iirR AHRlvM. At HALiIAx-GALEs ON THE NoY-
Act .rr>N Lrpiow KILLED AND FOUR
ERs NocNpEp.
Halifax Cecember ao-The United States mail
steamship Ariel, from Southampton, December J.,
! put into Halifax this afternoon. in charge OF the
hfs' oiheer and short of coal She experienced