The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-04-01
FRlGHTFUL EXPLOSION IN PHILADELPHIA

From the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, March 40
This morning, about half past four o'clock, a frightful
explosion took place in the Twenty fourth ward. at the
hour named, the locomotive Perkiomsn, one of the larg-
est on the Reading railroad, had reached the toll -house
on the west side OF the S~chuylkill. at the Falls bridge.
The engine had an immense coal train attached, and it
had halted opposite the toll gate, about twenty feet be-
yond the western end of the bridge. From SONS cause,
which has not yet been ascertained, the boiler OF the en-
CINE exploded while standing at the spot we have de-
scribed, and frightful consequences nsued.
The locomotive was broken away from the rest of the
train by the force of the explosion, and it was dashed on
to the bridge, a distance of sixty or seventy feet. The
engine was literally blown to pieces, the boiler being
shattered and even the running gears wrecked 1t was
O coal burner engine of great power.
Two men were instantly killed by the accident. The
engineer, Josiah Missimer, was upon the engine at the
time, and it is supposed that he was blown into the
river, as no trace has yet been found OF his body. John
Foley, the first brakesman, was blown a distance of fifty
yards from the spot where the explosion took place. His
body was found upon the tow-path, within four feet of
the river. lie had fallen headioremost among some
rocks, and his brains were dashed out.
Missimer, the engineer, was a married man. Mr.. Fo-
ley, the other victim, was unmarried.
The toll house at the west end of the bridge was shat
tered by the explosion and the building was set on fire.
The toll-gatherer and his family were asleep in their beds
at the time. The toll gatherer was thrown from his bed
by the shock and dashed against the wall. A portion of
the iron work OF the boiler was blown into a window of
the toll house, and falling upon the foot of a boy lying
Ia bed, 1t burned him. A daughter of the toll gatherer
was so stunned that she could not be aroused for some
time. None of this family received any very serious in
jury.
The fireman made q narrow escape. He had just left
his post and had gone into the dollhouse to procure a
drink when the mishnp took place. The explosion was
accompanied by a tremendous shock and report. Build
ings in the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Twentieth wards
of the city were shaken by the explosion, and the report
was heard distinctly for a great distance. The safety
valve of the engine was blown entirely across the Schuyl-
kill, and it was found after daylight in the yard of a
house at the Falls.
The news of the disaster soon spread around the neigh
borlood Of the scene, and hundreds of persons who had
been aroused by the shock and by the report hurried to
the spot. There was much excitement for a time, and dill
gent search was made for the bodice of the missing en-
gineer and brakeman, with what success we have al
ready stateu. The occupants Of the dollhouse made a
narrow escape with their lives. The Falls bridge, a sub
Stantial stone structure, escaped without damage.
1t seems that ut the time the explosion took place the
train was Warrington an additional engine to push the cars
around a curve. The shock Of the explosion shook
buildings ut Frankfort and Germantown, as well as in
the upper part of the city.