Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-11-05
[From the Chicago Journal, November a.
4 FrIRhtful Boiler Explosion Coffee aud
SPICE Mills Ia RuIns-FIve RIen ScaIded.

A RrIRhtfuI Boiler Explosion Coffee aud
SPICE Mills Ia RuIns-Flve 1Ien scaIded.
Between eleven and twelve o'clock this
morning fearful explosion occurred in the
coffee and spice establishment of Messrs.
Downer Il Co, Nos. 43 and 45 franklin
street, between Lake and Randolph, causing
the complete wreck of the lower portions Of
the building and its contents, and seriously
injuriug q number of the occupants.
In the confusion incident to the explosion
1t was impossible to obtain full and definite
particulars, but such as could be gathered
are given. ....
The boiler was situated in the basement of
the store No. 43, nearest Lake-street, and in
the extreme rear, but about six feet remain
ing between its end and the rear wall Of the
building for firing purposes. 1t was we'll
covered with brick masonry, upon the top of
which sat the engine that drove the machin-
cry Of the establishment. The rest of the
basement was used for storage and packing
purposes. The loft above, constituting the
first floor of the store No. 43, was used for
grinding spices and other purposes incident
to its manufacture. The adjoining store was
occupied as saleroom and Office, and COM
municated with No. 43 by an open partition.
just previous to the explosion, the engi-
neer Lynch was in one of the upper apart.
mente, and noticing some irregularity in the
running of the machinery, hastened below
to see what was the matter When he
reached the engine-rocm he discovered that
the main driving belt had run of from its
Drum, and the engine was pounding away
with fearful velocity. just at this instant
the explosion occurred with q report equal
to piece of heavy ordnance. The explo-
sion seemed to be rearward through the
fire.box, throwing scraps of iron aud brick
through the wall and across the alley, and
completely shattering a frame building on
the opposite side of the alley. But the most
singular incident was the reaction of the
explosion on the boiler, which forced it from
its setting, bodily, ejecting it through the
front of the building and completely across
the street, distance OF upward of a hundred
feet from its original location. In its fight
it tore away the flooring of the main room
| above, knocked the front of the store into
| fragments, tore up the steps and gratings
| covering the front way, struck and capsiZed
dray that was passing in the street, in
| juring the driver somewhat, and demolished
buggy standing in the opposite gutter.
| At the time of the explosion there were,
| it is supposed, nineteen men in the building
| fifteen workmen, three clerks and Mr.. Joshua
| Downer, one of the proprietors.
Mr.. Downer was standing in the front part
! of the room above the engine, and was badly
sealded and considerably bruised.
| The engineer, Lynch, escaped with q
| pretty bad scalding.
His brother, Patrick Lynch, was also quite
badly scalded.
George Gurney, a salesman, was very badly
| bruised and scalded, and it is feared has
suffered some internal injuries. He seems tc
have been burned the worst of any one in the
building.
When our reporter left it was not thought
that any others belonging to the building
were hurt. All known to have been there
had been found. The rubbish, however, wa9
| not all cleared away. ..
The dray that was struck belonged to G
| A. K9ffier, liquor dealer. The driver wal
cut and bruised considerably. The dray wal
completely wrecked. st...
1t is fortunate that the explosion was out
ward rather than inward, acircumstance tina
saved the building from total ruin, and sayeC
the lives of a number of the occupants
The boiler was eighteen feet in length b.
four in diameter. 1t was manufactured ii
Patterson, N. j., five years ago, since which
time it has been in constant use. 1t wa
patched about three years ago, and it was a
this patch that the explosion occurred. Tht
immediate cause can not now be stated.