, 1863-12-18
TERRIBLE BOILER EXPLOSION,
The Chicago Distille1y Blown Up
-Four Boilers and the Engine
House in Rrins-Loss
$2O,00G.
Ten Persons Horribly 6calded.

About halfpast 10 O'Clock yesterday morning n
terrific explosion occurred at the Chicago Dlstil-
lery, owned by Waiter s. Gurncc 4 Co., situated
on the weat bank OF the North Branch, lust soutt
from Wards Rolling Mills. In the Engine House
were four large boilers in range, connected to-
gethcr, md two others 1ay short distance north,
aud disconnected. Two boilers exploded, at the
came instant, entirely deuolish1ng the engine
house, and throwing all the four into the air.
Such Was the force OF the explosion that pieces Of
iron, and even fragments Of the building, we're
thrown across the river; bricks from the wall
were thrown into the adjoining packing establish
ment, in one instance breaking In the solid heads
OF pork barrels and In another cutting hard hick-
CRY hoops off from barral.
The two boilers in the north pnrt Of the engine.
house were being repaired BY nine bolles-rnakers,
who were In the employ Of Devine j. Brother, and
workmen sent from their shops cornerof Potk and
Beach streets. Of these, seven vera more or less
severely injured some Of them. 1t is feared fatal
ly, Their names and residences arc a. fol1oWs:
Anthony Kole, a German, living on uaistea near
1eth street, was Tcty seriously injured both By
being bruised and sealded-recovery very donbtfcl.
seeas s Sussd e. Eni0n Ind seadsa wa nS
ries probably fatal.
: Andrew daurer, living % Harrison near Des-
18th, heo and hands badly seaided, A'S'1
Frank clatk, residence, Jackson street near Hal
over biz entire BODY. He ~ was aise i internally nall,
eca3ded by breathing the hot steam.
The above were all boilermakcrs. Two others
k4n q evs. e
Louis Farrell. residence corner 11th avenue and
s7!h street, New York City. The name Of tho
other could not be ascertafued. They were both
Two Others, Of the bands were uninjurod-one
being occupied as tlvct holder, inside one Of the
bia 6 :E-sh%ip % shop aear by nd nd barely escaped Sea ED
Mr. Luetan" Uuruce tb1other Of Walter s. Cur
1ee) President Of the Chicago Distilling Company,
was eca1ded and bruised severely, but not consld-
Abraham $; Poland. eeeen4 cngtnee.. bad his
vapor. His residence is on Division street, near
john Reese, fireman, was sca1ded on bis head
and iace. and received a severn oraase On his
Two boys arereported as having been consider
ally scalded, but probably not seriously.
cIty-hIs wounds having been dressed BY Dr.. An
drcws. The other men were taken to their houles.
except the iwo ftom New York, who were taken to
| the Mercy Hospital. DR.. Rae, who WAS called to
for lie unfortunate men, thinks that three Or four
ofthem cannot ,, sasyise thsif Injuries. hand.
were buried in the ruins, but one Of those missing
was sccn 1ater in the day who says such can hard
1y he the caEc-that he thinks all have been found
| who were in the building at the time. Had the
force Of the explosion taken an opposite direction
from the river there would hare been 1Ltle left Of
the Chicago Dlstillery. As 1t VISA one end Of it
was lifted up and the floor started tfcm its moor
ings. The four large boilers and the beautiful en-
gire are mere wrecks.
When the mass Of rims is examined tbat now
| cover Tic entire ground floor, whero these men
were at work, 1t is really matter otsurprisc that
ali were not instantly killed. The eseond engineer
wAs tn charge of the engines At the time tue eIp0-
son occurred, and had gone a short distance from
The toi1era 10 make some repairs OF steam panp.
Where be stood there now lies nass OF ruins Of
tic brick WALL flly two feet deep, and large Tue
frtm Of the boilers is lying across the steam
pump where he was at work yet he escaped with
] cut Ecriona injury.
Tie first engineer WIS absent from the works,
In the CITY, leaving the second engineer III charge
| The fireman Etates that Just before the explosion
/ he noticed that the water guase ludieated That
the boilers were fll-thc glass was full within an
| lnch Tut whether Of foam water he cannot say
lie was surprised to see 1t Indicate az it did At
! the time.
The general appearance Of tho 1uea and the boil
| ers IeEler It almost certa!n that the explosion
ras occaaicnci By lnck Of water In the boilers.
| Gue Of tthe 1ues which was bruised " coming In
contact with some other irun. exhibits deep
stecl-blue tint as II the marks hnd becn n atsu
| while the 1ue was intensely hot. Some portions
Of the fractured and torn edges Of the boiler and
| trce also Indicate that the Iron vas probably
| nearly red hot when the break in the Iron &C.
CURED.
It is estimated TINT the damages by this ezp'o,
| eiop Will not fall short Of $ee,00