Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-04-28
ANOTHER TERRIBLE BOILER EXPLOSION Al
PHILADELPHIA.
Five Lives KNOWN to be Lost and
Many Wounded.
From the Philadelphia Bulletin, April ISL

lfrom the Phiiadelphla bulletin, April rs.
This morning at twenty y-five minutes be-
fore 8 o'clock, a frightful boiler explosion
took place at the gas fixture and chandelier
manufactory of Messrs. Cornelius & Baker,
on the north side OF Cherry street. between
Eighth and Ninth streets.
Between seven and eight o'clock this
morning, when the hundreds of workmen
employed in the building were busy at
their respective duties, the boilers exploded
with a frightful noise, dashing the build
lngs in the quadrangle to pieces, and tumb-
ling the tall chimney into heap of ruins.
A large space In the north wing of the
factory was dashed in, the windows, and in
some cases the iron sash of the main build
ings were broken in, and fragments of brick
work and other rubbish were hurled in
through the windows. The escaping steam
also entered the nearest windows and a
frightful scene of confusion ensued. Three
men were killed instantly at their work
benches, and several others were more or
less injured. The workmen who had es-
capped unhurt rushed for the doors to escape
| Into the open air, and some Of them in their
fright leaped from the windows.
One of the boilers seems to have been
rent in twain about six feet from one end.
The smallest end, nearly six feet in length,
and fully three feet in diameter, was carried
up into the air, passing over the west side
of the factory, traversing distance of
about fourteen hundred feet and falling
finally in Cherry street. below Twelfth
The mass of iron, weighing probably more
than tun, after travelling distance of four
squares, fell upon one-storied building
occupied by johnson & Co., bottlers, No.
112l Cherry street. 1t crashed through the
roof dashed out the brains of John Porter,
a workman, who was loading wagon,
made a wreck of the vehicle, passed out
through a large open doorway, wrecked
second wagon in the rear, struck the earth,
rebounded, and after passing through two
intervening fences, landed in the yard of
house nearer to Twelfth street.
The main body of the boiler, measuring,
probably, eighteen feet in length, was also
thrown up into the air, and passing up over
the factory building, ittook directly south
ern direction, and landing upon range OF
stables in the rear of the William Penn Ho-
tel, on Market street, below Ninth. 1t made
wreck of the stables killed horse, and
injured Mr.. Lewis Robinson, drover from
Carlisle, who happened to be in the stable
at the time. A smaller fragment of iron
was thrown over into Eighth street, and
after grazing the building on the south
west corner of Eighth and Cherry streets,
and knocking down an iron awning post,
it fell in the street without injuring any
person.
Many dwellings in the vicinity suffered
considerable damage from broken glass
caused by the violent conclusion in the air.
This concussion, together with the noise of
the explosion and the crashing of falling
brick work, frightened all the horses with
in its influence, and a namber of the ami
mails ran away, adding to the excitement
and confusion which prevailed.
The cause of the disaster is involved in
complete mystery. The boilers which ex-
ploded were considered entirely reliable
They had been in use for about three years,
were free uently inspected, and only within
few days they were carefully overhauled.
On Saturday night the steam was blown
out of them, and they were full of water
this morning.
So far as could be positively astertained
at the time of our going to press, there were
five persons who were killed, and it is fear
ed that henumber will be increased. Three
of the workmen employed in the factory
were killed outright. Their remains have
not yet been identified.
The Bulletin gives list of some twenty
persons who had been admitted into the
Pennsylvania Hospital, more or less seri-
ously injured in consequence of the explo-
sion.