Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-03-07
THE EVENING NEWS.

About ? o'clock this morning, the boiler
of the Ophir company's hoisting-works,
at the central shaft, exploded with a ire
mendous crash which startled the entire
wakeful population of the city. This
morning we visited the scene of the disas-
ter and found a wreck of the boiler, and
building in which il was situated. The
boiler was rent in three pieces the heavier
portion, with the hues attached. was
thrown westward and up the side of the
steep hill distance of over one hundred
and fifty feet; another portion was torn
in pieces and hurled about fifty feet from
the buildins-while the head-piece, with
with the gauge cocks attached. was pro-
iected east. over the dump pile, and strik-
inc the roof of a small house on North 4
street, crushing through the boards and
timbers, and lodged in the aperture. The
room adjoining was occupied, but the one
in which the boiler front lodged was tor
lunatelv untenanted. The furnace doors
and front were hurled through the air,
striking on the roof Of an unoccupied
building, two hundred feet southwest of
the works, and crushing a large portion
Of the same. Huge timbers were torn as
sunder, and boards, joiSts, and fragments
Of the root, were thrown in all directions;
the building in which the boiler was plac-
ed being wholly destroyed, and the ad-
joining hoisting-workS building "stove.
in " on the south side to a considerable
extent. The brick and mortar work sur
rounding and beneath the boiler, was
scattered in every direction buildings, at
least one thousand feet distant, being
riddled by the bricks, and the residence
of Mr.. Mckay, short distance south,
looks as though it had been under the fire
of gunboat, being perforated with holes.
The cause of the accident as far as we can
determine from conversation with parties
employed around the mine, was simply
that the boiler was leaky, unsafe. and old,
and should not have been used under any
cirCum> tanceS, and We believe Just CEN
sure should rest upon all of the parties
who permitted the same 10 be run, we'll
knowing that the old rattle-trap was but
little better than secondhand cook stove.
Some five days since. the boiler "blowed,"
and was patched with pieces of iron and
worked until Sunday night, when it was
found to be leaking so badly that it was
impossihlerto raise steam enough to work
the pump, and although the furnace was
stuffed with dry wood, pitch, tar, and
other combustibles, sufficient quantity
of steam could not be generated, and
II was then resolved to try the
small boiler. formerly used in running the
Central engine, but that also failed to fur
nish the requisite force, and last evening
the engineer $50 says Mr.. Wilder the Su-
perintendeDt) resolved to again try the
old boiler-and procuring quantity Of
bran and manure, he placed it inside the
boiler, built large fire and started her
up. Two men were constantly at work
feeding the furnace, and the engineer
frequently tried the gauges, and, as he
supposed, always found suthciency of
water, but which was probably nothing
more than the foam" which was raised
by the application of the manure; but
the concern went, the pump was making
sixteen strokes per minute, the water was
being lowered, the pockets of portion,
the Comstockian family, being filed with
bullion, and of course everything was
lovely but the last straw broke the
camel's back, and at , o'clock the thing
bursted. Mr.. Kinney, the gentlemanly
foreman of the mine, assures US that less
than an hour before the explosion he had
left the boil-room, and had cautioned the
engineer not to run her too fast. as he did
not think it safe so to do-and as the
steam-pipes were being laid 1.-THE whole
force of men being engaged in the work
last night from the new boilers at the
Mexican mine, TO connect with the Cen
trail shaft engine. and it would not matter
much if the water was only held at bay.
But the engineer was ambitiouS-proba-
bly, wanted to please the powers that
be-" and accordingly cracked on steam
until the ribbed iron grew weary of the
burthen and expired in one grand convul-
sion. The engineer, Mr.. James Cameron,
a native of Vaughan Canada West, was
Instantly killed, his body evidently having
been hurled some thirty feet, and found
in the building of the hosting works.
Mr.. Cameron was an amiable, hard-work-
ing man, and although not professional
engineer, was supposed to be competent
for the discharge Of his duty. He was
about 81 years of age-un married. His
body will be buried at San Francisco.
We saw the body this morning, and it was
q horrible sight, having the appearance of
being " fayed," the neck was broken, as
was the arms and legs. besides other in
iuries, his brothers of whom he had two,
1,l1 l. AZ 40, Ha
reavement. B. Basaro German, had his
arm broken and was otherwise severely
injured, but to what extent We were un-
able to ascertain. Thomas Howard, brake
man at the shaft, was cut and bruised
around the head severely but not danger
ously. J. O'Brien, who was standing in
front of the furnace at the time, escaped
from instant death most miraculously,
being injured only by blow received
from flying brick which struck him in
the back. After the explosion Mr.. Kinney
was Immediately called from bed, and by
his efficient action caused the ruins TO be
cleared, and turned water on the burning
timberS thus preventing the balance
Of the works from being consumed. While
we do not desire TO censure any of the
persons in charge of the works for any
neglect of duty, yet we can not avoid
thinking that the lives of poor men, who
toll tor daily bread. should be held in
more regard by the ones who, as it were,
holds those lives in their hands. Mr..
Wilder, the Superintendent, and Mr..
Kinney, the Foreman, were very reticent
in their remarks TO us; but from others
connected with the mine We are indebted
for many particulars concerning the un-
soundness and un6tuess of the boilers.
Some time since we suggested the proprie-
" of the Legislature appointing an lnspee-
tor OF Boilers, who should be practically
acquainted with his business. There is
vet time for our Solons to do work
which is only one of common humanity.
KIRK s Goa person passing down
sc m ayaDipv would o.