Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-01-24
The Boiler Explosion at Burlington

We briefly mentioned, last week, the explosion
oil toe boilers OF the Pioneer shop in Burlington
Below We copy from the free Press an account
OF the disaster
NJ half pas, tx this morning many citizen,
vera startled by the apparent report OIL a cannon
t"ose near the shops knew il could not be that
lof tnelr houses we're shaken violently. There
WAS uul single sharp report. Two Of the set OF
Ihree boilers that supply the engists of the p.
one'r shops had exploded, completely DESTROY
ing The roslne houss, The third boiler did not
0u!il, but was thrown up on end al one side of
tie RUNS. Ihe steam dome, weighing abont
ZOO pounds, was thrown completely over ,be
sho 5s,otrkng the railroad trek on the other ,de
lily feet from the building. The two boilers
vert completely rent to peIces, the engine was
torn and broken all up, nothing being left whole
unless possibly the cylinders, and the Ay-wheel
when lies hall buried. The force of the explo-
sion seems to have been upward and towards the
sluIh SIDE, 80 that the surrounding buildings were
not damaged except by b.eakage Of gla,,. and
shaking OF loose aruc,es. The TIL chimney was
not "urt' except tor crack in one side but the
place where The engine house was is mass Of
broken IRON, boll4r. tues, bricks and rubbish.
One OF the gorkmen, named Epson, who wit.
messed the explosion says it was the work Of an
instant, aud came without wsfni0g--lhe air BE-
lng Instantly filled with bricks pieces Of iron aud
broken um0ers, as if the engine had been blown
UP with gunpoader.
AZ the time OF the explosion, which was ius!
before commencing work for the week. there
were 10 The Ire room, number of the workmen
warming themselves as their custom ia, before
/ go.nS TO work. How may we're Their. besides
the fireman and stoker, is n0l known. Four were
i9and wounded, and up to eleven o'clock, the
dead bodies Of seven had been taken from the
runs lnsir names are as follows;
hHed-Pstfick Farrell fireman, John Sheen.
El"1rd H. Fletcher, Eugene c. Fletcher, An.
tome Aapa, Geo. Oarrick and Edward Jeulls.
Uoutdtd-thas. Welcb, collar bone broken.
/ Chis Dmond and bis son.
/ LAiciy why The boiler exploded, will probably
never be known. The engineer vent down Sun
dY TO see thlt all was hight, and left plenty Of
water n the boilers There vas some indications
/ that the water wai low, and one or two OF he
4 idet collapsed. 1t is slmssd that in some way
a 'oA h,d sprung over night, and let the water
nelrIy OIL out OF The boilers, and that Farrell failed
TO dncover It, bu, fred up as usual.
The loss By this sad disaster is yefy great Pro-
baby $4,000 would hardly replace the engine
! room a. il Wa, The d mage to the le.ees OF Ii.
shops 10 the interruption OF their business cannot
! he accurately e'iimlted, bur will hardly be less
than $4,000 Or 10000. Nearly $50 men are
lno'a Oh. Of employment from the shop, Of
Gate, kiI51rn X Co., Chase x smith, Crom5s
\ hm5a'L ). 7, Flanders ana other occupants
mere was 70 insurance Do he engine.
Ice shops are Owed by Lawrence Barnes &
20 who immediately sst men at work clearing
away toe rubbish and VIII Save the shop running
Is 'oon az po's.0.f. temporary engines will be
reg up 'nd eveEthia. done as rapidly as msy
De- 70 enable the h.ni msaIoael 10 st,rt again.