The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-10-28
TERRIBLE CONFLA GRAFTON
The Three Star FIGURING MIL Harmed
with its Entire Contents Boy
IIBurned Alive - Loss, S15O,OOO, Insu-
rance, $4,000.

From The MtltOdlbkee Sentinel, Oct "a.
The most destructive fire that has occurred in
this city tor several years took place last even
Highly q Sons 60 hTee Star Flouring Mill"
situated on the river near the straight cut,
together with its contents, was entirely de-
stToyed.
The mill was running as usual and a boy was
shoveling middlings from the third story down
a slide into the bin. Mr.. Edward Obern. the
miller, was standing underneath the slide in
the second story, when a door in 1t opened,
allowing the gas which mad been generated by
the middlings, together with the middlings
themselves, TO escape. The gas communi-
eating with the lamp, caused an explosion,
which at once enveloped the entire floor in
flames. MIR. ObeTn signaled the engineer to
stop the mill. Thls was done Immediately and
the pumps set to work; but they availed
nothing, and in few moments the entire mill
was enveloped in flames. In the meantime an
alarm had been given, and the engines were
promptly on the spot, stationed, and com
menced playing From the mill proper the
fiji spread rapidly to the storehouse in the
rear, where an Immense quantity of wheat,
flour, and barrels were stored, and effec-
tually prevented any attempt to save the con-
BY this time the fire had broken through to
the outside, illuminating the surrou ndings
most brilliantly. The heat, also, was Intense,
scorching everything cOmbustible for many
rods around. After superhuman efforts upon
the part OF the hremen, the flames began TO
subslde, but not until the building had been
almost entirely consumed A pile OF several
thousand tons of coal, belonging to Dudley IL
Church, and situated to the west of the MILL
caught fire, but was happily xtinguished before
mucn damage was uOu6s Inc cooper SnOD
situated below the mill caught fire a number of
times, but was extinguished. A pile of coal
situated between the two caught fire, and about
fifty tons were consumed
The contents of the mill were ten thousand
bushels of wheat one thousand barrels of -four
eight thousand EN- PITY barrels, and twenty thou
sand sets of slaves. The mill had five run OF
stone, and was run by one of the finest steam
engines in the Northwest The entire loss will
foot up to nearly one hundred and fifty thou
sand dollars. 1t is insured for thirty thousand
dollars,
The saddest part of the affair yet remains to
be told. boy named Robert Grace, fifteen
years of age, at work in the third story
when the explosion of the gas occurred. When
the fire broke out he was so badly blinded by
the smoke and dust that he could not make his
way down. A lad named George Tate, knowing
that he was there, made several desperate at
tempts to rescue him, but each time was forced
back by the smoke and neat of the flames, and
was himself badly burned. Thel boy was,
therefore, left to his fate, and perished in the
flames. He was probably suffocated by the
smoke in a short time. Mr.. Obern, the miller,
was also badly burned by the explosion of gas
which caused the fire.