The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-11-09
EXPLOsI0 N!
OF A BOILER IN A ROLL
ING MEL. p .'-'
Seventeen Men Killed and
Several Fatally Injured
An Unknown Number Hurt.
A Great Portion OF the Mill
i'm Ruins.
Especial Dispatch to the Rogister.l

ahu Il NV tV"ASHiPJ IL VhS AOA5hooAA NoNs
OF Reese, Graft & DulPs rolling mill,
were startled by loud report as of
some terrific explosion. Almost in
stantly thereafter an alarm of fire was
sounded from Box No. IS, corner Penn
and Smith streets, and before the peo-
pie in the immediate neighbsrhood I'M
derstood the nature of the occurrence
the engines were on their way TO the
place. 1t was aScertained that an ex-
plosion had occurred in the forge por-
ton of the mill, and that this portion
of the building had been blown to
atoms, involving the loss of q number
of lives and more or less serious injury
of an unknown number of men and
boys.
: To add to the terrible nature of the
calamity, the ruins had caught fire and
were in flames. Immediate efforts were
made to check the flames ut the same
time every exertion was made to rescue
from the ruins such of the injured as
b could not help themselves, and to take
ont the bodies of the killed. Every
physician within reach was promptly
summoned, and by the time the serious
ly injured ones had been removed to
available places medical aid was ready
for them.
The scene at first was one of the most
terrific imaginable. The dead and the
wounded were lying together, and those
who were not too badly margled
dragged themselves as far away from
the scene of terror as possible ; those
who had been in the mill at work and
had escaped were fastening home to
tell of their safety, while distracted
wives, sisters, children and mothers
were running to and fro to ascertain
whether they had suffered bereavement.
Iuis of course impossible to ascertain
the number of injured in the present
state of prevailing excitement. About
sixty men were employed in the portion
of the mill where the explosion occur
red, but how many of them escaped is
not known. So far as is ascertained
twelve men were killed, most of them
Instantly. In one or two cases death
did not occur until some time after the
sufferers had been removed from tho
wreck. The following are the names
of the killed so far as ascertained.
There may be still others but this list
comprises the number known to have
been killed at one O'clock:
Edwin Hutchinson, engineer, head
blown off; leaves q wife and several
children, residing on Foundry street.
Barney Boyce, fireman, instantly kill
ed; leaves wife and three children.
James Cusick, helper, leaves awife and
children, residing on Boundary street;
, Patrick Gallivan, laborer, killed by
scalding, was a single man, recently
from Ireland. Joseph Williams, pnd-
der, leaves wife and family. Michael
Sullivan, puddler, killed instantly. An
drew Vallandigham, muck sheaTer, and
an old man, instantly killed. John
Williams, boiler, instantly killed. A man
named Murphy was taken out dead.
James Weaver, injured so badly that he
died soon after being removed. James
McCaffray's head was crushed so badly
that he died. There is man missing
whose name we could not learn, but
who is said to be nephew of eX-Mayor
Lowry.
There can be no estimate formed of
the number of wounded. The follow
ing are among the number: Two boys
of Mr.. Miller, but are not thought seri-
ously hurt; Elish Decker, laborer, not
seriously; man named Roney, thought
fatally; John Cook, seriously; James
Boyler, seriously and may not recover;
Edward Haven, arm broken and skull
fractured. A man, whose name is not
known, was injured about the head and
rendered delirious; Kennedy Mckee, seri-
ously; man named Townsend, severely;
Casper, blacksmith, leg broken; man
named Lundy, severely hurt; q man
named Hanlon, probably fatally.
Some miraculous escapes occurred
One of the firemen was standing near
Mr.. Hutchinson, the engineer, who was
kliieu, Dut tSCdpeu unuuCt.
Mr.. Reese, one of the proprietors,
was standing near the exploded boiler,
but was not injured.
John WISER, one of the employees,
was blown to the bank of the river,
distance of over two hundred feet, got
up and walked back to the mill; not
seriously hurt.
The cause of the explosion will prob
ably never be known. The engineer
and fireman, the only ones who could
have given any information, are both
killed.
There were three boilers in the build
ing blown to pieces. They were COM
paratively new-put in i'll 1868, and
were made of the best of iron. Half of
one of the boilers was blown out of the
forge and against brick wall in an adj
joining yard, q distance of over three
hundred feet.
1t is impossible to reduce what was
building to so shapeless mass of
sticks and iron.
NThe flames which caught among
the ruins were nearly subdued when we
left, after one o'clock.
The loss by explosion and fire $40, 900.
The following additional casualties
are reported:
John Williams, Jr., hurt in the legs;
Andrew Williams had leg blown off:
Peter Rosenberg had several ribs broken:
Abner Jones, q boy, was killed: Albert
Cook, a boy, was blown over the river
bank, severely injured; James McCaf-
frey, shoulders dislocated; Jacob Miller,
killed; Andrew Hutchison, leg blown
of; Patrick Monahan, fireman, killed;
Henry Koch, killed. A man named
Hanlan is reported missing; pair OF
shoes identified as belonging to him
was found under heap of charred
wood and bricks; his body has since
been found.
New Election.