The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-06-08
MURDER BY srEAM.
Details OF the Catastrophe n PhHadcIphia-
Namcs Of the saOerert.

ha psst 1--WE Sc.osf yesterday Afternoon, az soc.
dsn. occurred IN the yey osntre o. the city which "
certainly Without p&rAissa n iss past history.
mo building was located about midway between
north by SAMSON street and ON tho by Medical
street, having front BOTH The SAMSON street front
NO ua was ony TWO sSrss "a height .ne
for the sersge Of arces In tho rear OK
this smaller building was an open space about twenty
by thirty feet in dimensions by which the NAN puo-
ing separated from H. This last well as the one
fronting SAMSON street, substantially ba'it q.
BRICK and, far as IS known, was IN every way save
II i've stories in height and had frontage Of forty
feet Medical street. and depth of eighty feet The
greater portion Of has been occupied, since February
last by Messrs Gcssy u Ward, paners, turner's, and
OF fancy scroll work for cabinet makers
The fourth story was occupied BY Messrs hhsv Reader
maeker anoforte Company also occupied portion OF
| the building.
In the open space the two buildings, and adj
Jacent the north wall OF the main building, was the
,wo boilers for furnishing the esaolshment with steam.
About half past four O'Clock the engine stopped to
give an opportunity . repair the cylinder the packing
| tho machine shop or AR. William 7. King, on SAMSON
saess nearly opposite, fsr some mechanics who we're
| ia making the repairs Wheh ihess vars compeesd y
| vas found that there was not more than pound OF
steam 70 get any lower nm tsmps was made 70 revive
It. which, half i've Oock resulted In terrific
explosion, Of dc boilers being fractured from end
| 70 end. 1880
| This morning at half past nine of reporters
visited the Pennsylvania Hospital and through the
courtesy Of DIR Hare the physician In attendance, was
permitted to have interview with Mr. Jenkins, the
engineer who made the following statement concerning
TIRE ENGINEERS STATEMENT
| About twenty minutes TO four O'Clock the packing
| gine Immediately. sent TO Mr.. Kings for a
TO help me fix them, as we were In hurry, and wanted
start again possible While dong this
! shut of the steam from the engine When we wero
nearly through We we're ready 10 start up although we
did not want to start up that night but wanted to raise
ten or fifteen pounds Of steam, to 500 If the engine
would work right and 70 make sure for
next morning SO as not to delay the hands
planning machine asked me " IL wouldn't be better TO
throw in a few shavings told him il would be best TO
start few pounds Of steam. He then asked me If he
| couldn't throw some coal. told HIM no. that it
wasn't necessary, and that the shavngs would raise
much steam as we wanted Shortly after he camo into
the engine room and informed me that She had only one
pound OF steam on az yet. thought II somewhat
strange that she did not have more 80 went TO look
| thought that he mistaken. But going TO the
steam guage found that it was true. thcn went to
work to stnr the packing box. I was about doing II
when she blew up. II near six O'Clock, | should
judge at the time.
This statement was made at intervals, the narrator
pause At the close he was quite exhausted; but we
are happy TO state that h's general condition Is much
improved.
THE ErrBCrs EXPLOSION
were disastrous the extreme The report sounded
like the discharge of whole battery artillery,
M s
Of disaster great the concnsson that all the
surrounding buildings were shaken 10 their foundations
Men who standing on the pavement Of Chestnut
street fairly lifted from their feet others who
seated in their stores and Offices were thrown to
the noor and scarcely pane Of glass the windows of
the negbboring buildings remained whole. dense
mass Of smoke, filled with fragments Of masonry Frame
work and machinery. was lifted high into the air and
The roof OF the St Lawrence Hotel which fronts on
Chestnut street and extends back 70 ssnsOm nearly op
though II had been subjected to rain OF
ashes Bricks, pieces Of broken timber and
upon j. in some instances breaking through with such
force carry away portions or the ceiling beneath,
brick on descending passed through hs ONCE and srk-
ing the inner edge Of tho counter top fell 70 tho floor
at the same piece Of iron pipe having ell
bow. projected with immense violence Into the yard,
and fell just outside OF the office window. Mach con-
sternation prevailed In tho hotel for short tine the
entire building being shaken as n By an earthquake
The old mansion at the northwest corner Of Tenth and
or;
air Knocking several bricks loose ana shsttorne the
mbers Of the roof Il then descended :. the opposite
side OF Tenth street and completely demolished the large
bulk window OF Mr. George williams flower emporium.
| brick was also thrown through ne roof Of the
Franklin market building, now occupied By MessrS
French, Richards Co drug and paint warehouse,
Fragments OF the material and contents Of the building
were likewise carried as far north as Market street but
toned injured by any OF them
REscuIyG THE LIVING AND REMOVING THE DEAD.
The body Of one dead person and several who were
while the ire was still raging. A. soon as II was cxtn-
gnished the nremen, police and others went 70 work
diligently the loose portion Of the debris in
the search for the unfortunate employees This task
extremely difcu and the presented by the
was terrible and almost sckenng. When one Of the
men, James Todd by name, pulled out at OF the
windows another man. who had escaped bodily injury
mt pf n mas III cd mai al
He besought earnestly for assistance but the fire
st raging and in full sight Of hundreds OF his fellow
men, unable 10 come TO HIS rescue, be fell victim 10
the flames
The search for the bodies prosecuted during the
earnestness this morning Al ten o'clock the body OF
man was seen damned closely between the fallen tim.
bers the Medical street front He had escaped
names but crushed death BY the weight Of the
| material above him.
who rescued WITHIN q short time nfter the
plosoo, removed the Pennsylvania Hospital and
proper satsntion shoun thsn Their names and coudi.
Thomas P. jenkins the engineer, vas new hand IN
The establishment Of hessrs Gsasey Ward, by whom
he had been employed only ,hrcs days before IN conse
quence OF the discharge OF the former engineer He
suffering from several scads and Commissions but,
~ stated above was in somewhat improved condi.
ton THIS morning he Is thirty i've years Of age, and
John Krsspack, who s also IL the hospital, received
eleven skull wounds and 10 otherwise injured.
james Todd, Irshman BY birth, thrty-two years
old and married. was badly bruised, and taken TO the
hospital.
1 John German, the fireman.
James German, who rescued ai m early period
was able 70 20 home after his wounds dressed al
the 81 Lawrence Hotel
| Several persons were injured less while
putting out the nre and reecying the bodies Among
others was young man by tie name Of Fife residing
in Wyoming street, who over by the hook and
ladder truck OF the Weccscoe kngine Company in con-
sequence Of collision with tie Southwark engine ap-
| paratuA
| Alexander Bernard Of the Perseverance Hose Com
pany, was severely injured by falling OF part OF the
rubbish while he assstng In recovering the bodies
/ Of the victims Of the FIRE.
/ VIM Meyers, Of the Washington Hose Company, re-
| ceivcd pretty severe injuries lv q falling wall
Bernard Kelly. OF the Columbia Engine Company was
badly hurt by part Of the falling wall
David Bell. q clerk the employ OF Messrs ceasey
| Ward, had one Of his ankles praned.
rHK pSp
thus far recovered folbws:-
Harry Neatly aged thry-fvc, and married res ding
in West Philadelphia, both his we're burned and