Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-12-03
TERRIFIC BOILER EXPLOSION.
A locomotive Torn Into Spiinfers-
The Boiler Hurled Eighty Yards
One Man Killed ana Two others In
1nou.n.II.Io ~ SaaaIsl e

A locomotive Torn Into SpIinfers-
The Boiler Hurled Eighty Yards
One Man Killed ana Two others I'm
tured-TerribIe Powers OF Steam, eac.
On Yesterday morning at halfpast 3
O'Clock our citizens we're startled by ter
rible explosion, bordering on that of a
young earthquake. The noise was heard
throughout all South Nashville, and far M
in the center of the city houses were shaken
and lights were dashed from the windows.
People we're reused from their morning
maps with questions of"Whats the natter
"What is ~" Itsoon became known that
there had been fearful boiler explosion at
the depot of the Nashville and Decatur
| railroad. All sorts of reports of the extent
of damages and the lose of life at once flew
from ear to ear. At an early hour in the
morning we visited the scene of the disas@
ter, and found several hundred persons
who had been attracted to the spot, eager
TO find out all the distressing particulars.
Yesterday morning at half past five, just
as the train was getting ready for its de-
parture from the depot, the explosion took
place. The engine, No. o. a very fine
one, of which Edward Rusk was engineer.
and George Sweeney was fireman, was
backing in under the ordinary pressure of
steam Of 100 or 10 pounds, for the pur-
pose of being attached to the regular train
under the conductorship Of James Harri-
han. They had Just been applying oil to
the machinery. The fireman was at his
post and the engineer at his, while the
conductor was standing near by supervis-
ing the getting ready of his train. Sud-
denly, aud without the slightest warning,
the crash and explosion took place, as
though the very earth was cracking to
pieces, or an overcharged volcano had sud-
denly burst, letting loose the chained
powers of live thunder. A dense
volume of steam spread over and
about the depot building, and rolled away
on the morning air. A moment after the
terrible work of the crash was apparent.
The splendid locomotive was 4 complete
wreck, its machinery, and iron bolts and
bars we're torn, and wrenched and split
into splinters as though they had been
but dry sticks of wood. The enormous
was sent whirling down the track diss
lance of eighty yards, plunging itself into
the ground, and tumbling end over end
down the hill against the trestle work.
The south end Of the depot building was
considerably damaged by the missiles that
were hurled against il from the exploding
boiler. We have never seen the tremen-
dous powers of steam more fearfully illus.
trated than was presented at the depot.
The fireman, Mr.. George Sweeny, was
blown up in the air and was hurled a dis
lance of thirty yards, falling at the corner
of frame house near by. He bore no
marks of extraordinary outward abra
sions, but the internal injuries he
sustained were of such serious
character that he died in about two hours.
Coroner NoryelI held an inquest over his
remains and returned verdict in accord
ance with the facts. Sweeny leaves wife
and one child. The engineer, Mr.. Rusk,
had both his knee caps pretty badly cut
and was scalded and otherwise bruised.
Conductor Hartman was knocked down by
a flying missile striking him on the head
he was also scalded considerably. These
are all the casualties we have to report.
No especial cause is assigned for the explo'
sion. There was no unusual pressure of
steam, and no warning or sign whatever
given till the crash came. The boiler had
been used about FIVE years and was sup
posed to have been every way sound and
strong, though there certainly must have
been a flaw in it somewhere. When We
left the depot, hands we're busily engaged
in removing the debris of the wreck and
preparing TO place another locomotive on
the track