The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1867-03-01

the Qllll, &C.
The mill is situated on the rivers bank,
facing the East. The engine room was
detached from the main building and stu
ated in its rear, facing the river. The
machine room extends as far westward as
the outer wall of the engine room, and the
whole length of the main building besides.
There were four boilers in the engine room
three used to generate the steam, and one
placed across the three which lie side by
side, to receive the steam and distribute 1t
through the building, into the mash tubs,
watts, &C. The boilers were all new and of
the largest size The middle one of the
three generators was the boiler that
exploded.
THE DISASTER.
For a day or two past leak had been
noticed in one of the boilers, but 1t had
been neglected for some reason not yet ex-
planned. About the time of the accident,
the engineer, Mr. Isaac HILL examined the
water guages, and found the water at
good stage He had just stepped aside to
receive his wife and lady friend, who had
brought hem his supper, when, with ter
rible noise, the boiler burst, entirely demol-
ishing the engine house, and scattering
devastation all around.
THE VICTIMS.
The fireman, Dennis Short, was thrown
against the main building, and transfxed to
the wall by mass of debris. He was in
stantly killed and his body terribly mangled
and charred. The engineer was struck
with the debris, and buried beneath mass
of brick and mortar He was taken out in
a horribly mangled condition, but still alive.
He was taken to the front part of the build
ing, where he lay for about an hour, and
was then taken to his home in hack. He
was alive at ten o'clock last night, but
could not live till morning. He has suffered
the agonies of hundred deaths. Mrs.
Jordan was instantly killed by the explo
sion. MIS-. Hill was buried in the ruins,
and SO badly injured that she died while
being conveyed home. From the time OF
the explosion until her death, she was con-
scious, but was unable to articuate. BY
her gestures she conveyed messages to her
dying husband and her young children:
The two girls, Annie Gomerick and Jose
phine Field, were sitting at the cutting
machine, just south of the boiler room.
The explosion drove the walls of the room
in. and a portion of the debris struck them,
inficting Slight though painful bruises.
They were both able to walk home. Geo,
Connors, an employee in the mill, was
struck on the hand by a flying brick and
badly cut.
The bodies of the killed presented the
most sickening appearance. They were all
terribly mangled, and the hardest hearted
could not look upon them without shud-
der. Mr.. Hill has three children living
two of them in Canada and one here. lie
was about thirty five years of age. He had
an accident insurance policy of 1000 on
his life Mr. Short was single man.
Mrs Jordan has husband and five chill
dren living in the city. Their grief at
hearing of her terrible death may be readily
imagined.
INCIDENTS.
The engine room was completely RACED,
not single brick remaining on the founda-
ton. The steam chest, weighing about
three thousand pounds, was whirled about
hundred and fifty feet into the air, and
passing over the entire building, landed in
the street in front. The outward boiler,
weighing about five thousand pounds, was
thrown about half way across the river, a
distance of two hundred feet The inner
boiler was thrown with great force against
the main building, and shattered the rear
wall so badly that it will probably have to
be replaced. The boiler that exploded was
torn into fragments, one-half being whirled
through the air over the barn, landing
about three hundred feet from the en- CINE
room on the river The remaining portion
was driven through the wall of the machine
room, and after demolishing a portion of
that, landed about twenty feet off. The
iroE-the best quality of boiler-was twisted
into every conceivable shape, showing the
terrible force of the explosion. Masses of
brick were thrown Incredible distances. A
mass of brick and mortar was found at the
distance of fully three blocks from the scene
of the disaster, while for a great distance
around the ground was thickly strewn with
the debris
A laborer in the employ Of the company
was at work in one of the drains, but about
twenty feet from the boilers. The explosion
extinglished all his lights and filled the
room with hot steam and considerable
quantity of debris He was half suffocated
and was struck by detached portions Of
brick and mortar, but proyidentially es-
capped without injury.
Several other parties had hair breadth
escapes from being struck with flying brick
and other materials. Considering the num-
Der of girls and men employed in the estab-
lishment it was truly surprising that more
were not injured or killed. Had the steam
chest, instead Of going over the building,
gone through it, there is no telling what
injury to life and limb might have been
done.
THE LOSSES.
The pecuniary loss by the disaster will
amount to about $4,000. The building
and material were all new and expensive.
The principal losers are Messrs. Jermain &
Brightman, ?. V. Deuster, Louis Bleyer
and several others-stock holders in the
company. TIE mill had been in operation
but little more than year.
The event has cast gloom over the city
1t is exceedingly seldom that such serious
accidents occur here, and when they do
occur they create a great sensation We
are unable to say at present upon whom the
blame, if any exists, is chargable.
COAL.-The coal fields of the states arc