The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-11-02
DISASTER.
Explosion OF a Locomotive on the Ohio
and mississippi Railroad.
From the Cincinnati Enquirer, Oct. 81.

From the Cincinnati Enquirer, Oct. 81.
In the Leighborhood of about twenty miles
from this city Is a station on the Ohio aud MIS-
elsslppi Railroad known as Gravel Pit. On
Thursday night last, about eight o'clock, a
special freight train that lett this city at twenty
i've minutes past six O'CLOCK stopped at tnat
Place Tor the purpose. Of taking ol wood.
Shortly after the train stopped, while the
brakeman was passing the wood aboard the
lender, the engineer olling the engine,
the brennan pinDg the wOJd as it came
aboald, and the conductor aud party OF boys
who had gathered about to see the locomotive
standing alongsi1e the engine, a po Tertul
freight locomotive, chrstened "No, 49," ex-
ploOed Ler boiler with report that was heard
Tor miles around, and force that killed the
conductor, fireman, and one of the boys out
right, and wounded two or more of the boys,
who have since died. The engineer, and q
brakeman named Henry Howe, brother OF the
cUnoucor, were also injured quite severely.
So terrible was the force OF the explosion thatth
eugme was shattered Into a thousand Fragments
some of which were bio I'm to the KENTUCKY
side of the OHIO river, distance of nearly q
mile, while Others, large and small, have since
been picked up all around the scene of the
accident within a radius OF thousand yards
Tue wood in the pile alongside was sent flying
in the air in every direction, and a stationary
engine, used for saving the wood, aud the
house that enclosed it, were bio Wn to frag-
ments The conductor, Mr.. Mills, was lifted up
and blown against the wood-ple, struck in
the face and body with several fragments
of the boiler, and so feariuliy maugled and
burned by the escaping steam as to be almost
unrecogniZqble. Both legs were broken, his
body crushed 10 jelly, face and neck gashed,
and skull crushed. The fireman. Jonn Mullone,
who was standing near the fire doors in a posi.
ton 10 feel the full force Of the explos sion, was
also horribly maDgled and instantly Killed. HIS
limbs were broken, body covered with cuts and
bruises, and skullsblo wn oil. and braIus scattered
all over the river side of the water tank. One
OF the boys, named John Smith, son OF one of
the employ ees OF The road, was bio En distance
OF 800 yards against a gravel bank aud instantly
killed. He was about twelve years of age. HIS
brother, a few years younger, was also blown
long distance, together with the flying wool
ana so badly injured that he has since died.
The other boy, Thomas Murphy, about fifteen
years old, was lllted up and thrown q distance
OF fifty feet against wood pie, which fell ON
his body, completely hiding 1T from view. He
died few minutes after being taken from the
debris. His little brother, about Six years OF
age, was thrown q distance of forty feet, into
lot Of tail weeds, where he was shortly after
wards found crying Justify, but comparatively
unhurt. How the engineer, Mr. Gardner, who
was standing within three ieet OF the engine
when she exploded, escaped death is q mystery
He was Knocked down aud pretty seriously
injured in the head, shoulder, aud hip.
Henry Howe, the brakeman, had his hip aud
knee crushed, and received internal injuries
which it is feared viii prove fatal. Several
OIL er persons, whose names we were unqble to
learn, were slightly bruised and scratched by
the flying fragments.