Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1869-12-21
Engine Explosion.

EHSinC EAplUclUU.
AT few minutes past midnight yesier-
day morning, a large portion of our citi-
zcns we're startled from their slumbers
by loud explosion and smart shaking Of
the earth, accompanied by rafting Of the
windows, crockery, and other moveables
about their houses. Doubtless there were
various conjectures as to its cause, and
the imagination was busy with earth.
quakes, meteors, &c. to account for it
The cause was not generally known till
daylight, when it was ascertained that
the engine "Superior" had exploded
This engine has been used exclusively as
a shifting engine in the yard. 1t had
done its work at the south end of the
yard and gone to the north end, and was
standing on the track waiting for the
shifters, who were at the office making up
their lists. The engineer and switchman
were in the cab, the fireman having gone
away somewhere for q short time. The
explosion was one of great violence. The
boiler parted underneath, and sheet near
the middle was torn out the entire cir
conference and carried over the round
house in a westerly direction, taking of
chimney from the round house in It's
flight, and landing astride the fence Of
Mr.. Doherty, demolishing it for two or
three rods. This sheet is estimated to.
weigh from 800 to 1000 pounds, and was
CARED about forty rods. The bell stand
was attached to this sheet, and was car.
ried along with it. The bell and dome
were carried in direction a little more
northerit and some further. The smoke
stack was tlown in pieces, cne of which
fell through the roof Of a baggage car
One of the pipes was Blown through a
window in the round hose, some fifteen
rods distant. The fues we're injured but
little but other parts Of the machinery
were scattered around promiscuously. The
fore part of the engine was lifted from the
track and set little one side. The rails
beneath were broken in several places
The engine was standing at the time about
two rods from the west side of the pas.
sengcr car house, which however sustain.
ed but little dah age, only four or Eve Of
the windows having been broken. What
is NEST wonderful of all il the fact that
the engineer, David McCarty, and the
switchman. Martin Hurlburt, both escap-
ed with comparatively slight injuries
McCarty was cut about the face with
pieecs of glass from the cab windows, and
Hurlburt was scalded about the face and
head with hot water and steam. His
wounds have been dressed, and he is doing
well.
The cause of this explosion is unknown,
or rather cannot be accounted for. Ii
could not have bten an excess of steam,
for the gauge indicated only los lbs, and
the engine was constructed to blow off at
ITO. 1t could rot have been deficiency
of water, for there wsfe two gauges in the
boiler, her usualI working quantity. The
engineer, McCarty, is trus,y iban, and
has run her for about seven years. Mr.
Farr, mastsf i6eacfai;ic, d Of The opinion
that this and similar explosions are caus-
ed by gas generated in the boiler, un-
der certain conditions, and ignited some
how spontaneously. This, however, is
nero conjecture. The fact only is known,
and cannot BE accounted for on any hypo-
thesis of steam pressure. Much study
has beef given to this subject, but moth
ing but conjecture is the result. The SUI
perior was built at Mortified, and COM
menced running the 18th Of April, 1859.
She weighed % tons, and Vas built FOR a
shifting engine. Her boiler has seen but
ten years service, and was supposed to
have been as sound as any on the road.
Such violent explosion, however, would
have burst it, If it had been many times
as strong. We cannot be too thankful
that 50 little damage was the result. Had
1t occurred in the day time, it probably
would have been fatal To humanl ife.las there
are always more Or less people about
the shops and yard at work.
ST. Adams Cot, Of the Darlington
Ftfs Prnu.
t. k4t