Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-06-02
General Sntellieenes.
TERRIFIC EXPLOSION.
Bursting of the Gasometer at the Cfn :
cinnati Gas Works.

CISCINNATT, May 24.-At q few minutes
past 12 O'Clock to-day, our citizens were
startled with dull, rumbling explosion,
accompanied by trembling of the earth,
and ali the phenomena of an earthquake.
The sound came from the southwest part
of the city. Dense volumes of smoke arose
in that quarter. The fre-bells were rung,
and the engines came out, but Their SER
vices were not required The gaSometer
Cf the city gas-works had exploded with a
stunning report. The huge iron holder,
one hundred and thirty feet in diameter and
forty-two feet in height, with a capacity
for half a million cubic feet of gas, was
torn in pieces, and tumbled in a confused
mass into the cistern. What the cause
was no one can tell The explosion COM
menced on the north side, next to Front
street. Ten or twelve workmen who had
been engaged in painting the holder had
just descended, and at the time were stand
ing by the engine house. but miraculous
~ escaped with their lives, and without Sc
rious injury. One man, Pat McKinzie, an
employe of the gas company, was on top of
the column, ON O level with, and nearly
touching the top of the gasometer. He
was not blown off by the explosion, though
his clothes were all burned off, and his en-
tire body was crisped so as to cause his
death in three hours.
Dick and Pat Sheridan were driving lum-
Der carts near the scene, and they and
their horses were severely burned. These
men will recover, but the horses will prob
ably die.
A man named Charles Kelley, walking
by on the opposite side of the street, was
badly burned.
Foliage on trees four hundred feet dis
tant was scorched. The neighboring hold
ers were injured by the conclusion, one so
badly as to leak large amount of gas.
The buildings near were scorched, but, ex-
cept starting the roof Of one, no other
damage was done. The report was heard
at great distance. The loss to the gas
company will be S75, COO Rumors are
afoat that much more injury has been suf-
fered. None of the huge iron columns
were blown down. but the massive capitals
OF some of them were torn off.
C1Hc1YNATI May 25.-Au the forenoon
yesterday Is men had been working on.the
top of the holder, and on the columns,
tarring and painting the vast surface of
iron below them On the ground within
about 20 feet of the holder, big fire was
burning, and in eauldron over that the
tar was boiling,
At noon the big bell rung, and Is men
started to go to dinner, Since early morn
ing the holder had risen considerable
distance, and it had become so difficult to
reach the top of the ladder, that one of the
men, Patrick Mckenzie, of large and heavy
frame, fearing to swing himself down to it,
concluded to send for his dinner, and re-
main on the holder until it should sink to
the top of the ladder. That decision cost
him his life. He was sitting in the shade
of an angle, on one of the pillars
on the south, waiting to pull up his
dinner, when suddenly he was deaf,
ened. blinded and overwhelmed, as the
immense holder rushed up several feet
above his head. He had seated himself
there a strong, healthy man, comfortably
clothed and thinking only of his dinner
In an instant, in the midst of fire, and
smoke and thunder, he reclined there u
naked man, stripped of every patch of
clothing, save some rags that chung to his
ankles From his chin to his toes he was
othing but a mass of burned and bleeding
flesh.
When the runs Of the holder thundered
back down into the deep water of the tank.
the bursting out of flames from a cauldron
of tar produced terrible panic among the
thousands of spectators. It was a panic
stricken crowd, terrible in its fear. The
weaker men gasped for air in the crush,
and some of them fell to the ground. Boys
were trampled into the gutter Some
stumbled over the hose, and were unable
to rise again until they had felt many a
cruel heel. Several women had the same
desperate experience. 1t was struggle to
escape fire or conclusion, all thought, and
so they fled without reason.
A young man named Albert Warren had
his left arm broken 4 lad named John
Mallon had the calf of one of his legs mu-
tliated IN a shocking manner a woman,
Mrs. Krider, living near by, and strangely
out Of place there-unless, as was stated,
she saw one of her children so vio-
lently iostled and trampled upon that n
miscarriage very soon resulted to her. JAS
Harper, large, strong man. had two of the
fingers of his left hand broken Various
other accidents occurred
So far as can be learned, the only sufferer
as to property by this affair is the gas COM
pany, whose loss is about $780, 900, ON
which there is no insurance.
BY the force of the sconcussion, the roof
of coal house No. 4, south of the holder,
corrugated iron roofing, was lifted and
twisted. Considerable damage was done
to holder No 6-the new one on the north
side recently finished This is a telescope
holder, of the same capacity as No. T.
and 5. BY the concussion it was thrown
up, and dropped in such manner as to
break the chain of four weights of 1000
pounds each contained within four of the
IL.
falling within the hollow columns to the
ground, shattered the stone bases and In
one instance broke out big half section OF
the inch iron Of the column.
Holder No. was lifted out of line but
was righted so as to be of service last even
ing.
The explosion is not accounted for by
any-even the best informed gas manufac-
turerS. Your correspondent was informed
last night that when it occurred there was
no FIRE in the cauldron, and that no gas
had been let into the holder tor six hours
One theory is that of great expansion of
the gas by solar heat on the holder the
consequent bursting of the roof and the
flame, which was communicated to the
escaping contents from the stack of the
Globe rolling mills. The idea was quite
generally presented that there Is no dan
ger of an explosion to holder. In Octo
ber 1865, gasometer of the London Gas
Company's works at Nine Elms. Battersea
road, exploded, killing ten men. 1t was
twice the size of this Not long since there
was similar explosion at Chicago. Boil
these explosions were accounted for By
the fire communicating from the governor
in the first instance. How this ever Oc
CURED, no one seems to know. The Off
GERS and employees of the works seen
puzzled and cannot solve the mystery
The theory above given seems plausible
The explosion could not occur until tht
gas had become mixed with atmosphere
air, and it does not seem likely that tha
could occur except in the way mentioned
FL. j. NJ lier, President Of the Company
was in Chicago to-day. He was telegraphed
to Immediately, and returned word that no
expense Should be spared in repairing the
damage and caring for the wounded. He
enioined particularly that the citys sup
ply of gas should be furnished as usual
He will return tomorrow.