The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-02-21
AN AWFUL EXPLOSION.
An Entire Structure DemoIIshed-Seyen NIeI
KILLED and a Nnmber MOunded.

Killed and a Number Wounded.
The st. Louis Democrat of February IS says
The fearful conclusion of q most awful boiler
explosion shook the entire southern portion
of st. Louis and reverberated throughout the
city at half-past l o'clock yesterday afternoon.
To listeners in the central and western sections
the detonation was appallingy distinct, aud ex-
cited the gravest apprehensions of some unnam-
able calamity. Residents for many blocks
around were nearly stunned, aud on rushing out
discovered the air filed with clouds of smoke
and dust, over and around the site of the we'll
known "Union Car Works aud Railway Foun-
dry" on De Kalb street and Lami street.
The steam-engine in this foundry worked also
the machinery in the car works, by means of
massive shaft passing through an excavation
beneath Lami street. 1t was the boiler of this
engine that had exploded, hurting the entire
building into scattered ruins, wrecking an ad-
joining building on the south, instantly crush
ing or scalding TO death six of the workmen,
and wounding-seme dangerously and others
less seriously--about twice as many more.
The people on the streets and In the buildings
in the immediate neighborhood were for time
paralyzed with horror, and blinded or left almost
In darkness by the vapor and CRIME, but when
the first moments of surprise had passed, they
poured in crowds towards the scene of wreck.
Four of the unfortunates, dead were taken
out by them before the crowds gathered. Help
was then more plentiful, and in wonderfully
short time the mass of timbers, iron, brick,
mortar, and rubbish was searched through-two
other dead bodies were borne sorrowfully out
and the still living were extricated and re-
moved.
The six mangled corpses were carried across
Lami street to the car works, and deposited
therein, laid out upon boards on the ground
presenting a spectacle most lamentable and
sickening-heads crushed, faces confused and
begrmed, and legs and arms broken, bloody,
ghastly, and covered with coal dust.
The following is q list of the dead:-
Daniel O'Shea, q single man, aged thirty years.
Patrick Sweeney, a married man, fifty years
of age. He leaves widow and four children.
Francis Collins, unmarried, twenty-three
Dominick Moran, a boy of fourteen years.
John Kergan, the engineer, thrty-four years
of age. He leaves widow and one child.
Matthew Roe aged twenty-three years. un-
married.
All of the above six were killed instantly.
Paul BebouX, aged twenty-five years. He
was married, and lived at No. 1887 Congress
street, where now are his widow and two chill
dren. He died shortly after being removed from
the ruins.
In several cases the injuries from scalds,
| burns, and bruises are so severe as to preclude
| the possibility of recovery. Some of the
| wounded upon being rescued, were taken oi
| went alone to their homes. The following list
| comprises the names of all of the most seriously
| injured Mcdonald, Frank Fitzpatrick
| John Grimes, Bogart Flanagan, Robert Bow
man, John Blake, John Waddel, Charles Came
| ron, Richard Wells and brother, and German
name unknown. All of the above killed and
wounded were laborers, except the engineer
Kergan.
The building is perfect wreck, Some parts
of the structure were thrown great distance
one piece of iron, weighing perhaps three
hundred pounds, was hurled over the space of q
Cards distillery, in the brick wall of which
breach six feet in diameter was blown by the
explosion.
The cause of the explosion has not yet beer
satisfactorily ascertained. The foreman, Mal
| ~ s,,.t tl,a
room and saw, he SAYS, that the steam pressure
was not above eighty pounds. AS he passed ou
at the front door, having just left the engine
room, the explosion occurred. Maryellously b.
escaped unhurt, though hurled about five fee
into the street. The engine was not in motion
| at the time of the collapse.