The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-04-03
TERRIBLE ACCIDENT.
Explosion Of Boilers in q Plan
ing Mill.
Four Killed and Manv
Wounded.

WILMINGTON, N. O.. April 2 1879.
This city was startled early this morning ~ =
most fearful disaster. At hfteen minutes to seven
O'Clock Q terrible explosion was heard and felt
all through the city. ana 1t became known that
the boilers at Messrs. C0iviIie d Company's steam
sawmil at the foot OF Walnut street. had exploded.
the HERALD reporter hurried to the spot. where
q scene Of wreck and ruin was presented to the
view. About two-thirds Of the mill building lay
crushed and out Of shape. The engine was broken
while the boiler house was laid level with the
ground. To the north OF the spot where the house
stood. and about thirty feet distant, resting ON .
pile Of lumber and elevated at an anglo OF about
twenty degrees was found the boiler that near
est the pump. 1t Is uninjured, with the exception
OF hole about six or eight inches In diameter
The second Of the three boilers, being that which
was in the centre, was found lying In Colvile d
Co.'s enclosure, and against the fence that divioed
It from Mutt street. 1t had been carried distance
OF about two hundred feet, all except one end,
which had taken an opposite direction, passing
through tho MILL which 1t shattered. ana falling In
the river beyond 1t.
THR THIRD BOILER
which was farthest from the pump and next to inc
chimney, was taken up and carried through tho
air distance OF about four hundred and nifty feet
taking of the top OF house and the chimney OF
another on Mutt street, tearing fences. 0uthOusee
and trees and finally landing IN the basement OF
| the building on Front street occupied above By
James Meir and George Williams, and below By two
| cOlored families The basement Of this building
guarded by solid brick rail- on the side facing
| to the mill. but this was
CRUSHED LIKE AN EGG SHELL.
and the course Of the boiler was stayed only p
stone embankment built against the street and be-
As an illustration Of the force with which it was
its first altitude as it passed under the telegraph
wires on Mutt street. and but for the embankmene
SaSe its course for 800 feet
| Front street is about on q Level with the top Of
the mill This boiler must have passed troadside
| trees In the yard OF the Front street premises.
when resistance offered by them, turned its course.
and 1t entered the basement Of the house length
ways; otherwise the entire house would have been
demolished and the accident would have been gtin
which psssod rom the boiler room to the engine.
was torn In half ovpsrt falling in the deck 70 the
north Of the mlil the other passing through tho
mill. shatterng everything as 1t went, and falling
| on the wharf beyOndit.
| THE CASUALTIES
amount to three persons Killed outright, one pr0Oas
| bly, mortaly wounded. two seriously wounded and
several others more or less injured. These are ~
| sam Carter, colored, the engineer, killed. He
was at the engine at the time Of the explosion, at
| work on it. and was found afterwards about ten
| by the c0ncusst0n, horribly scalded and mangled.
George Bynam, colored lad about seventeen
work there only about week At the time Of tho
| accident he was near the furnace door, raktnR
| some shavingS to the fire, and was thrown, with
| the engineer, under the ny wheel. He was taken
| up dead.
william Taylor, colored, the fireman, was badly
scalded on the face and on the left side, and 10
| feared that he cannot live. He was near the fur
| mace when the explosion occurred.
GuilfOrd Taylor, COlOred, the sawyer, was IN the
! mill at the saw, and was hurt by the failing tim
| bers. He is severely, but not considered danger
| ously, scalded and bruised
Richmond James, Colored, was hauling timber
| through the mill He Ia Scaded on the face and
| otherwise badly injured.
! Hannah Anderson, colored girl, about fourteen
| years old, was killed outright She was In an out
| house in the yard of the premises OF the house on
| mill, and was killed when the house was demOl-
| ished by the engine on it's extraordinary flight.
Cataline Hall, the mother Of this girl, was In tho
| room in which the boiler lodged, and was some
what injured by the bricks that were thrown
| about
| Farmer, who were also in this room at the time.
/ were slightly injured in the same manner.
/ THE BOILERS
| weighed 1000 pounds each. They were thirty -hvO
feet long and three feet In diameter and had been
| in use at the mill about year. They were
among the newest and best equipped boilers IN
! the city, and were generally worked under pres
| sure Of eighty pounds Of steam. The engine was
stopped on Tuesday night rs usual, and was started
4 again at six o'clock this morning with the usual
pressure, about one thousand feet OF lumber hAv-
| Ing been sawed previously to the explosion. The
ton in the boiler room, clamped Down to an iron
| bed and placed as so1dly as It was possible for
! them to be. The power OF the fastenings was esu-
mated at 10000 pounds. The boiler room was OF
brick. seven feet high, the walls being three feet
| thick, the whole secured with iron bands.