The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-02-07
1srriHs Botier E1pEosios..
POUR BoILEKk KXPLODE SIMULTANEOUSLY
-TAnRIDLE LOSS OF LIFE AND LIMB.

PITTsRURGH, Feb. 3.-Four boilers in
the American iron works of Jones & Laugh
lin in Brownstowr, 1'~ ~enty -fourth ward,
exploded this morning. The explosion
was so tremendous that three sections of
the building OF some fifteen feet each were
oml,letely shattered, the roof being car
ried entirely away and scattered in all di-
rections. There were about three thous-
and laborers Employed in the mill at the
time the explosion occurred, and for =
time it seemed as thOu.'h 3 large number
had been killed or wounded by the steam
or fragments Of the boilers that were sent
in various directions. The greatest con-
sternation prevailed, and the most ext:av-
aCant rumors were set atloat. Immediate
stems were taken to relieve the injured,
who. were still alive, and recover the dead.
Cp to the present time the following killed
have been cztriczted from the debris
Patrick Hawley, Mich1 Reynolds, Charles
Fes, Thomac Mccarthy, Barney NcCulley
, and AutOn Heckcrs. Some thirty were
wounded. bat few Of the number seriously.
LATER PARTICULARS.
| PITTsnUEGH. Feb. 3.-The accident at
| the American iron works this morning
/ surrasse- in fatality anything that has oc-
! CURED in tl.iN city for some time. At ten
o'clock the hSttery Of four boilers, situated
! at the south side Of the new mill OF the
| American iron works, exploded with q ter
rifle report, causing the death Of several
uen ard great obstruction of property
| The hoilers have been in position about a
year but had been five years in use. They
were placed between the spike and nail
: factories, about three hundred feet from
| the river, facing south, which seemed to
/ be tho direction! tho force Of the explosion
| expended itself although the batteries
were completely annihilated ard the des-
tIUctiOn complete on all sides. About
e Il. ? ~ ~,
and nail cs;were! blown down and the
/ wall and roof OF the new mill blown away.
/ Portions OF the boilers. bricks and timbers
were blown great distances, some frag-
nents three or four blocks. The engineer
had examined the boiler gaugcs only few
moments before the explosion and found
! the state OF the water satisfactory. The
! most intense excitement prevailed after
/ the explosion, and great crowds immedl-
! ately gathered and worked to remove the
! debris and recover the bodies OF the killed.
! Several were recovered. all more or less
mutilated. some fiightfully. and blackencd
as though burned. Two of the killed were
! found many feet fr'.;n the scene OF the ac-
ciicut, in an adjoining mill. They had
been employed there. and were struck by
! flying missiles. One man was bringing a
| load Of coal to the furnace on the elevated
railway, and was Just over the battery
| when the explosion occurred, and Was
blown upwards for considerable distance.
/ The lower jaw of one workm WAS found
! some distance from the body. Five bodies
were partially buried under the ruins
! The killed were borne away ON -tretchers
as fast As tho bodies were recovered, and
| the scenes which followed recognition by
friends were painful i'll the extreme.
The nail feeders were ont ON thessstrike
at the time of the explosion, otherwise the
loss OF life would necessarily been very
! great.