Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1873-03-26
BOILER EXPLOSION.
Remarkable Freak of Steam...A Boiler
Takes an Aerial Flight Through a
Brick House. =

From the Sacramento Record OF yosterdsy.1
Last evening, at a few minutes past
z o'clock, the residents near the city
front were startled by a loud explo-
sion, which was Immediately followed
by an alarm Of fire from the bell Of
Engine Company No. l. Upon reach
ing Second street 1t became evident
that some remarkable freak of steam
had taken place, for an immense boiler,
rent and torn by an explosion, lay
across that street between L and NJ
streets, while an enormous hole In the
third story ola brick house Immediate
~ opposite. told of the terrific force
with which 1t had been hurled. III
vestigation disclosed the tact that the
boiler belonged to the Sacramento
Foundry Of William Guttenberger, los
and l07 Front street, which had ex-
ploded with such force as to send 1t
entirely through the end of the shop In
which 1t was situated, across the alley,
through a large yard, demolishing q
fence on Its road, then rising In the air,
1t had passed entirely through three
rooms aud both front and back walls
OF a brick house before It had reached
Its lodging place In the middle Of
Second street. At first sight 1t seemed
impossible that such an occurrence
should have taken place without loss
of life. and search was at oncs COM
menced amid the ruins for the injured.
but none were found. It seems that
tho workmen had all left the foundry
some time before, banking the fires
and leaving everything appar-
emily safe, and that the oc-
cupants Of the injured house,
which was occupied by II. w. Higgins.
clerk In the Central Pacific Railroad
Office. were down stairs at the tlm,.
Mr.. Coolidge, who occupied one of the
rooms in the third story, had been In
his apartment but a few minutes before
the occurrence. 1t Is supposed that
the explosion was Of such a nature rs
to give a circular motion to the boiler
In its flight, which, combined with the
immense velocity, caused 1t to cut Its
way clean through all distractions.
The partition walls, furniture aud
brick walls were as completely and
clearly cut through rs could have been
done by the tools Of a mechanic, while
the boiler shop ls a complete wreck OF
broken timbers. The most plausible
theory of the cause Of tho explosion is
that the fire got under way after the
workmeE had left, and thus generated
steam sufficient to cause the accident.
It was, however, impossible to arrive
at any correct conclusions last night,
and 1t will require removal and exam
ination of the debris to-day to get ut
any accurate Idea Of Just how 1t occur
red. II Is the most remarkable feature
Of the whole affair that, with the SIN
gle exception Of one man who was
Slightly scalded, and q passing lady
struck by a piece Of iron OH Second
street, no one was hurt. An immense
crowd Of people assembled around the
ruins. The Fire Department were
promptly OH hand, but found little
need for their services. A casual ex-
animation of the boiler shows that In
some places It was very much worn
and thin, some Of the pieces LETT In Its
track being but little thicker than
sheet iron.