New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-11-12
BOILER EXPLOSION IN HARLEM.
SEVEN PERSONS KILLED OUTRIGHT, AND SEVERAL
WOUNDED BY THE EXPLOSION OF THE BOILER VI
A HOSTING MACHINE.

A HOSTING MACHINE.
The explosion of the steam boiler OF q MOIST
ing machine near Observation-Disclosures eighth-s''
caused Yesterday the instantaneous death Of seven per-
sons and severely wounded several others. Az 'Do
scene OF the ira gedy in Fourhave the center ol tno
roadway has been broken for the tunnel OF tne uhu
ground railway Of the Hudson River Railroad -on 'n0
east side OF the excavation the tracks oil the
roads on the SIDE are mounds OF earth pfch'' "
stones, and long beams formerly used III .uo
tunnel Near the curbstone the west suo
also runs narrow and shallow trench, recently aug
by the gas companies for the reception Of gas pipes
tunnel approached completion during the past week.
and accordingly the contractors placed on the
bank a hosting machine 10 clear the excavation vi d"
useless material The power was supplied 10 tue hoi
Ing machine from an upright tubular boiler, made by n
C. Cameron OF this city The work OF hosting na'eri"'
from the excavation was completed yesterday morning.
and in the afternoon the workmen were or
dered TO move the machine and boiler nofll'
ward ~ feet, and again 20 enter upon inc
labor Of clearing the tunnel The laborers began 'ue'
preparations for the removal OF the boiler about p M
Beams we're placed beneath the boiler, and beyono ~
plauks were laid across which proposed to drag
both the ponderous hosting machine and the boher
Several Of the aborers finding that they could not move
the boiler by means OF the beams puticrowbars beneat
IT and endeayored to pry it ont OF its position "h'
this attempt making bright fire was olazips w
meath the boiler and the steam gauge Indicated en
pressure The laborcrs. much effort succeeded III
lifting the boiler. but while placing some large sto"e
beneath rocked II backward and forward.
At the moment the engineer, John Barnun, was
standing near boiler aud talking with one OF the
laborers Around the boiler crowd OF lapofers'
with several residents who were watching the NoIA
men in the excavation by, in the dtch maie Nv
the gas company several aborers who were snow
cling earth, and passing on the sidewalk were 7e'
eral pedestrians. without the slightest warning the
boiler suddenly exploded. filing the air with fragments
OF iron and breaking the window glass OF all the
buildings in the vicinity from the violence Of the report
Tie noise of the explosion was heard throughout hdI
lem and attracted TO the spot thousands OF alarmed cl
zens Around the shattered boiler were lying the bodies
Of the dying and the dead. All Of the dead seven IN
number had been wounded in the head, most OF them
having the top OF their skulls blown OIL Two oi inc
dead had had their heads severed from their bou'es
at the neck as II decaptaIed with AK only Two OF
the laborers engaged IN the boiler we're kieu'
the rest miracuously escaping. Two of the gas men
were found dead in the ditch 10 feet distant scDoo
boy who had stopped on ms way home 20 see now inc
yor, was proceeding in the exca yaOn, found dead
by the side Of the boiler. An unknown HalIan
girl apparently about II years old, was khl'd
On "A temporary bridge crossing the excavation
She was evidently street musician as large
harm was found living by the side OF her body Inc
work of death was apparently mainly executed by "a
piece OF iron, weighing fully 200 pounds Nhch ""'
thrown off from the boiler at hight OF about I'VE Iee'
and sped through the air at about that level above The
ground. It's force spent at the corner oil one
wenty ei ghth-st. where it fell, striking
on and killing young woman who was walk
ing TO her home near by.
Sergeants Osborn and Long Of the Twelfth Precinct
living near the OF The accident heard the report
Of the explosion. and at once collecting squad oil po-
Icemen FASTENED 10 the spot Fully 500 persons had
gathered street and the police at first found
very difficult TO reach the dead aud wounded. Both
were placed upon Srecbors and taken to the station
house in Observation-Disclosures AmDnlanccs
were then summoned, aud the wounded were taken to
the Reception Hospital In Nmetyninth-si. the iamihes
Of the deceased who were nearly all married men ana
had children visited the staonhouse dung tn" even
ing and with tears Of anguish Identified the dead The
following is list Of the dead and wOundcd'
DEAD
John Foley. age o. ahorcr, u One-hundred-and-
twenty-hnh-st. and Fnurih-1ve. ,,
John Gibson, age "a, Of nchundred-andt"ehiS nun
philip Muller age D. eastman, OF Tenthave. between
Fiffy-third ana Fifty -fOurh-stS.
Gsorge Becker age %. gasmaD, of Oue-hundrcd-and-
nintl.st between second and Ninth aye'; ,,..,
Wiiiam Britt, age 10, OF Fonrthaye am' ohehnhure"-
Irene Beltre y, Of NJ. q Thompson,tt. ..,.o,
Louisa BassfOrd, age 49, OF No 81 East Ouc-hundEed-
and-twentyhith st
William Fallen, aborcl OF No l,2jc Ffthaye' severely
scalded. .,
Nelly, ldborrr OF cumberland thiIiltiu't'
and FOurihaye., severe scalp wound.
Patrick Finn. laboror, of One
and FOurtnave., severe scalp wound.
Patrick MOIiarty, age 50, OF No. 2r22s Sec"udiNe''
slightly wounded about the body.
William Dageert, age co. OF one hundred and twenty
sevcnth-5t. and Flithave.; scaicd about the bodi
John Walsh, laborer, residence unknown; signify
Mr. Cowles Postmaster Of Fordham had hi- ankle
broken by a fragment OF the boiler striking H.
Several other men who were wounded by the eN-
poson were carried their homes 10y friends soon after
the accident thus lost sight Of by the police
The police upon investigating the circumstances at
tending the accident found that the boiler owned
by John BalmOre of Fr-taye., near One-bundred"hd-
tenh-s 1t was upright. double tubular. nigh pres,
Twenty-fhird.sf and the East River. aud con
structed OF .tnch wrought iron. It's capacity was
Barnmm escaped All injury by the accident. He disap
peared after the accident and was searched ior III
vain by the police 1t asserted by the engineer
friends that the boiler had capacity for 100 pounds
pressure 10 inch aud that only 40 pounds we're regis
tered BIZ the gauge lust before The explosion. IL was
also asserted that the boiler recently tested ana was
found be sound The police are OF tue opinion ina.
notbinc but thorough investigation 10y the AUTHORITIES
charged with such duties Will determine the cause OF Tue
boiler explosion. -,
the residents OF Harlem last night The condition o. tIe
stores the vicinity 0f the accident regarded Win
special curiosity. All OF The shops directly facing inc
boiler had their windows aud window frames sal
rcred into fragments The force Of the explosion
was also so great that the ceilings OF inree
of the stores fell IN. The destruction described was
especially noticeable in the stores OF The following per
sons: j. OfnlstOn, halOout dl NO lou
ave; j. A. Westlick har.dresscr Of No 2S6S Fourth
ave. William Horn, butchersof No. 2,JG6 fourhsVei;
ana r. W. Ridley OF No. 1864 Fourhave., Druggist AZ
of the windows in the Fifth District Police CoiTl, at
Fourhaye. and Observation-Disclosures -ninth'si, were
broken.
Mrs Ormiston, who was in her husbands saloon at
the OF the accident, had her face and nanLs
severely cut by particles Of glass from the broken
window. IL regarded very fortunate car
cumstance that there was no railway tran st3p s
ping the track opposite, inssmuch as me
humber OF killed would doubtless have been doubled III
had been the Miss Bassford OF The dead
q woman OF great beauty and intelligence, oDe
her way TO her home, One-hnndredand..
twenty fffh-st, attracted by shout from one OF
the wOrkmen around the boiler stopping Tor mo,
ment TO look al the scene was moment aIter~Hu
killed. described. Her father, Mr. Edward Bassford'
Is at the head OF of the greatest cigar
manufacturing firms in the CITY, Many RESIDENT,