The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-02-04
BOILER EXPLOSION AT PITTS.
BURGH.

BOILER EXPLOSION AT PITTS.
BURGH.
Iron Works Blown Up..3O Persons
Wounded.
P1rTsBURaH, February 8.-Four boil
ers in the American Iron Works oi
Messrs. Jones & Laughlin, in Browns
town, 24th Ward, exploded at about ten
o'clock this morning. The explosion was
so tremendous that three sections Of the
building, some fifteen feet each, were
completely shattered, the roof being car.
ried away and scattered in all directions.
There were 5000 men employed In the
mill at the time OF the explosion, and for
the time 1t seemed as though very large
number had been either killed or wound
ed by the steam or fragments Of the boil
ers that were sent flying in all directions.
The greatest CONSERVATION prevailed and
the most extravagent rumors were at
once set afoat. Immediate steps were
taken to relieve the injured who were
still alive and recover the bodies Of the
dead. Up to the present time the follow
ing killed have been extricated from the
debris: Pat Hauly, Mike Reynolds, Ohss.
Fes, Thomas MCCARTHY, Barney McAu.
lev and Anton Beclus. Some thirty were
wounded, but few Of the number seriously.
The accident at the American Iron
Works this morning surp uses In fatality
anything that has occurred In the city for
sometime. At 10 o'clock A. NJ, a. battery
situated at the upper or south side OF
what is known as the new mill Of the
American Iron Works, exploded, with q
terrific report, and resulted in, the death
OF several men and great destruction OF
property. The boilers which had been
In place for about a year, although they
had been some five years in use, were
located about midway between the ends
of the new mill, and were placed between
the spike and nail factories, about three
hundred feet from the river. They lay
fronting the south, and this seemed to be
the direction in which the force Of the
explosion principally expended itself, al
though the batteries were completely an.
initiated, and the destruction was COM
pleLe at the rear and on all sides as well as
in front. Tho ends Of the spike and nail
factories were blown down TO the extent
of about 25 feet, and the wall and,roof Of
the new mill were blown away. Portions
OF the boilers, bricks and timbers from the
ruined buildings were thrownin all direc-
tions and to great distances. Some ofthe
fragments were thrown distance ofthree
or four SQUARES, The cause Of the explo.
sion is mystery, The engineer had eE.
amined the boiler gauge only FIVE minutes
before the explosion, and found the stage
OF water satisfactory. Following the ex-
'plosion the most intense excitement pre-.
vailed. A great crowd Immediately gath4-
cred at the scene Of destruction and set to
work to remove the debris and recover
the bodies OF the killed. Seven dead
bodies have been extricated from the
ruins, all Of which were more or less mu.
tilated, and some to trightlnl extent
The bodies were also blackened to de-
gree as II they had been burned. Twoo OF
the killed were found many feet away from
the accident, in an adjoining mill. They
had been employed there, and were
struck by flying mlssels. One man was
bringing load Of coal to the furnace Of
the battery, on an elevated railway which
led over the boilers, and when the eXpl0.
sion occurred was just over the battery,
and was blown upward considerable
distance. The lower jaw Of one work.
man was found lying considerable dis
tance from the body. Five bodies were
partially buried under the ruin, ,and were
removed with hard labor The killed
were borne away on stretchers as fast as
recovered, and the scenes which followed
recognition by friends, was painful In the
extreme. The following is a complete
list Of the killed: Chas. OGfee, Pat Hsu-
", Barney McAuley, Thos. Mccarthy,
Mike Reynolds, Anton Bukeys and John
Shepan. -
The following is a partial list Of the
Adam Young, struck by a piece Of tho
boiler, had his legs and an arm broken;
Charles aud James G. Ward were struck
by splinters, and were severely injured
about the head; Dalzell, head and legs
slightly; Jacob Kinker, slightly about
the legs; Tim Mahoney, legs crushed;
Jacob Brabcck, spine injured and burned
about the back; Robert Nelson, face and
body burned, seriously injured; Thomas
BOYLE, head and breast; Robt. Blatchford,
internally; Nicholas Long, legs crushed
and eye injured; Mrs. Keyser, arm bro
ken by fragment Of iron; Henry Grant,
a boy, ear split and seriously injured.
The nail feeders were out on q strike ct
the timO Of the explosion. Had they
been at work, the loss Of Life must have
been very great.
The iron works are the most extensive
in the country, covering some z acres in
area, and employing $500 workmen.