The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-05-12
lIcurE.wALLxER AND nALpEMAS,
Three Little Boys LITERALLY R0nstca
IAliyc-Terrible Result OF ana Expert
Incnt with On hydrogen Flame.

From The San Francisco Chronicle April ao.l
\ fri-htluI accident occurred on Monday
afternoon III lot on The northeast corner OF
Sixth and Branman streets, by which three
little boys, belonging To different families,
| were burned in il shocking aud probably
fatal malincr. The accident occurred while
certain EXPERIMENT, were being made with
TIM. oyyhydro.rn II mo. In order to con-
yey Il proper idea OF the manner in which
the terrible affair occurred somewhat
lengthy explanation is necessary.
Some time ago T.. III. Swain conceived the
idea of applying the oXyhydrogcn flame to
lighthouses and other illuninatin" purposes.
This flame is produced by the min.'inS OF
lets of >upcIlAated steam and petroleum, or
other hi Ihly .inillmmabc gas =. For the
purpose OF making experiments, Mr.. swain
recently rented the building on sixth street
adjoining The lot where the accident oc-
cured. He put Il small boiler III the build
inc and Il tank containing about gallon OF
paphtla, or crude petroleum.. An Ordinary
ris.pipc one inch III dllne'cr was attached
10 The !uilcr. and thence was run through
the wall Ia the outside Of the building and
about forty feet out IN the lot. From the
building To lis other extremity thIS PIPE WAS
covered with Il iew inches OF sand. Inside
of The iuc'i.pipc was Il -mIllcr one, lc.> than
n quarter OF an inch in diameter. Through
this the naphth&-.a> was carried, while Tie
larger pipe conveyed the sIlpcrhcalcd steam.
Near the aperture 1T the extremity both jets
mingled, and combustion en>,cd, producing
q flame whose intense heat ana diZZlng bril-
lancy can scarcely lc conceived by amy one
who h;t, never Witnessed such experiments.
On Monday afternoon about O'Clock
a , ,.aII t,!
with his apparatus. perpendicular point
about twelve inches long had been attached
10 the emf OF the pipe, - that the flame
miyht be shot directly upward. a large
number Of clildr n, attracted by curiosity,
had gathered about, and although cautioned
repeItcdIy TO 20 away, or AT least not TO come
TOO cIosc, it seems thc warning was not
needed. Still, rs the direction OF the lime
was strlight upward, no danger was appic-
bcndcd by Mr. Swain. Everything bcinSat
last arranged, the jets Of steam and gas we're
turned on and the fierce flame shot upward.
Suddenly there was remarkable dlminutlon
both i'm the volume and bll!iiancy OF lbc
H1mc Mir. Swain sllrInised that there was
some obstruction in the vent OF the smaller
piDc, and fearful that the pipe might burst,
rs the gas was constantly generating, he at
| .eu;ptrd with Il wrench 10 takr on the per-
| pend:c;.hr section Of pipe. In doing THIS
Tue horizontal section WIS raised so that the
| end rc.tcd above the surface OF tie ground.
The children crowded c!o.er to see what
was yoin. On. swain, and Abingdon, his
assistant, were both too busy or too much
excited to think Of anything but clearing the
| pipe.
-il 'r..:f til" diSconucction was made,
an l.. l..itucoll,ly came Il loud report, ana
| .3cet oi binding ii,me shot forth with The
| rrsistle,s fury Of the thundcrbolt, right in
among the group of children. The effect
was appalling. Thee OF the little boys
we: G literally roasted alive by the awful filme.
| The one who was standing most directly IN
| line was William Shannon, boy not quite
| ten Years old. He was about eight feet from
I.the pipe, aud the tremepdou. force OF the
explosion hurled him twenty feet back
Blinded with the fire, and rrantie with pain,
he rose 10 his feet aud rushed back directly
into the flame, where his clothes were
burned almost TO cindcrs. The timely as
siS,ance OF gcntleman present. who wrap
ned coat about him, slsed him ironl being
| instantly burned 10 del,h. Two other
children standing near him "cre Frustrated
b, the explosion, aud burned horribly about
| the face, handS, and legs. The two men VINO
were conducting the experiment were also
severely burned about the h,nds and lace,
br, MOI st,ndiny ~ directly In the ilne OF the
rxp,o zion their injul les are not oil Il serious
nature.
Charles Rurnham, aged eleven years, son