Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-04-04
!. FEARFUL EXPLOSION.
- f.l.-
THE RRIBLE DISASTER YES.
TERDAY MORNING.
- - -
COLVILLE & cos MILL A WRECK
THREE PERSONS KILLED AND
TWO MORE, DANGEROUSLY
.. ... WOUN ED.
4 BOILER WEIGHING 1000 LBS.
CARRIED 400 FEET.

GA ED 400 kEETs
Our city was startled early yesterday
morning by one of the most fearful
to record. At 15 minutes to 7 O'Clock
terrible explosion was heard and felt
all through the city, and it soon be-
Co1ville & Co.'S Steam Saw Mill, at the
foot. of Walnut street, had exploded.
Our reporter hurried to the spot,
when a
SCENE OF WRECK AND RUIN
was presented to the view About
two-thirIs of the mill building lay
crushed and ont of shape, the engine
was broken, while the boiler house was
laid level with the ground To the
North of the spot where the house
stood, and about 80 feet distant, rest
ing on pile of lumber and elevated
at an angle Of about 20 degrees,
was found the boiler that WAS
nearest the pump. It is uninjured
with the exception of hole alb out Elk
or eight inches in diameter. The SEQ
ond of the three boilers, being that
which was in the centre, was found
lying in Messrs Colyille & Cos enclo-
sure and against the fence that divided
it from Mutt street. It had been car
ried distance of about -
TWO HUNDRED FEKF,
all except one cad, which had taken an
opposite direction, passing through the
Mill, which it shattered, and falling in
the river beyond it. lido -
The third boiler, which was farthest
from the pump and next to the chin
ney, was taken up and carried through
the air distance of about y
FOUR HUNDRED AND FIFTY FEET,
taking off the top of one house and the
chimney of another, ON Mutt street,
tearing down fences, outhouses aud
trees, and finally landing in the base
ment of the building en- Front street,
occupied above by Messrs Jos. Meier
and Geo. Williams and below by two
colored families. The basement of
this building was guarded by a solid
brick, wall on the side facing to the
mill, but this was crushed like an egg
she'll and the course of the boiler was
stayed only by stone embankment
built against the street and below it's
level As an illustration of the force
with which it was thrown, it must have
gone nearly on level from
its first altitude, as it passed
under the telegraph wires on Mutt
street, and but for the embankment
under the house ON Front street, it
would probably have continued its
course for 800 feet further. Front
street is about ON O level with the top
of the mill. This boiler must have
passed broadside through the air until
it reached row of shade trees in the
yard of the Front street premises,
when the resistance offered by them
turned its course and it entered the
basement of the house lengthwise;
otherwise the entire house would have
been demolished and the accident
would have been still more fearful in
its results,
The steam cylinder, which passed
from the boiler room to the engine,
was torn in half, one part falling in
the dock to the north of the mill, and
the other passing through the mill,
shattering everything, as it went and
falling on the wharf beyond it.
l.. -'.s,e THE CASUALTIES
amount to three persons killed out
right, one probably MORALLY wounded,
two seriously wounded, and several
others more or less injured. These
are as follows:
Sam Carter, colored, the engineer,
killed. He was at the engine at the
time of the explosion, at work ON it,
and Was found. afterwards about ten
feet distant, under the fly wheel. which
wae broken by the concussion, terribly |
scalded and. mangisil. He was shout
IS years old aud leaves q wife and two
children he had formerly worked
for a number of years on o railroad,
but had been in the employ of Messrs.
Colville & 90. for 2 years, first as fire.
man and afterwards IS engineer. He |
was deemed thoroughly competent |
and reliable, and this is the first in.
stance of a disaster of any kind. He
was originally from Sampson county.
George Bynum, eolered, q had about
IL years old, employed as . mill hand,
had been at work there only about .
week. He came from Wilson. At the |