The New York herald., 1874-11-22
BoILsR EXPLOSION.
Four Buildings Shattered In JerA
sey City.
4 Colorsd Woman seriously Injured
eal Escape Of Ten Pcrsons-The Boiler Thrown
Distance Of Four Hundred Feet

AZ ten O'Clock yesterday morning terrioie
boiler explosion took place In the soap factory Oh
mr. y. Weiwood, Nos. 33s ana 3sT Newark avenue
Jersey CIV. As viii be seen by o perusal OF the
facts connected with The explosion IL was the res
suit OF daring experiment.
new machine. consisting or metallic rake res
voiving within an iron soap vat and connected
Win small steam engine. was being tested when
the explosion occurred. Mr.. Wildwood had
gauged the safety valve &C ffty pounds
pressure ana soon arerwasd directed one Of
the mschlnists 10 see n there was sufncient
water IN tae boiler. The machiniss did SO and re-
turned 20 the 'front.' building. NO one remained In
the botier room. Ia the front part OF the building.
and within thirty ieet OF the boiler were Mr..
Wildwood. his two sons, aged about six ana ten
years. his father. toar workmen and two machin.
ists. making ten In all. Mr.. Wildwood had his
hand on the supply valve, ready to proceed with the
test. when the explosion occurred. The shocking
snair wln be best Understood by his own relation
OF the circumstances; awhile I had my hand on
that valve uointina II out TO o HERALD reporter),
you see me now, a terrible conclusion took
place. For q few moments I could not realize
what happened-a hundred bells were ringing In
any ears. before had fuily recovered my senses
the moor came tumotng down; but, thanks 20
Providence. that row of soap boxes caught 10 on
the one SIDE and the adjoining building on the
other prevented the side wall ron giving out,
and thus that side OF the ceiling remained In place.
hut for these two circumstances you wouid be now
searching for tho bodies OF us all ny nrst Inn
pulse rush for my little boy. who was stand-
ing between the soap vat and tho boiler room ana
you can imagine my feelings wnen saw him
standing upright and looking into my face. he
was literally covered with mortar Not one Of thas
group Of ten within those walls sustained any
injury. am stii 80 bewildered with . recoIlec.
uon OF the terrible anair ana the providens
ual escape Of my children, my fstner
ment on my losses. They win not ian short Of
$4,000. The boiler was forty inchcs In diametex
years. II was never employed for motive power
bat simply to generate steam Tor boiling purpososs
After had set the valve az nfty, one Of my men
been placed the lever by one OF the machinista
80 that the boiler might carry heavier pressure.
cended, making an angie Of about sixty degrees
sweeping the ceIlings ana roof into debris kobery
door, % when n his % house trembled with the concus.
sion. He gives his experience az folows:-For
or 50 sa NOT ssor .nas soy 90 es1sn as
up In the air-Ohl didn't u spin round, 500
the height OF $50 feet, sailing IKE q ballooa
ing down on the railroad trestle work. Why, n is
had come toward my house II wouldn't ieave
living soul IN OF those houses u was tbe mar
rowest escape ever knew. Itcleared over houses.
telegraph wires and all.
The boiler Tell beside the treSte WORK OJ I'M
Pennsylvania Railroad 40o feet from Its starting
point and imbcddcd Itself IN the swamp. About
Two feet OF II remained above the va
ter An examination ol u showed that the
part which yielded was the hre box. The smok9
chamber became detached In the ascent and fell
on the sidewalk IN Newark avenue, smashing twQ
barrels. The ielting which covered the boiler was
spattercd against doors aud windows underneath
the track pursued 10y the Doiier.
When the boiler went up tue work OF destrucuon
commenced. A colored woman named Eliza
Peterson was slttIng in her wood house split
ting wood when the structure was swept from
its position and turned over its side The Iail-
ing tno oers fell thckly upon her till her head pre-
sented frinnttn appearance. she was conveyed
TO the City Hospital. She was the only person
injured, although the explosion took place In the
midst OF a densely populated district. Nothing
more proviucntial ever occurred. Pour
buildings In ali were shattered. the burn.
ing Goals nom the furnace were dashed
against small frame structure, used as q stable,
and set IL Oh ire. An alarm was rung, and thu
firemen were on hand IN less than ten minutes,
and within ten minutes afterward the 1rc was ex.
tnguished. The vicinity OF the explosion In almost
exclusively q negro settlement. ana the residents
were seized with the widest terror while tue Gre
lasted. There was no insurance on the buildings
destroyed.