The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-11-12
AN EXPLOSION IN PATERSON
4 STEIN BOTLER's FLTGHr OYER
THE CITF'S ROOFS
The Destruction Of Dorgerai & Co.'S Lace
aud Dyeing Establishment An Engineer
With Outside nusInesa on his unnd..

| WIN Outside Businesa on his Hands.
| 49,, Ivsl.Cn1~ VI i'u.vison were startled
| by terrific explosion that nearly shook them
from their feet, early Yesterday morning. and
| hurrving from their h 9uscs they looked upward
and saw black, shapclOss mass Ryratin0 500 feet
above the house tops. The mass rose and fell and
whirled and twisted, and at length plunged
| downward like rocket with lightning rapdity.
| Some laborcrs on the Erie Railway track saw 1t
| falling, apparently upon their hca,s. and they
rushed bareheaded up tho street in terror. The
mysterious mass descended upon the roadbed a
few feet from the iron rails, and crushing
through the cobble stones, lay tmbedded In the
enrth only foot OF two from the side
walk at Division and Paterson streets,
| The people. who had " hrst supposed that
the shock was that of nm eartbauake
Il 'okod to tho place In bewllderuent. and saw
there the remains OF ponderous iron boiler. It
hai been twisted into a solid mass of metal
The course Of the living missile was traced back
to the lace and dyelng establishment Of Peter
Dorgeri & Co, at Division and Bridge streets,
| TWO blocks dist nj, aud there piles Of smoking
~ ~ 'hs r!lneu walls, ana nlackene tiubcrs told
when 20 u had started. The l4rse url ,ht botier
over two tons in weight, which supplied the
power 10 the nlchinery In the shop. hai ex-
llodel, ana, ntiuE into the air had s1nred over
,he rows 81 Dwellings and dropped over thous-
1hc establi shmcnt In which the accident oc
Cared Is long, two-stor, brick buiiuing, and
Is known az thr old lens0n mill. TIE main
buildin IL abort GlNaD feet. and In the rear is
large WING that covered tho boiler aud the en-
rinc. 4 ;all trick chimney rises Over hity
feet in the air The place II ! been occupied by
Dor geral Co. for about two years, ana the
with the Incorporation OF the city. II
has been under the direction Of Damien
Nowako"ski. Pole, who has added t. his
duties as engineer that of doing general work in
every department of the shop. MIR. Nowakowski,
as he sajs kindled IRE In his engine, and left
II at about O'Clock In the morning to work In
another part Of the establishment. There was
sunicient water In the boiler. and the gauge in
dcated only forty pounds " steam. lie thought
that the engine could take care Of itself for an
hour or more with perfect safety. lie had not
been gone more than ten minutes when the
thock of the explosion neafl lifted him from
end OF the shop.
The root OF the boiler house went into splin-
tcf~' heayy beams parted like threads. tho walls
crnnb"d and sank. the tall chimney fell. and
tNs boiler almost intact, shot w over the great
willow tree. and scared toward the railway sta
tion. 1he air WAS niled In every direction with
BRICK aud iron missiles. that scattered over the
streets The Immense boiler uump fefl +, hnn
dred laris up the street In front OF a dwelling
yond. Nearly tho whole rear wall OF the main
pui ding was shaken down. and tho glass IN ali
tne WINDOWS was shattered.
As the iron mass, glowing red, shot forth. Mrs
Mtldman' VINO llVes IN a long wnite house ad-
joining the Yard Of the dye -hop. aud who was
hanging ont herweek' wa, a,hinr.nrrrowlve .capcd
one OF the iron nues th,t penetrated the ground
by her side for several feet. Another large
Brandt, u River street baker. He was driving
tnr3uR DIVISION street. and was frightened 50
taiiy that he dropped pale and quaking into
the bottom of his " Ctn.
John Laird's house, near the shop. was com
pletely rlddlcd with bricks. trowels. and bits Of
iron. which shot through the walls as though
they were OF paper. over "A dozen holes, SIX or
seven inches m diameter. were scattered about
the roof and sides OF the dwelling Tne rooms
~ the lower story, which Is occupied py Albert
Ramsey, were nued with missiles ana rubbish.
Mrs. Ramsey says that reu-hot coal D lssed en-
ltEtll through @ mouse and barely missed
lay on the II or OF tho boiler house
was hurled with such tremendous force
that the h"ndle passed through the sheathinR OF
the hamscy house. aud the brush part alone re
NAMED outside. one Of the 1ues wss thrown
over "a whole block OF houses, and falling uppD
TIE stuup II weaver shop in Paterson street
Smashed the steps, and then glaucing on tore a
stte INTO Regiments, ami. passing through a
basencnt Wirduw, grazed the head of a work
ma ana ipopei a ueep hole IN the stones Of
the npor at his fcet
Another Hue knocked dormcr window OF a
n1u al Fdt' Ison ami Bridge streets luio kind
my WOOD, aud still duntLrr seven fcet long, was
hurled o'cr ave OiucNs, lrJO feet distant irum
tnc lnili ana cr1rpeu near he residence Of Dr.
hi.ch. MR.. Dew, VINO was passing along the
street, near the SHOP Was almost euVcluped IA
shower of iron, brirN, and mortar an Il. es-
cdped unhurt. Her facs was bidckened AS
though ny "a Hash Of gunDOwler. No other per.
son Vas injured ~ the slightest, though "A Gozan
whlch were pins in tuc engine house were
hl'lrd' anI Il n,ing nrick bcneadeI a cat in Pat
cislu street.
,hc lii-nt q the boiler was seen M the Erie
dep t.t nI NILE Il. Hall an houraftcr It's fan
u Was stlll fcd uot ana perfectly dry, ana tai,
ca woud prove 10 L tie wal. 1 w., r y .ust,d
IN ,he TANKS when II eNul,dcd.
ihrre were only four operators In tho mill at
TN uMe a tAlu. utd. tuougn Hnout twenty
m"ions were u ~ al day iepairlns sh ittered
as ana mruGlu- trokcn cuinucy tops IN the
n,l-hboirnud OF the accident, The houses
"n'cn are IN the most tnicAiy-popul.ted part Of
tie city are IiIGleu.