The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-09-23
THE FATAL THRESHER.
The Hazard Of Threshing Grain by
Steam.
DEATH AID Destruction.

THREsfIER I0ILER-THE BARN BURNS AND
TIE THREE ARE CHARRED TO CBIsPs IN THE
FLAMEs-GREAT LOSS OF PROPERTY BY THE
DEvOURING ELEMENT.
The Sentinel's Terre Haute special, yester-
day morning, briefly reported the loss OF
three lives and a destructive confsgration,
the result of the bursting of boiler while
operating steam thresber in Vigo county.
The Express of that city furnishes the fol-
lowing full particulars of the catastrophe
" Yesterday morning the information came
to the city that three men were killed by
the explosion o! a thTesher boiler the
farm of County Commissioner Stanley
Robbins about five miles and half from
town. 1t spread like wildfre, and all sorts
of wild stories were rife as to the loss
of life. An Express representative went
out to the scene of the c2tastrO-
phe, arriving about L O'Clock. a
row of buggies lined the fence, and several
horses were tied alongside. over al Ine
field little way, two large burning piles
marked the spot where the accident oc-
CURED, aad three white sheets covered the
charred remains of the three human beings
who had met with such horrid fate. Lit
tie groups Of men were talking here and
there, And now and then one would
cautiously approach the bodies, and lifting
one of the coverings reveal the charred IN
shspely mass Of being. The time OF the
accident was probably nine O'Clock IN the
Mason, of the killed, it having stopped at
five minutes after nine. Mr.. Robbins had
not been gone from the house more than
thirty minutes
WHEN THE TERRIBLE AFFAIR OCCURRED.
He knew nothing of the accident until ap
prised by Trustee Fischer, who, with Jabez
Smith, had heard the explosion and driven
to the scene Of the accident. The shed COR
sumed by the blszs had been built By Mr..
Robbins three years ago, and was used tor
storing hay. The Dimensions were 20 by
100 feet. The greater part of Mr.. Robblnss
wheat had been threshed some time ago,
but wet weather coming suddenly, o por-
tion of it was removed to this shed, where
the work of threshing began day before yes
terdsy. The boiler and engine we're located
about sixty feet south OF the separator,
and connected with the same by the
usual line of belt. The fire box was on the
south. The explosion threw the boiler
distance of one hundred and thirty feet to
the north, directly through the shed, be-
tween the straw pile and the separator, scat
tering the live Goals over the straw and hay,
firing it as by a flash. That part oil tbs
boiler which was to the north was torn en-
tirely away from the fire box, and the heater
and fly wheel must have fallen 81 the north
end of the shed. Nothing remains OF the
fly wheel but the spokeles5 rim. The main
shaft must have been thrown with great vi
olenee upon the forward part OF the separa-
tor. One end of the boiler is entirely torn
out and the tubes completely torn out OF
shape. A wagon OF coal, from which the
engineer had been using, WAS turned COM
pletely about and one wheel smashed oil.
AFTER THE EXPLOSION,
and while the men had hardly recovered
from their surprise and fright, the flames
spread rapidly, and from the main shed
caught smaller one; and it then seemed
question whether the stables would be
saved. However, the crowd had gathered
very rapidly and every effort was made to
save it; and the object was accomplished by
spreading blankets on the root. A valuable
stallion, kept in a small enclosure, closer
even than the stable, was saved by being
turned loose. TIE house was at no time in
very great danger, though, if the wind had
been stronger, some flying sparks might
have set it on fire. Judging from what can
be learned from the men who were at work
at the time of the accident, the fire must have
followed instsntaneously upon the heels of
the explosion. Nearly all seem to have
been stunned by the conclusion,
or so frightened that they were not able to
give assistance to those who were injured.
until it was too late. They were in ali II
men engaged about the machine, five were
pitching from the stack, and four were
moving the straw, two we're cutting bands,
one feeding and two measuring. Out of ali
this number the three unfortunate ones
were William Cordelle, Frank Mason and
Samuel Carr. 1t is thought that COrdelle,
who was feeding the machine. was struck by
the heater, as his body was afterward recov-
cred from beneath il. Carr and Mason were
struck by the flying boiler. It IL thought
that Cordelle and Mason were instantly
killed, hut it is surmised that Carr was just
so badly injured that he could not leave the
building in time to save himself. He had
Just sprang down from the straw to Clean
away the screens, handing his pitchfork to
his brother John, who was also working
there. In the
CONFUSION INCIDENT TO SUCH A CATAsTRo-
PIE,
the survivors did not notice that some of their
number were missing, for several minutes
and it was only when John Carr, the brother
of Samuel, exclaimed that his brother was in
the flames, that they noticed the absence of
their three companions. It was then of no
avail, as the heat was so intense as TO render
it impossible to approach the burning pie.
By and by it burned down so that the DO
dies OF the three could be seen, and It was
noticed that blood and brains were ooZing
from the torn skull of young Mason IL was
fully two hours before the heat so a6ated
that they could recover the bodies. Even
then it was only possible to rush in, car
rying plank and rake the charred
sem blance of humanity upon IL, and rush
out again. Nearly half hours time was re-
quired to get the bodies out. They were al
lowed TO remain upon the planks, each COW
cred with a sheet to which was attached his
name in pencil. Until after the coroner's
inquest, they became the center OF NOR
bidly curio1s crowd, which seemed anxious
to see, il possible, how unlike the human
being certain circumstances can render that
which was once q man. The Express repor-
ter conversed with several OF those who
were working around the machine AZ the
time of the disaster. Their stories nearly
all agreed, with the exception of some minor
points. A man named Andrew Jackson,
who was working on the straw, said that for
q moment nothing could be seen.
NO CRIES NOR ORGANS WERE HEARD.