Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-11-26

Tue EXPLOSIVE Power OF STEAx--fEAR-
FrL Boiler EXPLOSION IN PATERSON, n. j.
The residents CT Paterson were startled by
terrific explosion early Thursday morning
and hurrying from their houses they looked
upward and saw black. shapeless mass
gyrating 500 feet above the house tops. The
mass rose and whirled and twisted, and at
length plunged downward ike rocket,
with lightning rapdity. The mysterious
mass descended upon the roadbed OF the
Erie Railway and crushing through the cob
bic stones, lay imbedled in the earth only
foot or two from the sidewalk The people,
who had at first supposed that the shock
was that of an earthquake, locked to inc
place in bewilderment, and saw there the
remains of ponderous iron boiler. IL had
been visited into a solid mass OF metal
The course Of the fly ing missile was traced
back to the lace and dyeing establishment OF
Peter Dorgeral & Co, two blocks distant,
and there piles Of smoking bricks, ruined
walls. and blackened timbers told whence 1t
had started The large upright boiler over
two tons in weight, which supplied the
power to the machinery in the shop, had ex-
ploded, and, flying into the air, had AIRED
over the rows Of dwellings and dropped over
a thousand feet from the shop.
John Laird's house, near the shop, was
completely rildled with bricks, trcwel7, and
bits Of iron, which shot through the walls
as though they were of paper. The Rooms
! tts,sl B
Albert Ramsey, were filled with missiles and
rubbish. Mrs Ramsey says that red-hot
coal passed entirely through the house ana
barely missed the heads of her children. y
broom that Law on the floor oi the boiler
house was hurled with such tremendous
force that the handle passed through the
sheathing of the Ramsey house, and the
brush mart alone remained outside. One OF
the fines was thrown over n whole block OF
houses. and falling upon the stoop ola weav-
er's shop In Paterson street, smashed the
stems. and then glancing on. tore gate into
fragments. and, uassing through base
ment window. grazed the head Of work
man, and scooped deep hole in the stones
of the floor at his feet.
Another fue knocked dormer window Of
a house at Paterson and Bridge streets INTO
kindling wood and still another, seven feet
long. was hurled over five blocks, 500 feet
distant from the mill, and dropped near the
residence Of Dr. Whitley. Mrs. Drew. ho
was passing along the street, near the shop
was almost enveloped in shower OF IRON.
brick and mortar. but she escaped unhuit.
Her face was backenei a. though by Hash
of gunpowder. No other person was III
iured in the slightest, though dozen or
| more escaped as bya miracle. Two dogs
which were lying in the engine house were
killed. and a flying brick beheldcd a eat IN
Paterson street
The flight of the boiler was seen at the
Erie depot. a half mile of. Half an hour
after its fail it WAS still red bot and per
fectlv dry. and this fact would prove that
the water was exhausted when 1t exploded.
1t Is said that the boiler was condemne /
several years ago, and thar it lay and ra~iel
in the rain out doors until the managers OF
the dye shop hoisteG it into position for use.
Ii was supposed to have heen absolutely
worthless, and it is asserted that IT had no
[ gauges.