The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1876-10-27
A DEADLY EXPLOSION.
The Bursting OF the Boiler. In - Pitts
barsh- Pa .Nsii-nill-Fourtsen KILLED
and May Wounded.

q the terrible explosion Of February,
1872, occurred here to-day, only with
more fearful force and narrowing loss
OF life. The explosion OF four years
ago was in Jones & Laughlin's mill, in
BroWnstOwn, when seven men were
suddenly ushered into eternity and
many wounded. At that time battery
Of four out Of six boilers exploded
The accident to-day was more horrible
and hesrtrending in its nature The
explosion occurred about : 80 O'Clock
this morning, in lug & Co.'S mills.
corner Of Etna and Thirteenth Streets
This concern j. one Of the largest in
Western Pennsylvania, It's works run
ming from the Allegheny Valley Rail-
road 20 the Allegheny River. IL is in
the heart Of the city, in the Ninth
Ward, and but 4 little distance from
Penn Avenue, one Of the most fire.
quented thOrOughfares in the city.
The firm have recently passed
through the bankrupt court, and
only started up again about four weeks
ago. The rolling mill, in which the
explosion took place, Is located imme-
di2tely adjoining the nail-mill, on Thir-
tenth Street The latter > = lsrge
b lex structure, in which are located
some seyenty-hye machines. Opposite
20 il i the warehouse. The rolling
mill Is a mere shed, running almost a
block in length, 20 the river. The
boiler-battery was located near the nail
mill. The firm manufacture various
kinds Of iron, including nails, mer-
chants bar and boiler plates. II is =
notorious fact that there has been a
dread here for several years past that
a. some time these boilers would ex-
plOte. They may have been in good
condition, but II i remarkably doubt
IN some two years ago there was a
IRE in this relling-mill, slight in its
nature, vet the hremen were expecting
the boilers 10 succumb.
The boilers were supposed 20 have
been inspected just previous % starting
the mills again. IL Is fact, however,
that bOiler-inspectiOns in this city are a
farce. The inspectors are either Grim
inally careless or fearfully incompetent.
Another thing, most Of the rOlling-mills
are not Over-particular a. 20 the capa-
oili-ies % their engineers, though the
one who had charge Of these boilers
wAs believed % have been thoroughly
competent. The boilers in lug 4
Co, mills were old and patched. and
a. % their safety there seems % have
been q doubt in the minds Of many
persons.
The explosion took place at a time
when the mills were running TO the full
that i, At = time when all day en-
plOyees were n ~0rk. There WAS no
warning. The crash came in a mo-
uent. The four boilers parted stimuli
ia1e0usly. There was cloud Of steam
2Rd smoke. A debris Of falling build
me aud the remains Of dead and mutt
lated. The shrieks and grOans Of the
wounded. Horror II horrors seemed
the scene, for Immediately after the
runs took tre. There lay the dead,
and near them lay the wounded,
terrible 70 look upon. The walls Of The
Once had partly fallen. The rolling
NH, IN giving way, had fortunately
Tested upon the rolls and rail-mills.
Inc names cracked, snd through them
arose the piercing crys for succor and
rescue Some crawled out from under
me runs, the burned and torn flesh
dropping. Others lay senseless and
helpless In despair. The alarm-bells
fAng Mayor Mccarthy and Mai. Hart
eel, Chief Of Police, were soon upon
ne ground with the Police and Fire
~ partments. With the aid of citizens
7. .ney Tel 70 work AZ once TO extinguish
ne lanes and TO bring from out the
,Glns the living and the dead.
siolhers, fathers, sons, sisters. and
>, yIothers came 20 call for loved ones.
ne mil, when running full, employs
Aooat 90 hands. At the time OF the
ploslOn there were az work in the nail
-al rolling mills about $50 men. The
,Iele presented was one Of agony and
-espair- The vicinity was transformed
-so hospital and charnel-house,
: mere charred and mutilated remains
SeIe brought. The shrieks Of some Of
ne wounded were fearful. Fourteen
ere Killed almost instantly, and some
olly others wounded seriously. Men
ere taken from the ruins MANNED and
/, Z, ing, only 20 die in deliriOus sgony.
= .s'A.ives and friends begged, threaten
- ana c0aNed 10 be admitted within
le lines, but most all were refused,
eetlse there was = dread that there !
,O-ll De too many Of the curious let {
= Nho would only be in the way. q
ny slcians soon came 10 assist 10 dress :
'olhls and allay the suferings Of the [
FUNDED. The excitement throughout y
r. cliy was mos. intense. The killed 3
~. Thomas Murphy, fireman; Andrew !
-.l-iEan, fireman; Frank Grips, Peter e
.ldrick, John and Joseph Anderson. ;
-elers; two brothers named McCafFer. b
an unknown man, head blown of: \
Iahk MARCUS, Andrew MARCUS, Louis
-Iir4nk, Pat Griffin, John Higgins,