The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-07-18
%5e6. RLISHED AUGUST "a. 1852.
without the slightest warning. Padgett
was formerly fireman on the railroad
and Is well known among railroad men.

G. JOHN JAcKsos
had his face and arm aided. His head
had a sharp cut in It, and he has not
much use Of his back. Alog fell on sim,
but be was able to push 1t Of and get from
the building without aSsistance. His In
juries are regarded as serious.
TWO BOYS $3.50
named james Colyig and Johnnie Love.
Joy, about six or seven years OF age, were
at the mill at the time Of the explosion.
They were with Mr.. Dent, on the south
side Of the building, pushing in car.
Just as be 90, out the explosion occurred
and he was shutup in a sort Of cell
formed, by the ruins, but was soon after
rescued. He was bruised onthe side and
legs, but not seriously injured. Lovejoy
was further out and escaped with light
wound on the shoulder.
- TIE CAUSE -
Of the explosion is unknown. Mr.. Star.
buck says the boiler was cleaned out
thoroughly two days ago, and filed 10
Monday morning. So far as he knows
the boiler was 10 good condition. II the
explosion had occurred from defective
boiler, he tbiuksit would have blown
hole. Moore was engineer, but was work.
ing at lathe and had Padgett employed
as fireman. When water gets low and
cold water comes 10 contact with the hot
iron 1T forms gas which ignites and
makes such an explosion rs this.
tff THE Ioes.
The building and machinery was anp-
rosed 10 he worth $4,000. There was
besides quantity Of furniture and lum-
ber.. The loss is,estimated by Dir. Star.
buck 70 be $1,000. The building was
built ten years ago by +. Davis and jesse
Star buck, and has been in operation ever
since, and was supplied with all machin.
cry necessary for conducting the busi-
ness. Recently furniture making
branch was added, aud the firm was ex.
tending its operations all over Eastern
Ohio. The loss Is heavy blow, and the
proprietors are undecided what their fu-
ture course will be. ia
Jonathan Ellis, who escaped without
injury, gives the following account OF the
accident:
About hali.past seven o'clock, was
working in the north end Of the mill, and
felt sudden jar-a trembling Of every
thing. l found myself outside on the west
side Of the mill. saw John Hunt We
heard u man groaning, and we went 10
the east aide OF the mill, where We found
Ed. Hunt under the office desk and some
timbers. We succeeded in releasing him.
John Hunt, Ed. Hunt and myself are the
only ones who escaped without injury.
There was general jar-a kind Of give
away Of eyerything-as though | had
been lifted up and thrown outside. Il
don't know what was the cause-whether
It was defective Aue or neglect in the
engineer or fireman. Johnnie Moore has
been an engineer there for several years.
He had charge Of the engine room. He
seen 10 the starting and stopping OF the
engine, the water gauges and everything
Of that kind. They had fireman on ac-
count Of Moore being engaged in turning
car wheels, Padgett was formerly a
brakeman on the railroad, but l don't
know whether he knew anything about
steam.
THE FORCE OF IT.
The oldest engineers, men who have
seen all sorts Of explosions, say they ney.
er saw such complete annihilation as this.
We have never read Of anything like II,
except in the explosion Of the Minnesota
-four mills. That an entire building Of
this size should be literally blown 10
pieces, and leveled to the ground by a
boiler explosion, seems Incredible, yet
such ia the fact. All the machinery
seems TO be broken into pieces, and there
Is nothing but 4 mass oi debris to mark
the spot, which but yesterday was the
scene OF active industry. Not only was
the mill blown down, but the force Of il
went even beyond. The Telegraph wires
on the railroads were twisted around
each other and had 10 be re'adjusted. All
along "fhe Row" on the east 81 the mill
the houses are bruised and tattered BY
bricks and lumber, aud many vindows
broken. Mrs. Ann Hanlin was sitting
with her two children on her steps. She
says the clay and bricks flew In every
direction. One brick came into the
house and fell on the bed and had TO be
lifted off with a wet cloth. II was from
the boiler apparently. Glass and dirt were
lcattered over the bed and floor. Peter
Ships windows were mashed in and the
house pelted. John Ship was struck In
the breast and arm and slightly hurt he
was sitting 10 the door and looking to-
wards the mill. He says the noise and fall
seemed to come together. The force. oi
The explosion was towards the east and
west. Mrs. Rhodes wac standing at her
window, with her boy on the porch. Her
wiRdows were crushed In and fragments
fell all around three bricks coming down
the chimney. Mira, Cochran was struck
on the leg with piece Of timber. and
slightly hurt. Several bricks struck on
the sidea OF doorways In the alley where
people were sitting or standing. These
houses we're across the road from the
mill, and perhaps hundred feet away
from II. - - II
THE HEAT
was intense during all the time Of rescue,
but the people worked heroically through
It all. Several persons distinguished
themselves by their noble efforts and
risked their own lives for the sake OF
their unfortunate fellow creatures. Hun.
dreds Of men worked hard through the
hot sunshine and faltered not until ma
ture was thoroughly exhausted. The
FIRE department not only did their duty,
but when their services were no longer
required at their machines, they went TO
work where they could do good. Many
other citizens labored hard and faithful.
ly, and the ladies helped by carrying wa
ter and otherwise assisting. One of the
most impressive things we ever saw was
woman, kneelipg on the ground, and
washing the dirt away from the face oil
poor Charley Etzler. She worked un.
conscious OF her surroundings, but with
touch 80 tender that even the dead, 1t
seemed, might have known that the gen.
tie hand Of woman was ministering unto
him. 80 t..ss.i ,f .3s
THE TOWN.
| is crushed by this appalling calamity.
Never before in the history Of Eastern
Ohio has such misiortnne ever fell on
any town. Three men killed and peven
wounded Ia enough to thrill even large
city with horror, and il fell with still
heavier force upon our little community.
The men killed and wounded are mostly