River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-05-23
A pouhlin isisaster.


A telegram from Dublin, April 2s says;
On Saturday afternoon most disastrous
boiler explosion occurred in Mfr. Strong's
foundry, Hammond Lime, at the rear Of the
-Four Confta, by which IA number of lives
were lost and large number of persons
seriously injured The foundry and iron
works of Mr.. Strong are situated ii a ,seffow
thoroughfare, and are SURROUNDED by tene-s
ment houses of the poorest class. The boil
er, which was used for the purpose OF
driving powerful machinery, was a very
large one. The greater number of worllmen
had fortunately gone To dinner when the
catastrophe occurred. The boiler exploded
with great roar, and was shattered into
fragments. one end of it being imbeded in
house on the opposite side of the street and
portions of it crashed through the roofs of
adjoining buildings. The part of the foun-
dry in which the boiler was placed was COM
pletely demolished; while a public and two
tenement houses which stood beside it
We're also blown into tho air, carry
ing with them nearly twenty
persons, including several womena and young
children. large number of Other houses
| in the street were shattered and some of the
| occupants injured. Stones, states, etc,
were hurled great height into the air and
some of them fell into the yards OF the -Four
Courts, and the greatest CONSERVATION pre-
vailed IN the district, as other houses in
which there We're many tenants. threatened
TO fall, and the inhabitants fled in terror.
The news of the calamity spread rapidly,
| and the streets adjoining were soon crowded,
many of those present being relatives of the
unfortunate people who We're buried beneath
the mass of masonry, furniture, and ma
chinery. The scenes witnessed were heart
rending, as mothers, wives, and children
came wildly in search of lost ones. Several
priests from am adjoining chapel directed
the people what to do. About a hundred at
once set to work removing the debris, in or
der to extricate the sufferers if possible.
This was attended with great risk and
difficulty, and at one time fire broke out.
The arrival of the fire brigade, however, put
an end to all fears of that hind. Both the
people and the firemen worked with great
courage and energy. The lord mayor and
large force of police arrived twenty minutes
after the explosion The police found great
difficulty in restraining the relatives, and
when the first mutilated body was recovered
the excitement was intense. The remains
were so bleckened and bruised that
they could hot at first be identi-
| fed and as they were driven away
she hospital large number of people
rushed after them. These scenes We're re-
| peated as body after body was brought TO
the surface. The narrowness of the thorough
| fare greatly impeded tho work, The crowds
were in great danger, owing to the totterlng
state of the adjoining buildings, and it was
| found necessary to send for soldiers to assist
| the police. A detachment of the 73d High
| landers quickly responded to the summons
of the lord mayor, and they rapidly set to
/ fba hat nd mr.
axes. Several workers were injured by fall
| ing materials. and others were overcome by
their exertions and the sutfocating clouds of
| lime. Others quickly took their places,
cheered ON by the spectators. Several hours
| elapsed before the victims were reached, and
| it was not until late III the evening that
what was supposed to be the last body had
been recovered. Many of them were in &
| frightful condition, and some of them, al
| though alive when the work of excavation
began, and able to cry for help, were dead
before they could be recovered. ln-
the case of one poor man, he was partially
extricated alive and the men were busily at
work trying to extricate the lower part OF
his body when they were Obliged to deslst,
owing to the falling of wall beneath the
ruins of which the poor fellow was buried
the owner of the public house, person
named Duffy, and his daughter were killed
The latter was taken out alive, but died soon
afterward -Four others were dead when dis
covered. large number are in the hospital
suffering from broken limbs, fractured ribs,
etc. 1t is feared the wounds, i'll several
cases. will prove fatal. The partition wall
of the adjoining house was blown away,
leaving all the apartments exposed. There
were several persons in the rooms, and, as
the staircase was carried away, they were
rescued with great difficulty. Some of them
were injured, and one fell with the wall.
There were several persons drinking III the
public-house when the explosion occurred.
Five more dead bodies were recovered to-
day. making thirteen III all, and three per
sons are still missing, and are supposed to
be in the ruins. Ten are in hospital, eight
of whom are SO seriously injured that they
are not expected to recover. The total num-
Der of killed and injured is about fifty. Elk
cayating parties worked all last night, and
to-day the district is in a great state of ex-
element most of the people have remained
up all night The priests rendered much
service in directing the relief parties. as the
excavators came upon one of the unfortunate
men he could only be reached through
hole, and through this aperture the priest
put his hand and anointed him. Dr. o Leary,
NJ. T., who was present, also administered
some whisky. The man was subsequently
got out alive, and none the worse save for
the fright. He turned out to be Mr. Duff's
cellar-man, and was in the cellar at the time,
and was only reached by making hole III
the wall Of an adjoining house. Ills few
hours confinement made him look almost
twice his real age.