The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-11-23

THE TsRRIB..g PATE or sMELrINd'WohAs
ESG;:s.sE,
ST. LorIs. November - The 81. Lou,.
Smelling. ainiu Refining. Works, located at
iSward Station, on the Missouri Pacific
railway. Just within .ne extreme western
limits OF the city, were destroyed by IRE,
which originated nj 9 O'Clock Friday morn
ing, entaiing, besides the great loss OF pro-
petty, The loss OF the life OF John Williams,
ibe engineer OF the works. A few minutes
before 2 O'Clock force OF some twenty
men, under orders OF George Lanham,
the nIght-watchman, stood around the
No. 1 soffening furnace. near the centre
OF the works, which WASP the time charged
with twenty five tons OF base bullion dead
and silver, put into 1t fwenty-lour hours
before. Suddenly, without the least indl'
cation that anything was wrong, the 1ur'
mace broke Just at ibe side OF the pipe used
to convey the melted metal into the cupels,
and the metal rolled out on the little wooden
platform below. Instead OF giving way and
letting the metal into pit below. from
whence it would have been carried of by
duct provided to guard against such acct
dents, The platform held and the metal
Kissed down upon the floor, oyeffunhing
the trough and spreading through the
works.
The platform where it fell first OF course
blazed up, and the blaze communicates
with the roof. The frightened employ e. fed
before The metal as it swept down upon
them, and every man in the building sue
ceeded In making his way TO the outside.
There were, perhaps, fifty III all. and, Inc
fl rst fright over, they set TO work to fight
G.o ioI M mn N hroaK "A
dozen places all over the works. The en-
gine.room was located about sixty. feet fro
the softening furnace, and John Williams,
the engineer, was among the fist TO
attempt connecting the hose. with
which the works were pentitupy sup
Piled, with the pump by which water is
| forced into the boilers. Aline OF hose was
run out on the roof, but did lit lie good, as
the fire spread so rapidly through the frame
coverings that the men at thu: hose would
not have been able 10 hold their positions
even IL Williams could hav G kept bis at the
engine. In tive minutes after the break in
the furnace the melted lead and silver had
eaten its way through I'll distractions. Ii
burst into the eneine-yOonI, sod drove VIII.
liams out on the Pacifc railroad track with
his hair aud eye-lids singed off. lie stood
looking for a minute, SAYING 10 fellow
workman, "Wbat pityi what a pi'y!"
in a Owed sort OF way. Then. coming
to himself, he exclaimed, "My God,
Eve forgotten to turn oil the steam; and
before any Que knew what he was abOan,
or could raise hand t. prevent him,
he rushed back into the burning engine
room, cropping his way through the smoke
towards the ennine at which he had stood
| for so many years. The faithful WelshaDan
knew that, with the head OF steam left on
the engine, the boiler would explode on Il
few minutes, blow the works to atoms. and
kill many OF the CROWD which bad gathered
around. He reached the safety valve; Jerk
ed it open, and turned 10 escape. A few
steps forward, and the fire caught him, He
fell on his face with his arms extended. and
probably died insianilg, ~ the heat was in
tense, and the melted silver, which ran
over Dis outstreched hands, burned them
completely off. lie was forgotten in the
general confusion, ana the crowd outside
watched the fire until IL exhausted Itself on
the frame sheds which covered the furnaces.
In three hours not vestige Of The building
remained, and then it was found that the
engineer was missing. and upon search be-
ing made his BODY was found.