Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-06-15
TERRIBLE EXPLOSION.
A DEATu.DEAnNo MASS or RED NOT IRON

A DEATH.DEALING MASS or RED not IRON
At Gaffney 4 Nolan's dye house in
the 10th ward, Philadelphia, on tho
LIST of June, Dennis Scully, the engin.
eer, turned cold water into empty and
redhot boilers. A fearful explosion
ensued, causing the death Of Frank
HARRISON, Frederick Duescher and
Robert Bradley, aged 8 years, and in.
juring Mr.. scully, Thomas Cody, Mrs.
Dooly, Nellie Duffy, years, and Mi.
chael Duffy, years. A number of
dwelling houses in the immediate VI.
cinity were damaged by the flying
missiles, and part of the dye house, a
brick stable and an adjoining dwell.
| ing, taking fire from the combustible
debris, were consumed. The explo-
sion occurred when almost all the dye
house hands were at dinner, or more
terrible loss Of life would have been
the result.
When the large mass Of seething
iron went whizzlng across Amber
street, car No. 48 of the Second and
Third streets line was Just about to
enter the depot The conductor had
gone forward to turn the switch and
was returning to the platform of the
car when the explosion took place and
the boiler was hurled across the street,
not ten feet from the rear end of the
car The flying debris and the con
cussion broke all the car windows, and
a single passenger, WHO was inside at
the time had his hat torn violently
from his head and blown out one of
the windows. The house of John Nh.
gent, situated on Amber street, is al.
most on a line with the boiler house of
the dye works. Singularly enough, the
flying boiler swerved in its fight just
enough to avoid the dwelling, tore
away the grape arbor within five feet
Of the side wall of the dwelling and
did no more damage except to tear
away the paling fence. When the
man.hole head, with its heavy iron
clamp, blew out, it was shattered into
a dozen pieces and two of tho frag.
ments did deadly work, Frederick
Duescher, was sitting on his step on
Tucker street below Martha, about
seventy.fve yards from the dye works,
enjoying his pipe and chatting with
neighbor when piece Of the twisted
iron, weighing perhaps hundred
pounds, came whirling through the
air and struck him with such terrific
force on the side Of the head as to lit.
orally deoapitatc him. His blood and
brains were scattered over the horri-
fed man beside him, who marvelously
escaped without a scratch. On the
corner of Martha and Tucker streets,
only twenty feet away from Duescher's
house, little haNen. haired fellow Of 5
years, named Robbie Bradley, was
playing by himself when a tiny irag.
ment Of hot iron was shot into the
child's face and he iell, dying, to the
pavement. His sister ran out, alarmed
by the terrible concussion, with every
thought centered on little Robbie.
the pet Of the family She picked him
up, and carried him tenderly into the
house. The frantic parents, almost
beside themselves with grief, ran out
to see if any Of their other four chill.
dren were missing, and when they Io.
turned with them all safe, poor Rob
bic was gasping out his little life. He
never spoke after the fatal blow, and
about an hour after opened his eyes
for the first, smiled family, and died.
Poor Frank HARRISON met an awful
death in the mill How he met his
fate will never be known, for his body
was found burned to a crisp, buried
beneath a mass of bricks and stone.
near the drying room. In each of his
hands was clutched with a. death-grip
a skein Of yarn, which be had seized
in his desperation. His death must
have been easy for bis head was resting
upon one arm as though be was asleep.