Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1882-10-31
A SINGULAR AFFAIR.
The Explosion Of III Eureka Con.
Accumulation.

SOils oARAOASo ~
A SENTINEL reporter happened to be de-
scendiny the hill that leads down from
New Town, about a quarter of a mile
away, when the explosion occurred. Turn
ing around in his buggy he saw the air
filled with fragments of the debris flying
in every direction. Driving rapidly BACK
to the scene he beheld the magnificent
building, which stood up in grand proper
tons a few minutes before, wrecked
the eastern side crushed like an eggshell
tered woodwork.
AN ANXIOUS ROW
The utmost CONSERVATION followed upon
the shock. The wind was blowing a gale
and the air was dense with pebbles and
dust. People ran wildly in all directions.
Soon the excited men, women and chill
dren formed a current leading to the
wrecked works. Mothers, wives, sisters
and daughters appeared with anxious faces
and trembling voices, hardly daring to ask
if anybody was hurt. Others less inter-
ested, however, but hardly less excited,
went flying from one place to another,
making the anxious inquiry as they lam
bered about among the timbers. 1t was
shortly discovered, to the great relief OF
the anxious throng, that nobody was hurt,
unless, perhaps, some of the men down in
the shaft might have come to harm by
timbers broken off and falling from the
rafters above. This fear was soon dis
PEELED, also, when the boys began to come
to the surface and reported everything
serene underground.
THE DAMAGE.
The accumulation burst about thirty feet
below the cap, two sections OF ten
feet each and the base below remaining
intact. The theory is that the explosion
took place at the line where the air and
water met. About twenty feet of the accu-
mulator went into pieces, varying in
weight from some 1900 pounds to an
ounce or half ounce avoirdupois. The
eastern portion of the works, as men
toned, was broken down and completely
wrecked. Eight large missiles went
through the building, the two principal Of
which through the south and east ends.
The loss to the woodwork is estimated at
So, 900. The cost to replace the part Of
the accumulation destroyed will be proba-
bly, somewhere between $4,000 and $751;
900. The total loss, to put everything
back in smooth running order again, will
not exceed and will not be likely to reach
$50, 900.
THE CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION.
The cause of the explosion is to-
tally ~unaccountable; it is a mys-
terry. Each separate section OF the
accumulation had been tested up to 1000
pounds to the square inch. 1t had been
run before for weeks at a time under a
pressure varying from 1,150 to 1000
pounds, and it has been subjected to a
pressure of 1,400. At the time of the
explosion the pressure was 1,O3O pounds,
according to the testimony Of the en-
gineer, Mr.. Boston, who is a remarkably
careful man, and his statement is doubt
less correct, for there was no occasion for
any greater pressure than was on. As
mentioned, the point of explosion was in
the second and third sections from the
top, above the water line. This is evil
dent from the fact that these were torn to
pieces and hurled to great distances, while
the four lower sections and the top section
merely fell off, and were found near the
base Of the accumulator. What rem
ders the explosion difficult to account
for is that the material Of which
the accumulation was manufactured was Of
the very best-cast out of rs per cent
steel and IS per cent Of the first quality of
pig iron, the breaking strain of which
mixture was SO, 900 pounds to the square
inch. The fragments thrown off were
found, upon close inspection. to be Of the
best quality, without defect or flaw any
where. Tested with the chisel the mixture
opts as wrought iron, and being struck
with the hammer leaves Q smooth, pol
ished impression. The only defective place
- hA ArN~
and was not broken by the explosion, but
the fall. This aocumulat0r, according to
relative pressure, is rs per cent stronger
thsn the one in use at the Combination
shaft On the OGmltoek, tho latter being
Of iron entirely. This statement makes it
clear hat the explosion was caused by
some unknown force. the agency Of which
Is yet to be determined.
WONDERFUL EssAprs,
At the time Of the explosion there sers
some 35 or DC men in and about the
works. That they all escaped unhurt 10
very remarkable Mr.. Read, the Super
intendent, Mr.. Thompson, the superinten.
dent Of Construction, and Mr.. Styles, the
carpenter, were in the Office only q few feet
from the Gcoumulator whom the explosion
occurred. Several large fragments crush
cd in through the walls Of the apartment.
The three men we're covered with splinters.
Mr.. Thompson's stiff hat was crushed and
jammed down about his ears. He WAS
struck all over By splintprs. Mr.. Read
had both. arms slightly bruised, and came
out Of the debris with his little finger
bleeding profusely. There was no mortal
wound Indicted in that Office, but it was
filed with excusable fright. When the
shock had passed Mr.. Read suggested;
''Let's get out Of here" They all got.
A piece Of the flying metal, weighing
about $50 pounds. tore off the corner OF
William Lawry's cabin, about 300 yards
it out down, went soudding and crushing
through a hennery. On its course one
end OF the missile paid its respects to .
small trunk in the corner OF the cabin.
utterly demolishing it. Mr.. Lswry was
sitting not two feet from the trunk. Lucky
man.
The largest fragment, weighing nearly a
ton. thrown of was hurled across the
guloh and fell back Of Roberts New Town
saloon, Q few feet from our quid nunc's
team-which, however, had been hitched
there after the explosion.
The little pieces that went whi2zing
through the air ratified down upon the
housetops across the ravine, and tbs oocu-
pants might have thought a hailstorm was
In progress had they not been startled by
the terrific noise OF the explosion, the re-
port Of which was distinctly heard and
commented upon in Eureka. some two
miles aud q half away.
The EFFECT.
The impression seems to havs become
general that tho explosion Of tho Eureka
Cons aceunulator Ia a great disaster.
| and that IT will be a long time before the
| damage can be repaired and work re-
sumed. This 10 not the case. In q con-
yersation with Mr.. Thompson, we learn
| that the damage done can be repaired in
go days, at the cost given above. OF
course arrangements will be made at once
to have the accumulator rebuilt without
delay. There ia no reason apparent why