The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1883-01-27
MARLEY MILLS

! Marley Mills the property Of George W.
! Cbilds, Esq, of the Philadelphia Ledger,
and located about three miles north of Elk
ton, on the Little Elk cteek are one of the
oldest paper manufactures in tho country
The occupancy of the site Of the present
| Marley Mills, for manufacturing purposes
dates back as far as the year 1894, when it
was owned and operated by Col. Henry Hol-
. lingsworth AS a Gun-barrel factory This
! mill was established for the purpose of aid
/ Ing in supplying the colonial army with
! guns, the enterprise being fustered by ma
terial aid from the government. 1t was
! used for various purposes down to the time
! il passed into the hands of the Carter ta,ni-
, ~. The property afterwards passed. into
/ the hands OF Alex Priestly, of philadel-
! phia, who after running it :, number Of
! years sold it to George w. Childs, ESQ, Of
the Philadelphia LedGer who has during
! his proprietorship greatly improved both
the mills and machinery, particularly the
| latter, the paper making machinery therein
: at this time being of the newest and finest
| description. The mills consist of some hree
or four structures, erected at different
/ periods adjoining each other and are located
i'll Il valley Of the creek, having that stream
on their east and south, about one hundred
yards distant and on their north steep and
high rise in the ground up to the foot Of
which they are closely built. The property
| is at present leased by Mr.. Harry l.. Carter,
son of |. Day Carter Esq,-the product Of
the mill being all used by the Philadelphia
| Ledger The capacity of the works up to the
! time Of the accident WAS be; three and
/ four tons Of finished paper per diem. Thi,
{ is made principally of straw and the explod
ell boiler was used for reducing this materia
! toa pulp. The boiler house stood nearl,
/ north and south, forming one end OF III,
| short arm of Il nearly complete cross will
| the three other main structures. The boiler:
were located in the north end of this build
ing, on the first or ground floor this story
up to the one above being of heavy stone
| They are each about eighteen feet in length
by six in diameter, and stood end to end
| each revolving upon u heavy axl. fitting in
to journals supported by the massive ston,
walls east and west of each of them. Thu
boiler which exploded wan the westerly
one. The head which blew out was til,
easterly head of this one, and was only
few feet from the westerly head of the other
which 1T the time was not in operation, bu
WAS being filled by the worklnen prepare
| tory to putting fire in the furnace benaatl
it. The ur,-r side of these boilers, as the,
sat upon th, - - reached within q few
| inches of the ceil.nS of the apartment
through which an aperature WAS cut, cor
| responding with the man holes in tn,
boilers. SO that when the latter were hrough
in line with the opening, the boiler could b.
filled with straw and alkali from the story
above. The process OF filling tho eastern
boiler WAS in operation at the time Of tn,
explosion, which occurred, in tho words o
one of the men present (Dinslnorr, the fire
MANI about as follows: