New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-21
DETAILS OF THE DISASTER.
fuv TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l

,,,-rop,,pc Penn. Sept. 20.-A shock was 1eit
49,. .,,arooon throughout the city which shook
80 hn,ldjups to their foundations, smasheu
.-ndows and frightened the residents OF the soutn
"a. Immedialely after the shock an alarm OF nre
20. .trurk. and upon investigation it was found
cha, large boiler In see Hanging department. OF
sh Sligo Iron Works had exploded scattering irag-
eots m every direction and setting lire TO the Lake
rr,a Railroad shops and number OF dwelling
houses in the vicinity.
rns news of the disaster spread rapidly and soon
4s.n.nas oi people were on their way to the scene
rrnon their arrival there q fearful sight met their
eaze The boiler department, brick structure was
a complete wreck, as were also a number Oh passen-
esr aud freight cars and the master mecnan'cs
sh,pa of tho Lake Erie Railroad. while a row oi
dwellings, on the opposite street were ln na"es.
Man women and children running ABOUT
vringipg their hands and calling Tor frien"s "ho"
shev supposed were either killed OF wounded
In the ruins of the Hanging department. scattered
.rornd were the dead and dying. some with arms
and legs of. some disHgured almost beyond recos-
r,t,on. and Others suffering from painful bruises
and scalds. By this time the police had arrived In
force and the work of removing the kiiled anu III
iured from the ruins was begun
AZ the time of the plosion twenty men were az
,rork OF the 40 nine reported safe. three were
billed ana eight were badly injured, four 1ataiiy'
The names of the killed are John Wallen, Charles
Douelsss and John McGavigan. Louis House mas
aimee died. and William Stewart and c. Miller are
mot expected to live through the night
NARROW ESCAPE OF CHILDREN.
The explosion was remarkable for the injuries in
A;cted upon children of the workmen employed IN
the factory. While the tiremen we're battling with
The flames which had been caused by the
49, o,.,1a vv n Thrilling
.;dsnt involving the rescuing of four little chill
sren from death. They had been imprisoned beneath
heavy door in a shed adjoining the hange depart
ment and were slowly beng burned to death.
vben they were accidentally discovered and
rescued. but not until they had been
severely if not fatally burned. These children were
Johanna, jessie, Charles and Henderson Douglass
aees respectively ten. eight, six and three years
Jess,e Douglass died at 1890 o'clock TO-
night making the fifth DEATH Back OF
the establishment where the explosion TOOK
place is a long row of tenement houses owned
by the Mill company and occupied by tne "orknen nd
In the mill and their families. A porcn e1tehus
from one end to other of the row IN the rear Oh
the building and directly back OF the scene scene
Of Of the exp,oslSSP pco,S1en vino were hurt One
child, eight months old-that OF Mr, M
Gottlieb-was sitting IN bl9h cna.I n IN t,oa ono
porch and was struck in the face by iiylng frag-
ment from the wreck and was fatally injured. Ah-
other little child sitting on the porch narIowIy
escaped. tie chair upon which 1T sat being strucK
and the side split of.
GREAT FORCE OF THE EXPLOSION
The boiler was an upright one and was six feet IN
diameter 1t was split into four pieces, the largest
one being blown distance of 200 feet and landing
in the middle Of the MonoDgahela River. The nre
which ensued occurred iully 100 yards distant ana
was caused by red hot bricks from the furnace
which hurled into the carpenter snop Gr 'ns oS
Pittsburg and Lake Ere Railroad. The runs OF
tae works where the explosion occurred took nre,
but it was fully two hours after the ehPlosi;on
occurred and the flames in them were easily extin-
guished. ,; T..
Ii is not known what caused the explosion. IL
occurred lust after the dinner hour and steam nad
been turned on only few minutes previously ne
coroner has impanelled jury and thorough III
estgation VIII be made. T.,
Tbs Sligo iron Works were formerly owned by
Lyon, Sh0rb a. Co., but are now owned by Phlips lbs
Nimmick & Co.. whose loss IS estimated at 9lo.ooo.
The loss to the Lake Erie road and the owners Oh
dwellings is about $3, 900.