The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-09-22

Five People Almost Instantly Killed
and Ten BADLY Injured.

which was briefly noted In our telcgraphic
columns Yesterday morning:
The stecl-mlil Of Phillips. Nimick 4 Co.
was the scene this afternoon OF disas-
trous boiler explosion. -Four men and q
little girl were killed almost instantly, and
ten people are injured, three so seriously
that they are expected to die before morn
ing.
The mill at which The explosion occurred
Is situated on the south side Of the Monon-
gahcla river. surrounded by the shops and
depot Of the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie rail-
road aud the homes OF the workmen, and
is directly opposite the business portion OF
the city.
shortly after / O'Clock sharp, deafening
sound was heard, followed by q conclusion
which shook heavy buildings that were
squares away from the scene Of the disaS-
ter. Heavy pieces OF iron and timber and
bricks innumerable were hurled in every
direction. and fell like q vigorous hail
storm. Then flames were seen TO shoot
from the mill, the railroad-buildings, and
row Of dwelling-houseS near by, and
from across the river, where women and
children could be seen rushing hlther and
thi,her, ignorant Of the disaster, but con-
scious that the lives OF husbands and IA
theirs were lost or IN peril.
BUILDING BLOWN TO ATOMS.
An immense crowd gathered about the
place. and the fire was quickly eXtinguish-
ed, but for n long time il was impossible TO
learn how many persons were killed or in
jured. All that was known was that
brick building, in which twenty men were
employed, was in ruins.
The time that elapsed before the ruins
could be searched was terribly distressing
No ha1 rala mr. frtanls
ployed in or about the mills. Men and wo-
men, pale-'aced and crying, rushed breath
less through the vast crowd for their hus-
bands or friends. Children OF all ages
pleaded for information concerning their
parents, and the whole presented scene
OF dismal and awe-inspiring confusion
which was sad and sckening.
Above the shouts OF the distracted
crowd could be heard the groanS OF the
dying. some pleading for assistance and
Others begging TO be killed. Among the
latter was man named Lewis House. He
had been partially covered by the ruins,
and was terribly scalded by hot water from
the exploded boiler.
.'Kill me. Kill me; for Gods sake
he shrickcd. and even when eXtricated
from the mass Of brick and timbers he
begged 10 be put to death. He lived only
-FOUR LITTLE VICTIMS.
When the accident occurred four chill
dren named Douglas were on n high board
fence surrounding the engine-hOuSe. The
eldest was eight years OF age. a heavy
piece OF iron struck the wooden gate of the
mill-yard, knocking it off the fastening. 1t
fell directly on the group Of little ones. A
portion of the brick wall fell on it, holding
the children down. The gate took fire.
Steam and Scalding water also poured In
under the gate, and the little ones were in
the process of being roasted alive when
they were discovered. Before they were
removed two Henderson, aged eight
years. and Jessie. aged six years. were Ia
tally burned. The others were also terri
bly, injured, and are not expected TO re-
cover.
There were other scenes equally dis
tresSng. Two men, Charles Douglass, the
father OF the children, and John Miller,
were instantly killed. Their bodies were
taken to an undertaker's room, and the in
jured and dying were provided for in an
empty warehouse. 1t was with the great
est difficulty that a number were eXtrl-
Gated from the ruins. Some were COM
pletely buried.
SOME MIRACULOUS ESCAPES.
William Il. Adman. carpenter, was
missing after all the others had been ac-
counted for. He was finally discovered
near the corner Of the ruined buildings,
having been buried at least three feet deep,
but strangely he was not seriously injured.
Another miraculous escape was that OF
Patrick Lee. At the time OF the explosion
he was in the ash-plt OF the engine-house.
He. too. was buried, and Notwithstanding
the fact that he was within few feet OF the
boiler when the explosion occurred he
escaped with a broken arm.
Although the fire that followed the eX-
plosion was quickly eXtinguished there
was considerable loss. and while hundreds
were irving to assist those who were IN
iured, other hundreds were compelled to
make great eXertiOns to stay the flames.
The buildings in which the explosion oc-
CURED took fire Immediately. "A heavy
piece OF red-hOt pipe was thrown 100 yards
and set fire TO the supply warehouse OF the
Pittsburgh and Lake Erie railroad. This
building was stocked with inilammable
material and was quickly destroyed. hot
brick thrown distance of three squares
set fire to row Of tenement-houses. hut
these were not badly damaged. Other
buildings were also slightly damaged by
fire.
HURLED THROUGH THE AIR.
The building in which the explosion oc-
Cured, substantial two-stOry brick struc-
tllre known as the flange department, was
completely wrecked. The main part OF
the boiler was thrown into the river, dis
lance OF 300 feet, and another large piece
struck the round-house Of the Pittsburgh
and Lake Erie railroad, several hum
dred wards distant. A large iron tank
weighing ton was thrown 100
feet from the wreck. Another large
tank was blown high in the air,
and came crashing down through the
slate roof, through a ton OF hay, ana
lodged on the floor, wrecking the Dulid'hg
completely. A row Of tenement-houses'
occupied by employees OF the mill, were
also wrecked, and railroad cars, ana niiis,
and glass factories located near by were
more or less damaged. In one instance q
brick wall two feet thick was battered
through as If il had been paper. Inc
damage to property will not fall snort Oh
$4,000.
The boiler which caused this destruc-
ton OF life and property was an upright
cylinder Of unusual proportions ana ca
pacity. Ii was manufactured III this city
six years ago, and was six feet in diane
ter. II was encased in brick-wOrk. with a
space Of about five inches between the
bricks and iron. The propretors OF
the mill say they considered the
boiler entirely SAFE, and cannot as
sign any cause for the explosion.
Practical engineers who have examined
pieces OF the iron this evening are OF the
opinion that the explosion was caused 10y
superabundance OF steam generated whiie
the engineer In charge was at dinner.
They also incline 10 the belief that inc