The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1884-05-13
Consolid ator Engine No. $40,
Goes to Pieces at Lam0nte
Sunday.
An Indescribable Scene of De
siruction Without Loss
of Life.
Full Particulars Cleaned by q
Bazoo Reporter -Sattement
Of the Engineer.
A PEACEFUL TOWN.

west OF Sedalia, in this county.
The good people were gathering at their
various places of worship, while a locomo-
tive attached to a freight train stood on
the side track about a quarter of mile
west of the depot.
Sizing STEAM.
With no premonion whatever a terrible
noise broke on the ear and simultaneous
with il came a shock which shook the
houses to the foundation and in many in
stances the windows were shattered and
boards sprung fron their fsstenings. The
villagers soon hocked toward the direc-
ton of the sound, to find that a locomo-
tive with all the power of steam or gas or
both, had exploded, and the neighborhood
yards, fields and pastures were here and
there dotted with the debris of the once
powerful machine, which then lay prone
on the green sward in every direction.
When the news of the explosion reached
Sedslia, BAZOo reporter made his way to
Lamonte, and there investigated and view
ed the scene of the accident.
THE CAUSE
of the explosion will probably forever re-
main mystery, as experienced men say
that no flaws could be discovered In any
part of the fated machine. Every break
was fresh and smooth as if cut by tie
sharpest sort of a tool, and that too, when
it was carrying little less than the usual
pressure of steam. The locomotive was
RACED nearly TO the ground, and the pom
derous driving wheels were partially driy-
en- into the earth.
STATEMENT OF THE ENGINEER.
To give a concise and correct account of
the explosion the reporter found Mr., NJ.
Kane, the engineer of the fated 80, after
the explosion on Sunday at Lamonte. He
is an intelligent appering man, and seems
to thoroughly understand his business of
caring for a locomotive engine. He made
the following statement regarding the ex-
plosion
81 left Sedalia at $50 a. M, Sunday,
pulling twenty-five loaded cars with con-
solidator No. $40. / reached Lamonte at
10:12 q. "a. At the tank east of the depot
took my tender full of water, and then
went on side track TO await the arrival of
the mail train going east, which was few
minutes behind time After we went on
the side track the fireman opened the fur
mace door and at the time the steam gauge
showed 125 pounds of steam. / left the
fireman on the engine and went to the tel
egrsph Office for orders. got no orders.
] then went back to the engine. While
there I heard an unusual noise which at
tracted my attention to the gauge and it
showed 135 pounds. ] noticed the steam
coming out of the seams Of the boiler head
in the cab. / then said, after it had
cracked twice, to the fireman: Come, LET
us get Oft is not safe-she's going up
We both gathered our clothing and left.
/ went directly to the telegraph Office to
report the unsafe condition of the machine
and while / was there the explosion took
place.
commenced to fire an engine in 1873
on the Baltimore & Ohio railroad. I first
run locomotive in 1880, and have been at
it nearly ali the time since. / considered
80 as a very good machine, and better
than is used on many of the roads in the
east. The cause of the explosion is en-
tirely a mystery to me, as / know it
could not have been from any neglect of
mine, and believe it to be beyond any
human foresight TO have averted the acct
dent, but to have kept fire out of her."
MASTER MECHANIC TAYLOR INTERVIEWED.
Master Mechanic Taylor, of the Mis-
souri, Pacific shops, was met yesterday
afternoon by a BAZoo representative, and
asked for his theory regarding the explo-
sion. Mr.. Taylor said he was unable to
account for the accident in any way. The
engine was thought to be In perfect work.
ing order, and why it should explode was a
mystery that would probably never be re-
vealed.
The reporter also talked with q number
of engineers. and they all agreed that the
accident could in no manner have been
averted, The only cause assigned is that
gas must have been generated in the boiler,
and coming in contact with the hot steam
caused the explosion. This is undoubtedly
the only explanation that cen be advanced
for the present, at least.
INCIDENTS.
The fue pipes, bent in all conceivable
shapes, were showered over the country
singly and in clumps.
Mr.. Martin, the new trainmaster, was
on hand Sunday, giving the picking up of
the wreck and clearing the track bis per-
sonal attention.
"A piece of iron weighing ten or fifteen
pounds was driven north about one mile to
near Kemp's school house, and deposited in
the public highway.
The smoke stack parted company with
the acknowledgement going nearly west
about $50 yards while the other part went
one-quarter of mile northeast.
The steam dome, piece of iron weigh. |
ing about 1000 pounds, was deposited |
about $50 yards from the place of explo- |
sion, in John Flemming's pasture.
The conclusion killed four canary
birds for Mrs. w. G. Hainline. They |
were in q cage hung on portico, which |
fronted toward the scene of explosion.
"A piece of boiler iron weighing, it is
estimated, about one and half tons, was
deposited in a corn6eld at least four hun
dred yards north of the disgruntled 80.
-Miraculously and providentially no
person was on or near the locomotive at |
the time of the explosion. Consequently.