The Evening critic., 1884-10-22
BOILER EXPLOSION.
Tho Disaster at Calls Establish
ment and Tragic Death OF the En-


ment and Tragic Death OF the En-.
RfDeer.
An explosion occurred in the -four aud meal
establishment OF william NJ. Gait & Co., cor.
ner OF First and D streets northwest, shortly
after @ o'clock last night, by which Ernest PEN
dleton was killed. He was an engineer, and
II was his fret night on duty. The day hands
had finished their work and departed, and
there was no one left IN the building but
Richard Cooper, the colored miller, Mr..
the engineer.
At the time of the day hands going or PEN
dleton had about three gauges OF water in tho
houre, which had been ordered to BIO run for
about an hour, and one burr only was running.
Cooper rang the bell connecting with the en-.
gine-room to start up the burr, but receiving
no answer, went to the room and found there
was not euf1icient steam in the boiler 10 do It.
The engineer said that he would have more
steam In a few minutes and the miller re.
turned to the burrs and shortly after rang the
tell calling for the steam.
Almost az the same moment a terrific OK
plosion occurred, and, rushing toward tho
storeroom, he found the eteam escaping
through the floor. He then ran into the street,
called policeman, had an alarm for fre
sounded, and coon the Fire Department., po-
lice and hundreds of citizens were at the scene
OF the dieastor. For a few miRutes the smoke
and steam were 30 dense as to bar entrance to
by PERSISTENT effort the flremen effected an
entrance, located the fire, and soon had IL
under CONTROL When the smoke had cleared
away It was found that the englne.room had
fallen In, the brick walls having crumbled ID
tho ground, and 300 barrels OF flour, which
were stored above, were lying about in tho
from where 1t had stood, and there were sew.
eral large gaps in its side. Tho bricks and
other movables about the room had been
thrown In every direction, and window, nifty
feet through the cellar, was shattered to pieces,
The extension OF the building, which covers
the engine-room, was blown almost ID pieces,
md M nuAr EstN t.xreu Nt.N. ~.
While the 1remen were putting out the firo
Cooper recovered from hts fright, and said that
the engineer was under the ruins. Chief Cronin
and half dozen men went to work aud In
half an hour succeeded in extricatiug the
body OF the unfortunate man. 1t was found
lying doubled up near the water injector. Tho
ektn Of the hands md face was burned aud
ecalded, and some parts Of the flesh hung In
threads. On his face were two deep cuts, from
which great amount OF blood had flowed.
His knees were drawn up, and his clothes were
torn pearly on. His face, and In fact the en-
tire body, was black with SCOT and ashes. In
which looked like tho end OF a broom.
The remains were taken to the Seventh Pre-
cinct Station and the Coroner notified. PEN
dleton had been substituted only that night
for the regular engineer, who was sick and had
been at work only a few hours. The loss OF
Messrs. Gait 4 Co., 1t is thought, will be up
ward OF $1,000.
The deceased was a single man and boarded
on Delaware avenue. He has been student
q mechanism from boyhood, and made several
improvements III inc ubb Oh cleCtrlClty, eS-
pecially In the use OF the telephone.
This morning the Coroner received a note
stating that III sre were reasons to suppose the
Explosion occurred through defects In the
boiler. He made request that the proper In
tpection be made, and the inspector SUBJ
I@naed TO attend the Inquest. There were no
new developments about the wreck this MORN
ing. number OF persons visited the scene,
among them several engineers Some OF them
competent to BIO experts expressed the opinion
that the cause was due TO tho carelessness OF
the engineer In permitting the water to
become very low In the boiler, and then In
1ecting cold water into II.
1t seems that Mr.. Gait took the deceased in
the boiler-room In the morning, and was
about to have him shown the machinery and
its operation, when he promptly informed Mr..
Gait that he was thoroughly Competent to run
the engine, and nothing more was said. II ap-
pears that subsequently he attached the ID
Jector and the supposition is that 1t worked
slowly. Later, when the water was only two
gauges, the steam running down and tho
boiler had become very hot, Pendleton turned
on the injector stronger. This made a rush OF
cold water into tho hot boiler, which had the
effect OF gunpowder, and the explosion imme-
diately ensuod. with the terrible results
stated.
The Coroner to-day ordered an In quest at 2
n.