The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1885-03-26
seesDls o so NeSga. alltl Coutior.


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to an explosion of dynamite on the.
camel. In reality it was boiler ex-
Eplosion. The boiler Of the engine
which supplies the. shoe factory md
the hosiery mill with power burst
aud partially wrecked the building
m which these enterprises We're con
Quoted, killing two conyicts and en-.
taihng o cessation of manufacturing
within the penitentimy walls for the
next fortnight.
The cause of the explosion is not
known, as the esiy persons who were
about the engine at the time were in
stantly killed. These men we're Henry
Knight, the engineer, and William
Gate, both colored convicts. knight
was received at the penitentiary No
venber 9th, 1879, having been sen
fenced In Marion county to impris-
onment for life for burglary. r.
William Gate was 23 years old and
was lame in his right leg. He reach
ed thepenetentiary from Georgetown
county March 18th, 1884, having
been sentenced to two years impris-
onment for grand larceny.
Knight WAS competont engineer,
and had been in charge of the en-
gine for over two years. He was
considered "hard case" but be-
haved well in prison. Gate was o
very well behaved convict. On &c
count of his affliction he was emplov-
ell Oh light duty about the yard.
One of the convicts declares that
he saw Knight i'll the engine house
just before tho explosion trying to adj
Just the salty valve, and that failing
i'll this he picked up his breakfast can
and started to run, the explosion oc-
curing just as he reached the door.
Another theory is that he WAS eating
his breakfast and ncgliscntly turned
too much cold water on the onpine
when the supply had run down. A
third theory is that he blew up the
engine on purpose, II fellow convict
declaring that he heard him say that
he had no chance of getting out any
how and intended to blow up things.
This last is doubtful slr1nise, as he
Know that Senator Mccall was inter
esting himself in his case and he was
looking forward to pardon. This
mans body was blown fifty yards and
fell on log of wood near the black
smith shop, pool of blood marking
the spot. his body was badly man
gled. His tin can containing his
breakfast, half eaten, lay by his side,
and charred sticks from the furnace
lay around him. The body of Grate
was dug out from pile of ttrebris
close to the ruins. His skull WAS
broken and he was otherwise disfg-
rued. Life was extinct.
The engine was a new one of SO
horse power, purchased from tho Wa
tertown Engine Company about two
years ago, when the water was let
out Of the old canal opposite the pen
itentiary The boiler was likewise
new, and was GO horse power. The
building containing them was sub
stantial one story structure. Of brick.
In the yard the convicts were par
alysed with astonishment and alarm
and made no effort to escape through
the breach in the wall. An extra
force Of guards was at once put on.
The engine md boiler cost $4,000
and can hardly be replaced for less.
1t will cost $4,000 to rebuild the wall
and repair the fnctory building. And
then there is the loss of the pay of
225 hands for two weeks ut so cents
a day-a further mulct of about
$1,400.
The injury is serious one at this
time when the penitentiary authori-
ties con barely make both ends meet.
Ut is proposed to purchase o 25 horse
power engine at once, if credit can
be obtained, and repair the building
SO that work may be resumed ut an
early day. The stoppage is u blow
to the sho and hosiery factories, both
OF which wero busy with spring or
ders.
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