The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-10-09
SCALDBD TO DEATH.
Fatal Explosion in a Pittsburg
Rolling Mill.
Seventeen Men and Boys Scalded by
Escaping Steam.

A battery of boilers in Clark & Co.'S Solar
Iron works, Pittsburg, Penn, exploded soon
after A. NJ, the other morning, just after the
night turn had been relieved by the day force
As soon as the steam had been cleared away it
was ascertaned that the mud drum of the
boilers had exploded. and that the escaping
steam had scalded seventeen men, of whom
fourteen were badly burned and three
fatally injured. The scene following the ex-
plosion was heartrendering. Wives, mothers
and children, some OK them half dressed and
Others putting on their clothing as they ran,
fastened to the scene and peered anxiousy
into the faces of the injured men, seeking to
identify their loved ones There was silence
for IA moment, and then woman's wall
was heard and another and another, until
there was a chorus of shrieks and cries of an
guish. 1t was an awful scene, and the ply
sicans, who arrived at this time, said they
were almost unnerved at the sight of so much
human suffering. The wounded were found
lying in all positions, some of them SO far
away from the battery that it SCENE / impos-
sble that they could have been injured by
the explosion. The names of the victims are:
Frank Martin badly scalded about the face
and arms; James Cattoe, terribly burned,
and the top of his head was crushed by q
piece of iron; Frank Murray. boy fatally
William Daniels boy, scalded and injured by
flying debris; David Richards, boy, scalded
and arm broken; William Orth, roller
badly scalded; Frank Good, boy,
badly cut on the head; Patrick
Henderson, shearsman, seriously scalded
and injured by flying debris: David Smith,
shearsman, badly scalded; Joseph Getze, boy
scaded, but not seriously; William Simpson,
scalded and injured by debris; Charles Hey
wood, puddler, seriously hurt by flying
debris; Joseph Steiner assistant engineer,
badly bauised and slightly cut Joseph Neff
boy, badly scalded; Frank Neff badly scalded,
and Barth Anderson, gauger, dangerously
burned.
Thomas Cato and John Murray died at the
West Pennsylvania hospital during the
morning Three or four others were also
fatally in iured.
The interior of the finishing mill presented
a scene of desolation. The mud drum runs
lengthwise under the the six boilers 1t was
the end of this which blew out With such
fearful force did it explode that all the boil
ers were unseated. Two Of them We're tilted
ba k aud some of them are on end. In the
rear the whole wall of masonry was moved
outward. A remarkable feature was the
jammny of the mud drums head against tho
cylinder head of the engine, smashing it to
pieces and blowing the whole head inward
From this the steam rushed out with a loud
kissing noise. Large stacks of hoop iron We're
blown all over the mill Machines were upset
rolls turned over, and tho iron machines and
benches We're all thrown together in mex
tricable masses, under which several of the
men were buried.
The explosion was caused by the mud eat
ing through the coating of the mud drum.
Pieces of tho drum picked up were not more
than the thirty. secondth part of an inch in
thickness. The boilers and mud drum were
inspected by boiler insurance company two
months ago, and were then pronounced safe