Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-10-03
A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT.
BOILER MUD.DRU1 BURSTS.
ussrreadiss scenes at a Mill The fajared-
Fiying Debris.


battery Of boilers at the Solar Iron
Works Of Clarke & Co.. OF Thirty-sixth
street, exploded with disastrous effect.
The night turn had just been relieved
by the day force when the explosion
occurred. and that portion Of the works
in the vicinity Of the boilers was filled
with a cloud Of steam. Through the
dense mist came shrieks and groans,
which told the employees beyond the
reach Of danger that frightful calamity
had overtakcn number Of their fellow
workmen.
As soon as the steam cleared away
rush was made for the spot where the
explosion occurred, when it was ascer-
tanned that the mud.drum Of the boilers
had exploded and that the escaping
steam had scalded seventeen men:
closer investigation showed that OF this
number four were badly burned, and
that three more were fatally injured.
The names Of the injured are Frank
Martin, badly scalded about the face
and arms, and will not live; James
Csttoe, terribly burned on the
top Of his head, was crushed
by piece Of flying iron; he will
die; Frank Murray, boy, fatally
injured; Thomas Sein, boy, badly
scalded William Daniels, boy, scalded
and injured by the flying doris David
Richards, boy, scalded and arm broken
William 0rth, roller, badly scalded
Frank Good, boy, badly cut on the
head Patrick Henderson, shearsman,
seriously scalded and injured by the
flying deJrS David Smith, shears
man, badly scalded Joseph Getz. boy,
scalded, not seriously William Thomp-
son, boy, scalded and injured by the
debris Charles Haywood, puddler,
seriously hurt by the flying debris
Joseph Steinre, assistant engineer,
badly bruised and slightly cut; Joseph
NeG, boy, badly scalded Frank Nef,
badly scalded and Barth Anderson,
gauger. terribly burned-will probably
not recover.
Scarcely had the hills along the ALLIE
eheny ceased to reverberate the tones
Of the explosion when the frenzied and
frightened wives, mothers, and children
began to rush upon the scene and peer
anxiously into the faces Of the gaSping,
dying men, seeking to identify their
loved ones. or inquiring in agonizing
tones if they had escaped. Women
half-dressed, others putting on their
clothing as they ran, almost nude,
screaming at the top Of their voices,
crowded and jostled each other
in the mad rush for the mill.
Arriving there they were silent for
= moment. Then a woman's wall was
heard. and another, and another, until
there was nothing but a discordant
chorus of feminine shrieks and means
and cries Of anguish. The cries and
groans Of parbOiled men would occa-
sionslly rise above the women's voices.
1t was an awful scene, and the physi-
clans who had arrived at this time said
they were almost unnerved at the sight
and in the presence ofso much human suf-
lering, physical and mental. The injured
were found lying in all positions. Some
of them were so far away from the
battery that it seemed impossible that
they could have been injured by the
explosion.
The large number Of boys hurt is &C
counted for by the fact that they were
employed to handle the hoop-iron which
was rolled in the mill nearest the boil
ers. 1t was fully twenty minutes after
the explosion before the boy Frank
Murray was taken out from under the
truck where he was thrown. In addi-
ton to being scalded, he was terribly
crushed by the weight Of the iron that
was piled on top of him. James CattOe
and Frank Martin suffered most from
the escaping steam.
No hopes are entertained OF the re-
coyery of any one of the three named.
The others are expected TO recover, but
the majority will carry marks to re-
mind them of their experience as long
as they live. Those most seriously in
jured were taken to the hospital, while
the others were removed to their
homes. The interior of the finishing
mill presented terrible sight Of desc
lation after the accident. Things were
badly wrecked. Boilers, six in num-
Der, form the battery. which is
located in the extreme southwest cor
ner Of the mill. A mud-drum runs
lengthwise under all six of the boilers.
Ii was the end Of this that blew out.
With such fearful force did it explode
as to scatter destruction on all sides.
All Of the boilers were unseated. Two
Of them were tilted back and some Of
them are on end. In the rear the
whole wall of masonry was moved
outward. A very remarkable feature
was the jamming of the mud-drum's
head against one Of the engines.
This engine was situated few yards
north of the boilers. The bursted
iron was blown directly against the cyl
inder-head Of the engine. smashing it
to pieces. and blowing the whole head
inward. From this steam rushed out
with a loud, kissing sound. Large
stacks Of hoop-iron were blown all
over the mill. Machines were upset,
rolls turned over, and in one instance a
wheelbarrow was tumbled through the
door. The iron machines and benches
were all thrown together in inextrica-
BILE masses. under which several Of the
mon uere hur;ed
Two Of the victims, Cattoe and Muir
ray, died at West Penn Hospital this
morning. Three or four others are not
expected to recover. The explosion
was caused by mud eating through the
coating Of the mud-drum. Some pieces
OF the drum that were picked up are
not more than one thirty-secondth
part of an inch in thick
ness. w. Powers, chief engineer,
says the boilers and mud-drum were
inspected by the Hartford Boiler-Insur-
snce Company two months ago and
were then pronounced safe. Twice be-
fore accidents Of this nature have &C.
CURED at the mill. The first one took
place five years ago, tut no one was
killed. The second one transpired only |
eighteen months ago, and although sew
eIal persons were scalded, no one was