Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-10-02

PTrrsBURG, PA, October 2.-Shortly after 3
O'Clock this morning n battery OF boilers nj the
solar iron works OF Clarke a Co.. seth street,
exploded with disastrous effect The night
when the ssnossn reeyed ey he gay orsee
y, the works In the vicinity of the boilers was
niied with cloud OF steam. Through the dense
employees beyond the reach OF danger that a
Irlgntful calamity had overtaken a number OF
o ohe,r ienow-workmen. As soon as the steam
cteareu away a rush was made for the spot
where the explosion occurred, when IL was as
Serianed taat the mud drum OF the
steam had scalded seventeen men. Closer I'M.
vestigation showed that OF this number four
s sea, Mere badly burned and that three
Frank Martin, badly scalded about the face
and arms, Will not live; James Cattoe, terribly
flying iron. he will die; Frank MURRAY. how IN.
tally injured; Thomas Stein, boy, badly scaided:
yns SsSfs BOY sSHaed and injured by
scaided and arm broken; William
G5 how roller hs,v cn badly scaldea; Frank
derson, shearsman, seriously scalded and In
jured by falling debris David smith. shear
man. badly scaidedi Joseph Getne, boy, scalded,
and injured by debris; Charles Haywood pud.
dler. seriously hurt by flying debris; Joseph
slightly cut; Joseph Neff, boy, badly scalded:
Frank Neff badly scalded, and Barth Ander.
son, gauger, terribly burned; will probably not
scarcely had the hills along the Allegheny
ceased TO reverberate the tones OF the explo-
sion when frenzied, frightened wives mothers
and children began 10 rush upon the scene and
peer nxiously into the faces of the gasping, dy-
Ing men, seeking 10 identity their loved ones,
or inquiring I'm agonized terms IL they had
escaped. Women half dressed, Others putting
on their clothing as they ran, almost nude,
screaming AT the top OF Their voices, crowded
mill. Arriving there they were silent for a mo-
ment Then woman's wall was heard,
there was nothing but d iscordant
chorus of femenine shrieks and means and cries
of anguish. The cries and groans OF the par
boiled men would occasionally rise above the
women's voices. IL was an awful scene, and
the physicians were almost unnerved at the
sight OF SO much human suffering. physical and
positions. Some of them were SO far away from
the battery that II seemed impossible that they
large number of boys hurt is accounted for by
the fact that they were employed to handle the
hoop iron which was rolled in the mill nearest
the boilers 1t was fully twenty minutes after
the explosion before the boy Frank Murray
was taken out from under the truck
scalded, he was terribly crushed by the weight
of iron that was piled on top of him. James
Cattoe and Frank Martin suffered the most
tanned OF the recovery OF any one OF the three
named. The Others are expected to recover.
, Inc inte I9r OF the nm ishing mill presented
Things were badly wrecked. The boilers, six
In number, form q battery, which Ia located I'm
the extreme southwest corner OF the mills The
mud drum runs lengthwise under all six
boilers. 1t was the end OF this which blew out
All 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 tamming OF the mud drumshead
against one of the engines. This engine was
situated a few yards north OF the boilers.
The burst iron was blown directly
against the cylinder head OF the engine,
smashing IL TO pieces, and blowing the
whole head inward. From this the 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 q wheelbarrow was tum-
bled through a door. The iron machines and
benches were all thrown together In inextrica-
BILE masses, under which several of the men
were buried. Mr.. Powers the chief engineer,
says the boilers and mud drums were inspected
by the Hartford Boiler Insurance company two
months ago and were pronounced safe.
Two Of the Victims Dead.
Two OF the victims, Cattoe and Murray, died
at the West Pennsylvania hospital this MORN
ing. Three or four others are not expected to
recover. The explosion was caused by the
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 i'm thickness.