New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-10-31
1 FATAL LAUNDRY EXPLOSION
AN IRoNiiNN MACHINE BLOWN ro prrnna
ONE GIRL DEAD-oTHERs BADLY IYJURED-np,,,,
HEAD BOLTS THAT WERE USELESS.


ONE GIRL DEAD-orHERs BADLY INJURFn--n.,,..
HEAD BOLTS THAT WERE USELESS.
AT Q a. m. yesterday the air in front ~ a..
steam laundry OF Roberts & Roberts, No. a2a w
Twentysixth-st, was filed with fragments OF bo,~
glass and window SASH The entire front OF The a..
story OF the building which had consisted Of glass 81 ~
frames, had been blown out by an explosion Foor,1
the shower of glass ard wood came a densa
cloud OF steam. Loud cries Of dstress a..
shouts for assistance were heard There ~ ~
sudden shutting of OF the steam, and soon the afr a.
side the building was clear enough to show dozan oo
girls and three or four men IN confused mass OF rc
tables and machinery on the first hoOr The drumhe,a
of large steam ironing machine had been blown ss
All the inmates OF the laundry had been thrown a.
by the explosion and had been enveoped by tho CO..
Ing steam. Five girls. who were the ironing ny
chine, had been scaded moro less seriously r.
revolving cylinder of the machine. Weighing a ton ~
fallen from It's bearings and had dragged down the
ing and folding tables ut which the girls had ~.
working Some OF the injured girls were caught ssi
held by the wrecked tables, and tainted.
Margaret Bowers, age sixteen, was ono q,
the first to be dragged from a.
wreck She was scalded frightfuly r.
head to foot 1t thought at first that she had h,
killed outright, but she showed signs Of M, aud -
ambulance carried her to the New-York HospltaI a.
died shortly before y. m. Her home was in Firsavo
between Tnirty-hird and Tblrty-fourth SIS Catl,,,
scaded seriously about her head face and the NM
part of her body Mary Callahan, fifteen years ola :,
No 524 West Twenty-seyenth-st., was thrown again,
the wall She burned about tho face and hands hr
jumped ont OF q broken side window to /.
shed in the yard. Two other girls who were No,
injured jumped out the same way Mary IIerrlek 40.
sixteen, 0l No. 3sl East rlirtythiId-st, and itbs
Granger. OF the same age. who lived AT No % ~,
came from the machinc Both were Shocked w. 'aey
severely scatcd. William D0Oiey, youth, jumped oss
Ofe rear window and cut his hands and face hi, a
urcs not serious and he went to his home No G3T
West Twonty-sxthst 81. The Hcriok. Callahan and
ambulancos. Ethel Granger went home "
There great excitement In tie Tor an hour
lived IN tenement house adjoining the
landry became Pecan ,,s 50 much worse on
In the laundry there another ironing machine sm.
liar to the wrecked ono IN size and design. The eS
not injured seriously The head the revolving
cylinder of the broken machine had been blown lie
inside nangc which IL had boon bOlied Several of liz
twentyone bolts IN the ange had boe broken, most
not extend through the nauge and were less than ono
inch deep W. T. Roberts, one OF the lroprelors the
The machine was a No. 6 Smiths patent,
just like the other oLe in the ROOM
purchased from Hamilton J., Smith, OF No. q
Deyst.. but manufactured IN Paterson, ~ j. by uena.
min Eastwood. whose NcwYork Office ut No. 40 Cor.
@ S n ws Sss up he5i on t"cs Mr last
the drumlead was leaking When they went away they
said IL was safe enough To use until Saturday. They sad
they would take oil tho drumhcad Saturday evening
and put in larger bolts before Monday morning. TIE
machine was not well Iuade and Mr Eastwood will be
held responsible for the damage"
Thomas CAtlow, licensed engineer employed by te
hnD said The machine had 40 steam gauge H. but
10 posed 20 De strong enough 10 stand auy steam
pressure from our boiler when Is registered To cary
eighty pounds. On account of the leak In the drumheal
did lot pat the full force of The steam into the machine
to-day and tho gauge on the boiler showed "a pres.
sure OF only fOrty-iive pounds. Poor workmanship
the cause OF the accident"
S. :. Barrie, who Is in the employ OF Hamilton J..
Smith. said was at the laundry yesterday IN com
pany With two Of Mr. EastwOUd's WOTkmen They
ned the hiue and said tla drumucad would have
be taken OH before the leak could De- stopped. one
mans IS Anderson, think lie said tn machine
safe enough TO until Saturday night The bolts
in the drumhcad were not long enough aud
properly fitted The machine was a sham Juh'
BENJAMIN Eastwood. the nlanufac timer OF the machine,
pioslO was caused ~ part by defective WOra, lat sad
hat the stopping mp OF an outlet 10 The cylinder hat
also been a contributing cause His W0rkmen reported
To MIN on Thursday that tie steam did not ~ through
the Oll,t properly. lie tecaphad To the laundry Aem
not to TIE machine until 10 bad been fixed , iore-
man, Anderson said he hal not PERMISSION 10 the
laundry nTm 20 ran the machine until Saturday rgh.
lie said that hal asked leave take on the drum
head that the machine could not be used uut vas
liked he had warned the laundry that the chine
must not be used.
ThedaInage To the building and machinery WAS about
5000 II -iit that tho wrecked ironing nl1 chine
cost 81 900.