The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-03-26
Fearful Explosion Ia the south Caro-.
lima penitentiary.

boiler which furnished the steam 10 run
the machinery in the shoe factory Of Mr.
A. & Dibert aud in the hose factory Of
the MouIton Hosiery Company exploded,
killing t"U men, cDlored cnnvicls, knock
ing down about seventy five feet of the
penl.entiary wall and tearing on: the
gable end Of the three story factory
building.
The boiler was blown into three or
four ntrps, one piece bri.g blown through
the penitenliary wall another TO the rear
Of the engine house. Il third To the front.
n distance of about sixty feet, and
fourth p!ow.d through the surface of the
granite which flinks the exit from the
yard Ia the canal. The fiurs were t0ssed
through the break In the wall, with the
exception Of a few which fell where the
bniler had stood.
The boiler WAS not in the least defect.
i've. The iron was fairly torn from end
10 end, while the rive,s firmly held their
places 1t was purchased from Mr.. Pol
lard Of Augusta.
The engine house was completely de.
molnhtd. Part OF the Tin roofing was
blown up on the roof of three.story fac
tory building aud another portion hurled
Hnme distance down the canal. Bricks
from the engine house were hurl, d in
every direction. and it wRs wonderful
that they did no injury to any one.
The engine and boiler house was loca,
ted ia the Suu.hweriern corner of the
yard and to the North of it stands the
blacksmith shop. Bricks were blown
into the door and window of the latter
shop. where Mr. Miller and force Of
c"nvicls were ut work, but they escaped
any hurt.
The steam gauge Of the boiler was
found fifty feet away and the door Of the
furnace about 100 Sticks of wood were
hurled seventy five feet.
The wall of the penitentiary yard,
which is about eighteen inches thick,
wns blown out to the canal bank.
The gable end Of the fuctnry building
waA almost completely wrecked, and that
portion which was not hurled to the
ground by the force Of the explosion in
in such Il dangerous condition that It
muat be RULED down rs speedily "a pos
sible. The remaining portious of the
walls are cracked and hanging by the
sligh'est hold.
The outer edge Of the shingle roof of
the factory building was torn off and the
stairs leading from the Recond 10 the
third story Ot the shoe factory completely
wrecked. Bricks fell from the wall into
the factory.
Wnpn the explosion occurred the con.
vicIs in the hose and shoe factories be
came panic stricken and rushed for the
dmra, where they were stopped, excerpt
iow WHO jumped from the windows ut
the west end. They were panic stricken
on previous OCCASION, when q tornado
atruck the building. aud made rush for
the door.
The portions Of the wall and of the
building which were demolished yester.
day were wrecked by Lightning last Sur,
mer.
Henry knight, the engineer, who was
killed, waR light mulalto, a painter ny
trade, aud aged &c. He was rent to the
penitenliary in November, 1879, from
Marion County, for lifetime, on couvic
ton ut burglary. Knight had been at.
tending TO the boiler aud engine for more
than two years, and waa considered per.
frctIy reliable in the discharge of his
duties. A cnnvi,.t who passed the boiIer
room few moments befure the explu
sion stated that he saw Knight trying to
hold down the safety valve. His bod;
was hurled a distance Of seventy five feet
"r more, against pile of lumber, aud
with it tin can of food. The back of
his head was crushed in and hia back
nangled. From thPse circumstances it
is believed that Knight found the steam
beyond his control and was in the act of
running out, with his food in his hand
aud his back to the furnace, when tbe
explo ion took place. 1t is also ntated
that knight had been in the penitentiary
before as Nancy Lowry, one Of the nol"d
Lowry gang, but had made his escape.
He Is registered AZ native of North
Carolina.
The other convict who was killed vaa
named William Crate. He was a black
man, and crippled in the right leg. He
was registered AZ tent from Georgetown,
on March l8, 1884, for two years, ON con.
viction of grind larceny. aged %. Crate
was not able to perform hard labor, and
therefore he was put in charge OF the
closets In rear OF the btiler house aud as
helper to Knight. His body was found
among the ruins of the butler building,
with the entire left side Of his head and
faca crushed.
The bodies were placed in two cells in
the new wing Of the penitentiary, where
Coroner Civil held inquests yesterday af.
lernoon. The jury rendered verdicis in
accordance with the abnve circumstances.
n large force of convicto were at once
put [, removing che debris, and in two
hnura time they were at work rebuilding
the wall.
Mr.. r. w. johnson, the contractor,
will O.. once commence the repairs of the
building
The glass in nearly every window On
the North side of The building was shat
tered and scattered among the workmen
No injury was done 20 the factory ma
chinery, but operations will be Suspended
for few days, unit, another boiler IL put
In postum. It 10 believed q boiler will
be purchased in Columbia.
There were several narrow escapes.
Captain Geo. A. Shields had gone to the
peniientiary yard to see at0ut putting
shatiing In the new building In cour-e OF
erection for the Moulion Hosiery Com
Enny, after which he vent to the door IF
the boiler room TO look In, but Mr..
GIonlton called him into his Office, and
he had nut Jsen In there long enough to
take q aeat when tho explosion occurred.
Mr. s. l.. Purdy Of Camden was ut
Mr.. Diberts factory negotiating for q
supply Of shoes, and retired for q shor.
time. He passed through the boiler
n,ent the explosion occurred. He bad a
miraculous escape, and BAys that he will
not recover from the shock in long
time.
Irwin Freeman. whito convict, was
going up the staira from tho aecnnd To
the third Aoor IF the shoe factory, ut the
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