The Rugby gazette and east Tennessee news. (Rugby, Morgan Co., Tenn.) 1884-188?, 1886-01-23
TERRIFIC EXPLOSION.
Harper's Iron and Steel Works,
Newport, KY, in Ruins.
Miraculous Escape Of the Employees from
Death-Several Seriously Injured.

CINCINNATI, o., January 15,-About five
o'clock this afternoon the engineer in the
new mill ut Harper's Iron and Steel Works,
in Newport, KY, startled the employees by
rushing through the mill and shouting to
them to "fly for their lives, as something
was about to happen" Everything was
dropped on the instant, and half the men
had not quilted the place when there was
terrific explosion, which blew the building
to atoms and shook the houses in the neigh
borhood for squares around. The utmost
confusion prevailed, and it was some time
before the cause of the accident
could be ascertained. People in
the neighborhood rushed to the
scene, and those who had had time to re-
cover from the shock Immediately set to
work to rescue any who may have been
caught by the debris 1t being very dark,
their work, of course, was slow. A num-
Der OF the timbers caught fire, and a tele-
phone message was Immediately sent to the
engine house summoning the department.
The boys arrived on short notice and soon
extinguished the flames. The boys then
started in to look for the injured. Their
attention was directed to the west side of the
mill by the moans of man. After few min
utes' work they found lying on the ground
and held down by a large piece of timber,
Mr.. James Swift and son. They were ex-
tricated. The latter being only slightly
bruised, was able to walk off. Mr.. Swift
was conveyed to his home on Elm street,
when, upon an examination, it was found
that his right leg was broken between knee
hip. He also sustained several severe cuts
about the head. Drs. F. A. Davis and j. U.
Jenkins rendered surgical skill Mr.. Swift
was the boss muck mill roller. Mr. Chris
Risch was also badly hurt about the neck
and head He was also taken to his home on
Elm street. Two men by the name of
Kearney were also severely injured, one of
them having his arm broken just above the
elbow. A number of other, were slightly
injured by being struck with pieces of fly
ing timbers. A man named Tim Shelly is
missing, and it is thought he might possibly
be under the debris 1t being almost dark
| but lit could be seen of the disaster. The
new mill is entirely gone, and part of the
annealing house is also gone. The old mill
was also badly injured by flying pieces of
the boiler and timbers, The cylinder-head
the old mill and alighted on the bank of the
Licking, on the Covington side. A large
| portion of the fly-wheel was thrown over
in the old mill and wedged itself in
the bar-mill. Three large smoke-sta
were also thrown down by flying
| pieces of boiler and timbers. The en-
| gineer who gave the warning, states
that shortly after o'clock one of the large
belts was thrown from the journal of his
engine, and this threw the large band from
the flywheel, which weighs thirty tons
AS a matter of course the engine started
off at lightning speed, and seeing that he
could not stop it he gave the warning tc
the employees some $50 in number. The
fly-wheel by this time had attained
such a terrific velocity that it broke
TO pieces. A portion of it struck the large
boiler, causing it and an adjoining boiler
to explode almost simultaneously. This
was followed by loud report and the es
cape of steam, and after the smoke had
cleared away there was nothing left but q
few posts standing up and large pile ol
debris lying over near the old mill. The
damage will amount to not less than S25 600
and probably more.