The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-06-04
THREE MEN KILLED
BY A MOST TERRIFlo EXPLOSION
OF . Locomotive Boiler In the a, q o. Yards
at BsliAire-POEiiOnS Of the Engine
Blown Several Squares AWay-Ths
Men Horribly nIAnglsdAnd CruShsd.


Men Horribly AEAnglsd and OEuShsd,
The most terrific and disastrous explo'
sion experienced in this vicinity for many
years occurred yesterday morning about
. o'clock, in the Baltimore & Ohio Com
pany's yard at Bsllaire, near the round
house, and not far from the western end
Of the elevated approach to the bridge
across the river. The boiler OF a locomo-
tive engine exploded, instantly killing
three men who were on the engine at the
time, and hurting their mangled and
ouiyeriug Corpses great distances from the
place where the accident occurred, Houses
In the central part Of the city were shaken
so that the glass in many oil them was
broken and the people terribly shocked
The powerful locomotive was demolished.
and pieces Of It carried by the furious
power Of the escaping steam through the
air, slighting several squares, in some IN
stances, from where they started. Walls
were cracked in neighbOring houses by
the tremendous shock,
TUE ACCIDENT.
Road engine No. 4l2 had been fired mp
ready to 20 out, and three men were talk
ing over their runs, George johnson, the
engineer, and John Vandervort, fireman,
we're in the cab when the engine backed
out OF the round.housG. Walker haslop,
a conductor, joined them, and johnson
called to NJ. W, Hammond, engineer. ol
253, another locomotive standing behind
him, and Hammond climbed up into the
cab. After talking a few seconds, the en-
Vineer looked at his watch and said: tits
about time we were moving" With this
Haslop jumped off the engine and started
for the rear Of the tender, He got about
half way when the boiler burst, and lie
knew no more, being felled senseless to
the ground. -,
The explosion was sudden and awful,
tearing the engine to shreds, Bolts and
heavier pieces OF iron tore through the
honaea on Crescent street, breaking win
dows and tearing holes through the walls.
The three men who were left in the cab
were blown high in the air. The msngled
remains OF George johnson, the engineer
in charge, dropped not far from the fatal
scene, his lower limbs being literally
blown oil, while the body OF Matthew
Hammond, the engineer Of No. 263, that
stood Just behind Az, was blown nearly q
hundred yards, over Belmont street, fall
ing upon the edge OF Michael Feeney's
house, breaking of the C%ornice, and drop
ping into the yard in the rear, q limp,
~lifeless mass OF broken bones, flesh and
blood. John Vandevort, the fireman, was
blown into the open commons to the
left, perhaps fifty va DIS away. The back
part Of his head was burst, and the blood
was ooziug ont as the liIeless body was
picked up. He had come in contact with
something before leaving the engine, as
the bones in his body were broken, but
he was not mangled like the other two.
MARION ESCAPES.
A man named Hathorne, a teamster,
was standing near the tender and was
blown up the bank into Belmont street,
suffering no harm except the mud. There
were many narrow escapes, as pieces Of
iron fell all over that part Of town. A
torch and a wrench fell on Belmont street,
north OF the Square, over four squares
away. A screw jack tore through the
wall OF q house, cutting an organ in two
lust at the key board, then passed through
the wall behind the organ and fell beside
q baby in it's cradle. Several Chimneys
had corners knocked oil.
The streets were soon Bwarming with
people attracted by the noise and the
shower OF debris.
There are many Bellaire men employed
on Baltimore & Ohio engines and at work
In tho yards, and their relatives were
alarmed for their safety. The men, how
ever, were all strangers, living at Newark
Agent Fitzgerald ordered that the bodies
be dressed neatly and placed in proper
Baskets, and to spare nothing in taking
appropriate and fitting care OF the bodies.
Accordingly all was done that could be TO
have the remains bear as natural an APP
pearanCe as possible. The bodies were
taken to the round house and prepared
for the specialtrain which was sent to take
them 10 their families.
INCIDENTS.
Peter Manly was struck in tho small OF
the back by q piece Of iron that had struck
the side OF the house, and Is seriously
hurt.
The gold watch OF Engineer johnson
was split open, and one lid found close to
the wreck, tho other just below the U. P.
Church, while the works were picked up
In still another part OF town.
William A. EChramm found a piece Of
silver watch chain and turned 1t over to
Baltimore & Ohio Officer Burke.
Walker Haslop, the captain Of the crew,
is a married man, and his family lives at
LewiSville, o. He Is bruised some about
the back and shocked 80 that he has gone
home.
vandevoort was a brother OF Samuel
Vandevoort, for some years in P. r.
Kings store. Hammond lived with his
mother. johnson leaVes a wife and chill.
dTen, both In Newark, Vandervoort q wife
In New Concord.
THE DAMAGED ENGINE.
Tho exploded engine, No. ALP, was one
Of the monster freight engines recently
adapted for the large through freight
trains. The force OF the explosion was
upwards and to either side. The front Of
the engine was comparatively unframed
aud the tender was not touched except
that the water was let out Of the tank.
The rest OF the engine wa torn inside out.
The cause OF the explosion Is unknown,
the engineers who looked at the engine
having only 10 say that 1t is q similar case
to nearly all locomotives explosions.
Among the buildings injured was that Of
Frank Mack, a corner being knocked of
by q piece Of iron, the wood being reduced
10 %BplinterB.
A brass journal crashed through the
roof Of Josephus Gorby's house, several
squares away, working its way to the
lower story.
Thomas Curran'U house and darted into