St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1889-01-24
FATAL BOILER EXPLOSION.
Morgan Brothers, Mill at East Cabot
Blown TO AfOms.--ErneSf W. ComsfOck
of ST. Johnsbury Instantly Killed.
Albert Il. Morgan Fatally Injured.

BLOWN 10 AfOnuS.--f<THeSf w. COuISfOc
v of ST. Johnsbury Instantly Killed.
Albert Il. Morgan Fatally Injured
The steam sawmill at East Cabo
: owned and operated by Albert an
John Morgan of st. Johnsbury, wa
. blown to pieces Tuesday afternoon
Ernest w. Comstock, also of thi
place, was instantly killed, Alber
MOrgans life is in the balance, Car
White was bruised about the head
while John Morgan and Mr.. Ainsle,
escaped with slight bruises.
The mill is situated on the brool
near the head of Molly's pond. Nor
gan Brothers had bought considera
BILE timber land in the vicinity anC
were intending to saw up millior
feet of logs this season. The building
was nearly completed and was &
small structure of about 40 by &c
feet with an engine room i'll the front
Some SIX weeks ago q secondhand
engine was purchased of a reliable
dealer who warranted the engine and
boiler first class in every respect
This could hardly be true as the Nor
gans have been bothered with the
engine ever since it was put in and a
st. .JOhnsbury machinist had examin-
ed 1t several times before Mr.. Com
stock was called there The engine
was OF uncommon make and it was
d1ftcult to get up steam. Monday
the owners telephOned to he machine
shop of O. V. Hooker & Son, st.
Johnsbury, for machiniSt and Ernest
w. COmstock left for East Cabot
Tuesday morning.
About 3 o'clock that afternoon
Mr.. COmstock requested that the
machinery be shut down while he
examined the boiler to see if he could
discover why they could not get up
steam. The engine was shut down
and when it was started up again
the explosion occurred When this
took place Mr.. COmStOck was stand
ing at the corner of the engine letting
on steam, Albert Morgan had his
foot on the fly wheel trying to start
the engine, John Morgan was pulling
on the belt at the cutting-off saw,
and Ainsley and White were at the
big saw which had stopped on the
centre" all trying to start up the
machinery. The explosion was
heard for a great distance around
and literally blew the building into
kindling wood. Mr. Comstock's s
body was found in the snow 80 feet !
away with pieces of the engine and |
boiler strewn all around him. The |
big grlndstone was carried so feet in
another direction and a mass of
weighing nearly a ton was
found 100 feet away in another di-
rect1On. The debris was scattered
all over half an acre and only one
end of the mill remains standing.
The mill hands thought it was an
while the report of the
explosion was comparable only to
the discharge of a heavy cannon.
Mr.. COmstock must have been in
Stantly killed as his skull was crush
ed in and both legs broken. He was
also badly burned by the escaping
steam. His body was carried to Al
Yin Durgin's house and laid out and
to his home III Summerville
yesterday noon by Mr. Clark. AL
oert Morgan was probably struck
~ one of the planks. His left leg
vas broken both above and below
he knee, while the steam burned his
eft hand and shoulder and face.
-arl White escaped with a sharp
,low on the side of the head and
A1nsley and John Morgan were only
lightly bruised. Mr.. Ainsley was
tand1ng on two planks and bending
'ver the saw at the time of the ex-
'loslOn. He Immediately straight L
ned himself and as he did so the big
mOke stack fell between his BODY
nd the saw {
Medical help was immediately {
from Cabot, Danvillc and
t. Johnsbury. Drs. Wiswell and (
Warren OF Cabot were the first to
rrlve and they went at once to >
'urt Hills house where Albert Nor II
an had been carried. An examina- d
on showed a double fracture of the .
ones of the left leg both below and =
bOve the knee and the leg was am A
utated below the knee. nresponse
, a telephone to this place Drs. {
rocks and HartshOrn drove up to IL
1e scene of the accident and remain n
there until nearly midnight. They W
'und Albert Morgan in a very seri- II
us condition, nearly pulseless, and a
ot rally1ng from the effect of the O
lock to the system caused by the r;
>c1dent and the consequent surgi- t.
Il opera ton. The doctors agree t.
lat his chances for recovery are d
nall though he was reported to be hi
'mfortable Wednesday morning. r.
e is healthy and vigorous man, N
temperate habits and his vitality hi
ay carry him through Mr.. White h'
ffered from a burn on the face and II
ed little from the ear, a symptom
hich might Indicate a fracture of ca
e skull. He was able, however, to til