The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-12
EXPLOSION OF A LOCOMOTIVE
The Fifty Tons Of Mechanism Torn 20
Pieees-No Trace OF Engineer and Fire man.

The Fiuy Tons Of Mech anlam Torn 20
Pieeos-No Trace OF Engineer and Fire man.
BUFFALO, May 11.-About 2 o'clock this
afternoon Lehigh Valley Engine No eel
George Pearl engineer and Henry ], O'Con-
nor, fireman. started for East Buffalo with n
string OF twenty cars. The train was
moving slowly and had crossed the Lake shore
tracks at the Buffalo Greek junction when tho
locomotive exploded. A roar was heard like
the discharge OF n battery OF heavy artillery.
the earth trembled as though with an earth
quake and the air was filed with flying frag-
ments OF iron, steel. brass and timber, accom-
panied by cloud OF mingled steam and dust
engine 81 had disappeared. and all that re-
manned OF its fifteen tons OF mechanicsm were
the six driving wheels the truck and wheels
at the forward end, and the disabled tender Mt
the rear. Tho tracks we're ripped from the
ties and bent out OF shape. the ground
was torn up for some distance. and
broken telegraph and electric light wires
danged from their posts In n
tangled mass There WAS no trace
OF either the engineer or fireman What was
apparently a human body was seen flying
through the air at an elevation of 100 feet and
fall on the Lake Shore railroad at least !. 900
feet west OF where the explosion occurred
The body Of the other unfortunate man took
northe asterly course at a high elevation and
dropped into the creek 500 feet awny
In the ditch to the west was the shattered
tant. was the crown sheet battered ana twist
ed out OF shape; and across the adjacent slip
the dome and huge fragment OF the boiler lay
upon the coal-duInping pier Of the buffalo,
Rochester and Pittsburgh Railroad, 400 feet
away. In striking 1t had crushed into the tim
Der and sent great splinterS In all directions.
Aswitch shanty alongside the track was badly
Soon search for the missing engineer and
fireman was begun. The body OF Pearl was
face and Loisted to the coal dock. its condi.
was broken. the head and face We're ef rsh,fHS
body was found between the stumps OF Two
trees alongside the Lake Shore tracks. The
head was crushed. the face disfgured beyond
recognition and n n the LEFT side was great
wrennched from his feet. and his garments re-
duced to shreds The legs and arms were APP
Pearl was about IS years. He left widow
and one child. daughter. He had been In the
Lehigh Valleys employ a number OF years. and
was regarded as one OF its capable and faithful
engineers ,o'Connor, was 23 years cld. un.
married and lived with his parents in this cit-
He had been on the road for two years AMI
had high reputation for sobriety and atten-
ton to duty.
The cause OF the explosion 1t Is not likely
will ever be definitely known. There is no one
living who could throw any light on the con-
dition OF the locomotive when IT. occurred.
Superintendent Broadhead said to-day:
1t Is one OF those mysterious affairs which
no one has ever yet been able to satisfactorily
Its immense force first suggested what is
called dry explosion, but this theory was
hundred feet from the track was struck 10y n
volume OF muddy water that it was believed
came from the exploded boiler. The tank Of
was concluded that water had been pumped
into the boiler short time before 1t exploded.