Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-02-27
EXPLOSION IN A CAR.
A Steam Heater Bursts In a Pas.
senger Coach.

The westbound r. @. w. passeh.
ger train was lste tRlb morning, and
IS several persons appeared at the
depot at ESQ am. TO make the trip
to Ogden, the company arranged
for a special which was made 10 III
about kaif 40 heaf. Il consisted Of
The locomotive, a baggage car and
one new passenger coach-all
broad gauge. The car has been run
but once or twice before. 1t was
provided with steam heater which
took up about 2x3 feet Of space, and
was about five feet high. This
apparatus is usually sufficient to
make the cars comfortably warm,
but the weather being very cold,
several Of the Passengers took their
seats close to the heater
As soon as al VS. ready. the train
pulled out for the city on the
Weber, but it had gone scarcely :
hundred yeards whe4 those who
wcce watching 1t saw q cloud Of
stesn. Use from the end of the pas.
senger car, and pieces Of the coach
flying in every direction. Immedi.
ately there was a dull, heavy report,
and it was evident that an explo-
sion Of some nature had occurred.
The train stopped, and az the by
ISLANDERS hurried up, Tie passengers
clambered out Of the car.
One OF the first TO get cySt was
Mr.. ;. Hardey, OF New York. He
was closely followed by about
ten othere, one aged lady be-
Ing amo1g the number. Nr.
hardey was Injured somewhat. but
hau clear conception Of what had
occurred. He stated that he was
sitting two seats from the heater.
there being one man a seat nearer.
when the explosion took place, and
he was enyeloped in smoke and ciu--
ders, which were still clinging to
bis face and clothes. A piece OF the
flying materials struck him on the
back OF tie head, tearing a hole
through his hat, and raising a Iump
on his oraniUm. A hard piece Of
something hit him on his left hip.
causing him TO limp. Other pieces
tore holes through his overcoat, but
he escaped with about a dozen
scratches on his head and face,
from which the blood oozed.
Another commercialman received
sonae injuries. He had two cuts on
the back Of the head. his clothing
was punctured in several places, aud
he was badly shaken up. The third
person injured was a gentleman
about 90 years of age, who had a
cash across his forehead. cut on
his chin, and some minor bruises.
When the explosion happened
the top Of the heater tore a large
hole through the roof Of the car,
broke all Of the glass, scat
tered pieces Of wood, iron and Goals
in every direction, and filed the
car with steam, creating quite a
panic. w men quiet was regained
the train was run back to the station,
and surgeons sent for to attend the
wounded Another car was put on
the train and the rest Of the passen-
gers continued their trip.
The loss to the railway company
will be not less than $1,000. The
cause Of the accident was ice in the
boiler Of the heater. Water had
been left in, and the frosty
night had converted it into a
solid. Then a fire was started, and
as thesteam generated in the bottom
Of the boiler could not escape, the
explosion followed. This incident
should serve as a warning 10 railway
men that even ''satety' steam heat
ers, when not properly attended to,
may become very unsafe. Had the
happened two minutes
sarlier, or the passengers who had
been standing around the heater re-
that much longer, the pro-
is that some one would
have been killed.