St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-10-27
HALF A MILLION LOSS
A Bursting Boiler Destroys a
Life and Starts a DiSas-
trous Fire.
Discovery of a Terrible Mis-
take, in a Graveyard at
Erie, Pa.
Eighteen People Are Crushed
to Death and Fifty Injured
in France.
A Collision in English Waters
and a Ship and Her
Crew Sunk.

LOUISVILLE, KY, Oct. 6.-By boiler
explosion here this afternoon one man
was killed. several persons injured and
nearly half million dollars worth of
property destroyed. At O'Clock Will
lam K. Adams. fireman at the electric
light plant of the Louisville Gas COM
pany, was throwing coal in the furnace
when one of the nest of seven boilers
let go. The shock in the vicinity was
like an earthquake. Adams was thrown
to the ground with terrific force
and received such internal injuries
that he will die. The shed in
which the boilers were located was
completely demolished and pieces of
iron and timber and showers of red-hot
Goals were thrown in every direction.
A great mass of iron and deluge of
burning Goals were thrown across the
alley into the rear OF Kaufman d
Strauss big retail dry goods store, and
the wall of the store was carried away.
Ealf dozen clerks were gathered at
the back of the store. With the book
keeper, Solomon Dreyfus, they were
caught in the wreckage, but it is be-
lieved all escaped alive. Dreyfns was
seriously aid Carrie Dinllelspiel. Hattie
Ennis and Lena Sickles were slightly
injured.
Wrapped in Flames.
In a moment. apparently. the whole
building was in blaze. The weather
has been very dry for two weeks, and
the wreckage and goods burned like
finder. An alarm was turned in, and
the department was quickly at work.
but the wrecked building was at once
beyond control.
Attention was given to saving the
CourerJournal building, two doors
north, and the Polytechnic Library
building, two numbers south. The
water tower was manned, the hose in
the Courier building were attached
through the rear and side of the build
ing, and fourteen fire engines were put
in position and set to playing upon the
flames. With all this force it was half
an hour before the flames gave way. and
an hour before they were under control.
At one time it seemed that the Courier
Journal would certainly be burned. The
few printers who were Ill the cOmpoS-
ing room left. and reporters and editors
who were on duty gathered their valu
ables and prepared to escape, most of
them actually leaving. By strenuous
efforts the Polytechnic building was
saved, with heavy damage from water
to the books. pictures and other art col
lections. Some other buildings also
suffered. The losses, as nearly as can
be learned, are about as follows: Kautf-
man, Strauss Il Co.. retail dry goods
stock, $4,000. nearly covered by in
surance: Mamber, Bloom q Co., owners
of building, $4,000, insured; J. V. E.
Scott IL Sons, fine woodwork aud sup
plies, $4,000, insured; Polytechnic
library, building. books. etc, $4,000,
partly insured; Louisville Gas company,
s., 800, covered by insurance: Leverone,
cOnfectioner. $500. insured; Porter, mil
linery, $3.50. insured.
The engineer of the electric light
works was with the dynamo tender in a
room adjoining the boilers. and they
barely escaped. He says he had on
only 100 pounds of steam, while he was
allowed 100. He thinks some part of
the boiler was displaced by the heavy
work it was doing, and the explosion
resulted from it.