Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-04-02
ARLINaroy WILLS Exp1osIoN.
Death of John Keenan, on Saturday
from Injuries Received at the Accident

Death of John Keenan, on Saturday
from Injuries Received at the Accident
| A startling explosion took place at the
| Arlington mills on Friday when John
Keenan,, the operator OF u print-dryine
machine, received injuries from which he
died at o'clock Saturday morning.
| The report of the explosion was terrific.
shaking the whole ediflce and the neigh
boring buildings. II caused extreme con
sternation among the mill hands and all
| work for time suspended.
The trouble was quickly located in tho
| printing room. Machinery Repairs Car
penter Alexander Elliott was in the room
within two minutes of the explosion.
| Keenan, was found living PROSTATE with
blood gushing from horrible wounds in
his arms and legs. The drying machine,
which is an upright structure supporting
| three cylindrical steam chests measuring
each about feet 6 inches by 2 feet, was
rent almost to shreds. The windows of
the room were blown out and the head of
one of the chests had blown through the
frame wall of the apartment. A fellow
workman of Keenan's, German, who
was. in the room at the time, escaped en-
tirely uninjured.
Two of the steam chests exploded stimuli
taneously, or else one exploded and then
smashed the other. At any rate they are
rent and torn like sheets of cloth. The
run VI WhlCll tDty are DtlllJ ID moi more
than 0ne-thirty-second of an inch in
thickness. Keenan, was standing imme-
diately in front of the machine with his
back to it, and must have met the full force
of the explosion. A large sheet of iron
lay on the ground, its rent, comb-like
edges covered with blood.
The unfortunate man had the calf of his
right leg almost denuded of the flesh.
There was another terrible laceration on
the left forearm. The blood gushed from
the leg wound in sickening quantities.
Drs. Draper, Shortlidge, Pierce and
Stewart were quickly summoned and tenn
porary assistance given. The operation of
tying up the arteries and veins was ex-
tremely difficult on account of the ragged
nature of the wounds. The patient suf-
fered extreme loss of blood, He was taken
to his home, No. 1874 Spruce street. at 8
o'clock
Repairs Carpenter Elliott states that
when he got to the room he noticed steam
escaping at the foot of the wrecked ma
chine, Immediately putting his hand
down to the escape valve, which is located
az that spot, to his surprise he discovered
the valve screwed down almost close.
This i seems, was sufficient to cause an
explosion as the excess of steam would
thereby have no direction for escape leav-
ing an explosion as the only alternative
Agent Cirier was questioned by repre-
sentative Oh lie GAZETTE IN regard
to the matter. He stated that he had been
occupied all the morning trying to discover
any other cause to which the accident
might be ascribed. But he has been en-
tirely unsuccessful. The steam chests are
served by steam pipes from the boiler
room 300 feet away There the pressure
is duly regulated, blowing oil, for the
print room service at 90 pounds. Mr..
Gricr had passed through the room OH his
regular morning rounds only TIVE minutes
before the accident, when everything APP
peared in proper order.
Whose duty" asked the reporter. twas
1t TO sec that the drying machine pipe
valves were open2"
wy, poor kecnans, of course, The
whole machine was in his charge. OF
course we all regret what happened
don't place any blame on Keenan, for
cannot say who left the valve closed. But
the carpenter found ii so. And that is all
we know. Keenan, was good man and |
thought highly of him. He has been en-
gagged al the Posey X Jones shops and also
at the Harlan Il Hollingsworth shops.
AT the home of the deceased it was
learned that the unfortunate man had
made no reference TO whose fault it was
All he said was the exclamation ooh its
very bad; very bad"
He dropped into sleep Saturday morn
ing. He become delirinus afterwards and
died at 7.05. His death is ascribed by the
physicians to hemorrhage from the lacera-
tion of the wounds. a widow and three
grown children survive him.