The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-06-01
THE STEFAN CHEST BURST
And Roger Hilton Of Westbrook Was
Instantly Killed.

featuring Co.'s Mills-Tbree Other
Employees Have Remarkable Escapes
Albert Atcl,inson Blown Through a
Wooden Door.
A terrible affair took place at the
Observation-Disclosures Co. IS mills yes
terday morning which resulted in the
death of one man, Roger Hilton, and the
miraculous escape of three others. Con-
nected with the dye house there is a
large steam chest used in drying the
yarn to set the colors. One end of the
chest is heavy casting of iron with
large ribs to give it strength. This cast
ing is some three or four feet across and
can be removed from the chest to allow
the admission of a carriage. bearing a
quantity of yarn. The end, or door, is
then fastened on securely and steam is
admitted. A pressure of Is pounds to
the square inch is allowed and the safety
valve is set to blow off at that figure.
Yesterday morning it was thought de-
sirable to increase the pressure on the
boiler slightly, and after the steam was
on, Roger Hilton, the boss of this de-
partment, Robert Bryson, the boss dyer,
Walter T. Knight, master mechanic, and
Swedish boy named Albert Atchinson,
were engaged upon this work. All at
once, about 10 minutes past o'clock,
the iron casting, or end, was blown COM
completely off and shattered into a half
dozen pieces. One Of the pieces, and
perhaps more struck Hilton, who was in
front, MASKING his face out of all human
shape, and throwing him against the side
of the building. He must have been in
stantly killed. Mr.. Knight, who was a
little to one side of the boiler, was
thrown upon his back and landed
some distance away. When he came to
he managed to crawl to the door and the
fresh air revived him. His bruises
were slight. Mr.. Bryson was thrown
the entire length of the building and his
eyes filled with flying steam and dirt.
He found himself close to the valve gov
erning the entrance of steam to the
room and had the presence of mind to
put up his hand and close it.
The most remarkable escape of all per-
haps, was that of the Swedish boy named
Albert Atkinson. He was standing at
the time of the explosion at the end of
the carriage that was used to roll the
yarn into the boiler, and was therefore
directly in front of the door, though
eight or ten feet away. He said that
he was aware that there was a big noise,
and he remembers thinking that the
boiler had exploded. The next thing
that he knew he found himself lying on
the ground outside the building. He
had been blown entirely through wood
en- partition that had been erected to
close an unused doorway. His damages
other than stunning were few scratch
es on the arm, and his eyes like all the
others were filed with dirt and steam.
Every window in the room was
shattered, sash and glass, and wooden
partition that separated the room from
the dye house was blown down. The
printing room above was considerably
damaged. The floor was torn up, and
the plastering knocked down.
Coroner Gould went out and deemed
an inquest unnecessary.
The cause of the explosion can only be
surmised. The casting which broke
was nearly new, having been made not
many days ago by the Portland Compa-
ny. The steam had not reached the lin
it of Is pounds to the square inch; hence
it is probable that there was some flaw
in the casting which did not show on the
surface.
Mr.. Hilton was about IS years of age
an honorable and respected citizen, a
well-known member of Saccarappa
Lodge, I.O.O.F., and an active worker
and deacon in the Baptist church. His
funeral will take place from the Baptist
church on Thursday afternoon at 2
o'clock. He leaves a wife, but no chill
dren.
Noyes-Michael.