Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-03-10
A Death-DeaIing Boiler Explo-
Sion Near Longview.
FOUR HURLED INTO ETERNITY
And -Four Others Probably Fatally Injured.
NeighbOring Houses
Demolished and the MIL Pond Blown Dry.
81 win Make the Mill Work or III
Blow 1t to HE'LL" Said the Fire
mantle Kept His Word
Special to the Gazette.

Special 10 the Gazette.
LoNsvIEw, GREGG COUNTY, TEX, March
9.-The most terrible boiler explosion ever
known in this county occurred this morn
ing at $50, at H. C. Terrell's mill, fifteen
miles southwest of this place, instantly
killing four men and badly injuring four
others. The explosion was the heaviest
known to mill men, tons of heavy iron
being blown a quarter of mile high and
several miles away.
The conclusion was deafening for four or
five miles away, and was heard quite dis
tinctly at this place, and the noise Of fall
ing debris was heard two to four miles
some seconds after the first explosion. The
mill pond. which was near by, was blown
dry, and all houses near demolished
Timbers weighing 400 pounds were hurled
over the tall pines many hundred feet,
while the f1ues were lodged in high trees
which were full of debris.
John Brasher, superintendent of the
mill, was on his way to this place to make
some repairs, while his men foolishly fired
up the mill while the steam guage was
broken, consequently the fireman could not
tell how much steam was in the boiler
Lee Berry, temporary fireman, was in
stantly killed, all his clothes being burned
off, and he was fearfully mangled. His
wife had recently died, leaving two chill
dren.
]. M. Burcham, saw iler, was also fear
fully mangled, and leaves wife and four
children.
James Flower, single cutter, was killed.
He was single man, and came here lately
from Wisconsin.
Abe Mitchell, colored, night Waterman,
cut about the head, perhaps fatal, has wife
and several children.
FRANCIS Fambrough, badly bruised and
cut about the head, not necessarily fatal.
Ed Curry, colored, hurt seriously on the
shoulder.
Bert Burcham, the fifteen-year-old son of
]. M. Burcham. slightly wounded by fall
ing timbers.
Those slightly hurt are Joe Cleburne,
Bob Finley and Henry Russell. the latter
nephew of H. c. Terrell
Squire Jones Dillingham;, one of our
county commissioners. man eighty years
of age, but very vigorous, father-in-law of
Superintendent Brasher, was standing
near by and was struck and knocked down
with pice of the boiler about eight feet
square, of several hundred pounds weight.
This iron was rolled off his insensible body,
his brains ozzing out of his head He is
still alive, but will die. He is the Oldest in
habitant in this county, having fought In
dams and served in the three last wars.
The statement made by the fireman,
Berry, thirty minutes before the explosion,
was that he was ''going to make the mill
work or blow it to hell'
1t seems water had been low, and two of
these men were engaged in trying to make
the water run into the boiler Their sue
cess in this was the cause of the explosion.
General carelessness in the men is charged.
ACCOUNT FROM GLADEwATER.
Special to the Gazette.
GLADEwATER, GREGG COUNTY, TEX,
March 3.-Ferrell's saw mill, six miles
south of this place, was the scene of ter
rible accident at o'clock this morning. A
defective boiler exploded, instantly killing
four men, named Flores, Burcham, Le-
berry and chatham, and fatally injuring
Esquire Dillingham; and severely injuriug
several others.
Nearly all the killed and injured had
families, and the blow will fall heavily on
the community.