Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-02-03
Terrible and Fatal Explosion.

4
9 We are indebted to Mr.. W. W. Peters
, of Mt. Clifton, Va, for the following
particulars of the distressing and terrlbl
r explosion at the steam saw and grist mil
of Mr.. S. II. Lonas at Belgrade, TIN
county, on the road leading from ut
, Jackson to Orkney Springs:
} On Saturday morning last, January 2s
about IL o'clock, the boiler exploded will
tremendous force completely wreckin:
the mill and killing three of Mr.. Lonas
children. Progrns, a son aged about 1!
years, who was firing and rnnning the en-
CINE, was Instantly killed, his body being
torn in two at the hips and disemboweled
The trunk or upper part Of the body fell
close by but the legs were thrown about
forty yards away. Peter, another son,
aged IA years, was caught up by flying
piece of boiler aud carried a distance of
forty yards and lodged upon pile Of ties,
the piece of boiler striking tie with such
force as to SILVER it to fragments. The
unfortunate boy was alive when found
but died 10 about three quarters of an
hour. He tried to say something but
could not be understood. His legs were
broken and his head badly injured.
The saddest feature IN this heart break
ing affair was the killing of little Rosa,
Mr.. Lonas' little daughter aged years -
Her mother had given her penny to 60
to the store, which is near by, and pur.
chase led pencil She returned by the
mill to get her papa to sharpen it for her
lie told her to sit on log close by, and
the poor little thing had hardly taken her
seat when a sharp piece of the smoke
stack struck her cutting off tho back of
her head, throwing her over a bank and
scattering her brains on the ground. Her
little bonnet was carried about thirty
yards from her. When the neghbors
gathered they found the distressed moth
er sitting by the lfeless form of her sweet
little child.
Thus IN a moment had this terrible en-
CINE of death deprived these parents of
three of their children. Three children
are left them, one Of whom, little Bruce,
with bis father was at work on the saw
mill. They did not seem to be hurt, only
completely stunned.
The dead children were buried in one
grave on Monday in Mt. Hermon ceme-
terry, and no pen can picture the sad scene,
Over thousand sorrowinS people were
present.
The mill, which was frame structure
about "a feet square, is a complete wreck,
not one piece remains standing, bnt every
thing was scattered over the earth for
more than a hundred yards around. The
boiler was rent into pieces from the slzo
of your hand to or four feet square. A
large piece was thrown at least one hum
dred yards. There is not thing at the
mill that is rot twisted, broken or SILVER
ed In some way, and how Mr. Lonas and
little Bruce escaped being torn to pieces
seems like miracle.
A Mr. Whetzel, who was loading saw
dust close by, had bis leg broker. His
team ran away and it is supposed the
wagon ran over him. as no fragments
seemed to fly north, the direction his team
stood from the mill.
This is a sad and crushing blow TO Mr..
Lonas, who is hard working and sner-
getic man. But the sympathies of all are
with him. At least one thousand persons
visited that cad scene on Sunday.