Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-11-09
-FOUR MIN BLOWN TO DEATH
Another Missing and Thirteen
Badly Injured.
TERRIFIC EXPLOSION OF A BOILER
Said to be Due to Over-press-
ure of Steam.
The Boiler House Destroyed, and a rene-
ment Across the Street Demolished by
"a Section of the Exploded Boiler-- Many
Buildings Shaken by the Shock.

NEW YORK, Nov. "A boiler in the
stables of the Dry Dock, East Broad
way and Battery Surface Railroad Com
pany at Fourteenth street and avenue
B exploded at o'clock to-day, and tore
out the building, causing death and de-
struction. The section of the building
in which tho boiler was located col
lapsed. The boiler flew across the street
and struck the double tenement, No. 534
East Fourteenth street, just below the
first story. The side OF the building
was crushed in. Four men were in
stantly killed and nearly score were
injured.
The dead: Joseph Quinn, Samuel Nc
Mullen, Thomas Hassen, John Gillespie.
The missing: James Armstrong, the
engineer; believed to be under the ruins;
residence not known.
The injured: Charles Breslin, frac-
tured skull; Patrick Sheehan, fractured
skull; James Harlan, bruised; Mike
Brennan, fracture of arm; Michael
Mcdonald, fractured arm; George L.
MARITIME, shock; Thomas Parnell, COM
pound fracture OF jaw; William Egan,
skull fractured; John Peters, leg broken;
Annie Gallagher, badly bruised; Myrtle
Gallagher, bruised by flying debris,
William Royal, skull fractured; John
Buhle, badly bruised
WHERE THE EXPLOSION OCCURRED.
The building in which the explosion
occurred runs along the north side of
East Fourteenth street, between
Avenues A and B. At the Avenue B
corner it is four stories high, and about
100 feet further up breaks off and be-
comes a three-story structure. The
engine and boiler were situated Just
where the three-story section begins.
The explosion came with the quickness
of thought. But few people were pass
ing along Fourteenth street at the time
One horse car with a solitary passenger,
stood in front Of the building.
PART OF A BUILDING TORN AWAY.
No. 534 Is double tenement. On the
ground floor, east side, John Ruhl has a
liquor store, and on the west side of the
hallway John Peters has little grocery.
The end of the boiler struck the upper
corner Of the liquor store. Ruhl's bar
was demolished. The lower section of
the building was carried away, and with
it fell the whole front of the second
story. Ruhls family live there, but,
fortunately, not one Of its members was
in the house at the time. Ruhl was
standing at the rear of his bar, away
from tho window, when the crash came.
A piece of timber struck him in the
back and Rocked him down. He was not
seriously injured.
DAMAGE AT OTHER PLACES.
Grocer Peters was also in his store at
the time, when mass of brick struck
him on the left leg, carrying away some
of the flesh. At No. 536 there is O
Chinese laundry. The windows here
were crushed in, and the interior was
demolished. Next door William Dart
has barber shop. Dart was shaving q
customer at the time, and was knocked
down, The customer was thrown from
the chair, and ran through the street
almost smothered in dust and leather
Two car horses stood in front of the
building, and were killed. The side Of
the car which remained in the street was
demolished. The lone passenger in i
escaped uninjured.
ovER-PREssURE CAUSED THE ExPLo
SION.
The scene of the explosion was visited
tonight by great crowds. Sergeant Wash
ington Mullin of the boilor inspection
bureau, says the explosion was caused
by an over-pressure.
THE ENeINEER's BODY FOUND.
New YORK, Nov. 3.-The body o
Engineer John Armstrong, who hac
charge of the boiler which exploded
, yesterday in the dry dock, East Broad
way and Battery railroad stables, wa
recovered early this morning. The bod,
was found pinned under several beams
which had to be cut away before !
= could be removed.