The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1894-02-07
Bodies Torn Into Shreds and Heads
and Limbs Separated From
the Trunks.
The Awful Disaster Occurred Last
Tuesday Morning, January
30th.
DRY BOILER, COLD WATER


one mile from Hickman, one of
the most horrible accidents that has ever
been known in the history of the county
occurred. The boiler OF portable saw
mill belonging to Mr. Taylor Paris ex-
ploded, killing five men instantly and
fatally injuring another so that he died
few hours afterward.
Those killed were:
TAYLOR PARIS, owner OF the mill.
JOHN MERCER.
Bon Long.
Ed HOLDER.
BILL MARBLE.
JIM MERCER, fatally injdred and died
in few hours.
A fire had been built in the fire box of
the engine and very small amount of
water was in the boiler. Taylor Paris,
John Mercer, Bob Long, Bill Narble and
Ed Holder were standing near the engine
getting warm. The engineer, Robert
Reeves, did not like the way his engine
was running, and as Taylor Paris pre-
pared to turn lot OF cold water into the
red hot boiler, warned him of the dan
ger. Seeing that Paris was going to
turn the water in he ran behind a large
tree not far distant, and escaped unhurt.
Taylor Paris suffered the penalty of his
rashness, and was blown into atoms,
along with the other men standing near.
The effects OF the explosion were ter
rible, the ground being plowed up by the
fragments, pieces of iron being hurled
with awful velocity in all directions, and
the men being torn into pieces and scat
tered over an area of several acres in ex-
tent. Pieces OF flesh were scattered in
all directions. Arms and legs, and heads
were left dangling from the branches OF
the trees or scattered along the surface
OF the earth. The body OF one of the
unfortunate men was dashed against a
tree about forty feet distant from the en-
CINE, and such was the force with which
it was travelling that it parted nearly at
middle, one piece going on one side OF
the tree and the second on the other.
Where the body struck the tree was
about 20 feet from the ground.
Two of the unfortunate men had their
heads blown off, and the body OF one OF
these was blown against a tree, where it
stopped, but an arm was torn off and
carried about thirty feet.
The fragments Of arms, legs and bod
les were gathered together as completely
as possible, it being necessary to cut
down seven large trees in the attempt.
The details OF the accident are so hor.
rlble and bloody and sickening that they
can hardly be imagined. To get an idea
of it, it is necessary to have been there.
Jim Mercer, a son of John Mercer, was
hurt in the small of the back, so that he
was unable to walk He was picked
up and carried into the house, where he
was examined by DIR. w. E. Holmes.
On the first examination only bruise
on the back was found and the doctor
was unable to tell whether he was hurt
internally or not That such was the
case, however is evidenced by the fact
that he died within few hours
Some distance away Dock Salee was
rolling log. A piece of the flying iron
struck him on the leg, tearing Its way
through the flesh. There is little dan
ger of his dying, though amputation
may be necessary.
The noise and shock of the explosion
were heard and felt for miles around
residents in the southern portion OF the
city having had their attention attract
ed by the rafting of windows on that
side of the hou and the jostling Of
dishes on the table.
In short while large crowd had
gathered at the scene OF the disaster, and
during the day about 1900 visited the
place.
John Mercer was well known in THU
city as a hard-working, upright man
and his death will be regretted by many
He was in Greensboro the day before ant
paid $500 on his farm, which was part o.
the Hickman estate.
Ed Holder was son OF Jim Holder
who has been in the sawmill and lumber
business for years. Taylor Paris wal
originally from CIR ,yson county and had
not lived in the neighborhood long. The
other men were residents OF the neigbor
hood, all being single men. Wagons wer'
sent to this city Tor collins for the unfort
innate victims OF the explosion.
The mill had been in operation on Mer
GERS place but fe ~ months. The boil
err, however, had been in use for mum
Der OF years. II was horizontal tub
ular boiler OF about 10 horse power an'
set on wheels. II was blown literal.
into fragments, though the force of tn
explosion seemed 10 have been princl
pally forward. All appurtenances Of tn