The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1895-08-28
EIGHT WERE KILLED.
Explosion of Gas In Furnace OF the
Edgar Thom|On Steel Works Causes q
Frigh full Loss OF Life.

Explosion of Gas in Furnace OF the
Edgar Thomson Steel Works Causes q
Frigh full Loss of Life.
PITTsBUgG, Aug. 21.-Furnace az"
of the Edgar Thomson steel works
(Carnegie's plant at Braddocl, Pa, ex-
ploded between and o'clock Tuesday
morning, killing eight men and badly
burning six others.-not one of those
employed about the furnace escaping.
Some of the injured have been brought
to this city for treatment and the dead
are in the hands of an undertaken.
The following names are those of the
killed and injured:
Klled-Joseph Luckai aged 40 years, leaves
widow ald four children.
Stephen Huyrila, aged %, married. top Of
head cut Of.
Michael K5peros
John Propokovitch, aged q. married
James Grucha
Andrew Drobne.
Joseph Cot, aged 81, unmarried.
John M!ka.
Gnjurcd-John Warha, will die; John SFou-
da will die Michael Jura, will die John Wa
gosky, slightly injured John Zboray slightly
injured; James Harrison, will probably die.
All Of the killed and injured were
Hungarians except James Harrison,
the foreman. The explosion was due
to a hang" in the furnace, which sud
denly was loosened and dropped into
the molten metal below, generating an
immense quantity of gas so suddenly
that it could not escape by the ordi-
nary means and the explosion followed.
The terrible less of life was due to IL
peculiar cause A few minutes before
the explosion occurred one of the top
filters dumped barrel of material into
the bell of the furnace, which he had
forgotten to raise. This clogged the
top of the furnace and prevented the
gas escaping. A gang of sixteen men
in charge of James Harrison were sent
at once to the top of the furnace to re-
move the obstruction. All were close
ly crowded around the bell of the fur
mace removing the material which had
been dumped on it, when there was a
terrific explosion, and men, barrows,
tools and material were hurled in all
directions. Flames, deadly gases and
smoke belched from the furnace top
and the gang of men fell as If shot,
Only one man was killed instantly.
He was blown from the furnace top,
along the metal roadway to the ele-
vator shaft, down which he fell, and,
striking on car, was cut in two, one
half of his body falling on one side OF
the car and the other half on the other
side. The explosion was heard all over
Braddock and crowds at once rushed
to the scene, but none expected to wit
ness such horrors. A relief crew was
quickly organized and went to the TOP
of the furnace, where lay fourteen men
bleeding. torn. burned and dying The
flames and smoke were still coming
from the furnace and the work of res
cue was dangerous in the extreme, but
covering their hands, faces and heads
with cloths the rescuers went bravely
to work. The injured men were al
leaning over the mouth of the furnace
when the explosion occurred. Three
men died before they reached the bot
tom of the elevator shaft and the 9th
ers died soon afterward.
The contents of the furnace were
blown out and scattered for hundred:
of yards around the furnace, falling in
all parts of the yard, cutting and burn
ing about ten men who were working
below. but none were seriously injured
The fiery shower fell on the carpenter
shop Of the company, about 100 yards
from the furnace, and it was soon il
flames. and was destroyed, with its con
tents. The furnace was badly damaged
and may have to be rebuilt If this
should lie the case the total damage
will be $4,000.