The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1895-08-10
BLOWN INTO ETERNITY.
A Boiler ExpIodes and Causes
Terrible Havoc.
Curtis Ammons' Body Dismembered-
And Four Other Men Badly Hurt-A
LamentabIe Occurrence.

Curtis Ammons' Body Dismembered--
And Four Other Men Badly Hurt-A
Lamentable Occurrence.
One of the most horrible and most
deplorsble accidents that has ever
occurred in this vicinity happened
at about 7 o'clock Monday evening;
at the home of John Blair, one mile
below Browns mill on Dunkard
creek, Greene county, Pa, and 10
miles west of Morgantown. On Mon
day Mr. Blair who owns a steam
threshing machine had it put in or
der preparatory to starting out
through Greene county, Pa, and
Monongalia county, w. Va, to thresh
wheat for the farmers. After clean
ing up the engine and machine, steam
was raised and few dozen sheaves
Of wheat secured to run through it
to see if everything was in good con
dition. Several men were engaged
in the work and soon after the en-
CINE was started, without moments
warning and as quick as the light
ning's flash the boiler let go with
deafening roar, and rush of seald-
ing water and Kissing steam envelop-
ed the men while flying sections of
the iron boiler mangled their poor
bodies.
Four men in the prime of life and
the embodiment of physical man
hood were one moment engaged in
their work, the next in the flash of an
eye they lay upon the ground man
gled, scalded and with the life blood
streaming from their wounds while
the body of the fifth was scattered
to the four winds of Heaven. The
loud report caused by the explosion
brought number of people who we're
near by to the spot when it was
found that one man was dead and
three badly and one slightly injured.
Curtis Ammons, aged about %
and brother of Zimri Ammons, was
struck by flying section of the boil
er, his body was cut completely in
two just above the waist, and both
legs were cut of above the ankle.
John Blair was dangerously and it is
thought may be fatally injured, he
was picked up several feet away from
where he stood when the explosion
occurred, every shred of clothing, ex-
cepting his shirt, was torn from his
body and he is badly sealded about
the face. Ross Blair, son of John,
was badly scalded about the face and
will probably lose one eye. John
Spitsnaggle, aged about 20, was fear
fully scalded and one hand is so bad
ly lacerated that it will, so the Doc.
tors thought yesterday, have to be
amputated. Doc Blair, son of John,
was badly shaken up but not greatly
injured. His escape from serious in.
jury seems miraculous as he was
standing so near to Ammons that his
clothes, face and hands were covered
with the blood of poor Ammons
which splashed in all directions when
the cruel iron passed through his
body.
CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT.
The cause of the accident is not
known, but the superstition is that
the steam guage became corroded
with alkali and failed to correctly
record the number of pounds OF
steam. and without the slightest idea
that they had raised as much steam
as the boiler would stand the men
kept firing up until the pressure was
so great that the boiler burst. The
section of the boiler which goes
around the fues was blown of, it
passed through Ammous' body,
through the side of the barn 40 feet
away and landed in the hay NOW.
Five doctors were at the scene OF
the accident shortly after it occur
red. They. were, Drs. Jacob and G.
W. Hatfield, of Mt. Morris, DIR. Nor
ris, who lives in the immediate vi
entity. DIR. Hall and another doctor
whose name could not be learned, OF
Blacksville John Blair is a well to
do farmer and lives just across the
State line. He has served two terms
in the Legislature of Pennsylvania
being elected from Greene county.