The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-07-20
STEAM FORCES A VENT.
Explosion at steam Heat Plant Coun-
teracts Its Own Bad Effects.

teracts Its Own Bad Effects.
The men employed in the Steam Heat
and Power companys plant on Post
street only escaped being terribly scald-
ed yesterday afternoon because the steam
from the big boilers in blowing off
and gate valve caused such conclusion
as TO also blow OF an elbow. thus open
ing for itself two ways of escape The
explosion occurred about o'clock and
was quickly followed by a fire alarm
from box ~. which attracted almost every
person within hearing OF the kissing
steam. II is believed that if the elbow
had not given way from conclusion En-
gineer Il. II. Lee and Assistant Engineer
William Frazier would have been much
more seriously Injured than being knock
cd down and bruised on the head.
Since the Seattle Consolidated Street
Railway power house fire. Receiver
Grambs of the Third Street & Suburban
Railway Company has been putting in a
power house just north of the Seattle
Steam Heat and Power Company's plant.
the idea being TO get steam power to run
the engine from the steam company. The
railway company's engine ls Of 260-horse
power and stood IN the southeast corner
OF the new power house. II was attach
cd 10 the boiler In the steam company'~
plant by pipe about six inches in diam
eter. This pipe had an elbow over the
boiler. about seven feet above the en-
glne was a 10-inch cast iron st. and a
gate valve which weighed about 30
pounds.
Yesterday all the electric dynamos were
gotten in and were being put In position
for work by three men, but were not
connected with the engine. Engineer
Lee and Assistant Engineer Frazier had
come through the doorway that separ-
ates the new power house from the other
,wws ~ III
railway company's engine, the big IT,
and valve gate
Suddenly there was a loud but rnufl1ed
report. and before either Lee or Frazier
knew what had happened they were fat
on the ground and the room was filed
with steam. BY the conclusion from the
first explosion the elbow Of the main
steam pipe over the big steam boiler was
blown off. allowing the steam to escape
from that point. The whole building vas
filled and from the windows came big
clouts % mist
People from all directions came running
TO the scene. thinking the boiler had
hown NJ. and in the midst OF the general
excitement some one broke an auxiliary
to box - and sent in an alarm. The rush
Of the fire apparatus that followed
brought more people 10 tho locality and
for a few minutes the scene when the
Schwahacher fire was in progress was re-
called. The entrances 10 the steam heat
and power house were guarded by Dc
tectIve Thilhrick. Officer A. C. Wickman
and Officer NJ. r. Powers. and for A short
time they had trouble in keeping tire
crowd back hut after Il became generally
known thar no one was killed there was
a general dispersal
Within the building workmen were get
ting things in order as fast rs possible 20
put on the caps and proceed with bt,si-
aa Esrsf~f y a ~x=s., q
self ~ after the shock and FASTENED 20
attend 20 tho engines. was walking
around wt,h a tiny stream ~ blood trick
llng over his forehead Assistant Fngf-
neer William Frazier had also gathered
himself together and a eat at the back
% his Mead where he struck the 1oor was
being dressed. out IN the railway power
house the only signs OF general over
turning were the beads Of condensed
steam on The dynamos and the big gate
valve ana broken T"
The last mentioned casting was broken
open in an irregular line from one SIDE
"a the other bat careful examination
revealed only one or Two little s7,ots
whore defects could - seen Fully eight
feet from Us former position lay he en-
pound gate valve mat ha3 been hurled
through The air rs fhe EXPLOSION. on fhe
corrugated iron wall az the south e the
building. about TWO feet from the iosnt
IN the b. ne t0t&+s 90 Sf.fst EHE ttA1t2 made
ny Some part Of the fying IT"
All the elevators connected with tha
main plant were shut down for short
time
soon after The explosion took place !
r NsnnoucaU. treasurer ~ the Sea:.is
cam and Power Company. and Harry
4 snyder. se~r,tary. were AZ The build
ing srd mazda an Investigation Mr. Mae
nrlE8u SAID tNat the DAMAGE would not
amount 20 more than fex dollars ana
would delay the company only a short
time Receiver Granhs said tha: there
wts 20 damage - re 9vnamos witch
ara ne same that went through he Cen
Soll4ated Street Raist a. poNgr house
fire
IL mas the general opinion % those n
.he oa.IdaS that Y tbs elbov az the en-
re hsd net given way efter the ex.-1
son. the engineer s1i assistant engineer
Mould taNe been sralae1 severely. per
aaps fatally.