The Washington bee., 1895-08-24

Pittsburg, Aug. 2O.-An explosion at
furnace H. of the Carnegie Steel Com
pany at Braddock, at o'clock this
morning, killed nine men, injured six
teen more and destroyed $4,000 worth
of property. Five Of the injured will
die. All Of the killed and injured were
Hungarians except James Harrison.
the foreman. Their names have not
been obtained. The explosion was due
to a hang" in the furnace, which sud-
denly loosened and dropped into the
molten metal below, generating an inn
mense quantity Of gas so suddenly that
1t could not escape by the ordinary
means, and the explosion followed.
A few minutes before the explosion
occurred one Of the top filters dumped
a barrel Of coal into the furnace which
he had forgotten. This clogged the top
Of the furnace and prevented the gas
escaping. Seventeen men in charge Of
James Harrison were sent to the top Of
the furnace to remove the obstruction.
ALI were closely crowded around the
bell of the furnace, removing the mater
ial which had been dumped on it, when
there was a terrific explosion and men,
3,
in all directions.
Only one man was killed instantly.
He was blown from the furnace top,
along the metal roadway to the eleva-
tor shaft, down which he fell, and strik-
ing on a 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. A relief committee was
i1Iy SN fnr,
of the furnace, where lay fifteen men,
bleeding, torn, burned and dying. The
flames and smoke were still coming
from the furnace and the work Of res
cue was very dangerous.
Three men died before they reached
the bottom Of the elevator shaft and the
other six died between and o'clock
In the afternoon. AS fast as the injured
men were taken out they were removed
to an improviSed hospital in the COM
pany's office and the company's physi-
clans from McKeesport were summon
ed. Five of the men were so badly
burned and terribly injured that the
remove them to a hospital, as death
seemed only few moments off and
nothing could relieve their sufferings.
The contents of the furnace were
blown out and scattered for hundreds
of yards around the furnace, falling in
ali pdElS VI the ydIu, Cutting anu DuII-
ing about ten men who were working
below, but none were seriously injured.
The fierce shower fell on the carpen-
ter shop Of the company about 100
yards from the furnace, and 1t was soon
in flames and was destroyed with it's
contents The bell of the furnace was
shattered and scattered. The roof of the
cast house was crushed in and ruined.
The homes of the killed and injured
men were near the furnace and the
streets in that vicinity were filled with
a mass Of weeping and half-craZed
women and children.
The names Of the killed are: Steve
Havrela, cut in twain. 90 years Of age,
leaves wife and two children; Joseph
Tukay, SO years Of age. burned, leaves
wife and four children: Joseph Copp,
burned. 81 years. single; John Meka.
burned, % years Of age, single; John
Pookopovec, burned, 25 years, single;
John Grucha, burned. 30 years, single.
All were Poles and Hungarians except
Crucha, who was a German Nine of
the injured were brought to the Mercy
Hospital in this city. They are reported
to be resting easily. Five may die.
Fifteen other men sustained slight
burns and cuts by being hit by flying
brick, but they were able to go to their
homes, and their names could not be
learned.