Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-01-20

SHOCKING FATALITY.
An Accident at the Belmont Blast
Furnace Yesterday.
TWO MEN WILL LOSE THEIR LIVES
Their Clothing Burned From Head to
Foot,
AND FLESH BURNED TO A CRISP.
The Furnace Had Not Been
Worked for Several Days, I'm
til Yesterday Morning-In the
Afternoon the Hanging Stock
Fell, and Caused an Explosion
of Gas-Details Of the Accident,
and the Victims.

A shocking accident occurred at the
Belmont blast furnace yesterday which
caused two workmeu TO receive fatal
injuries.
The unfortunate men were william
Parker and an Italian named Paul
Castro. Both were burned from head to
foot. Parker died al half-past eight
last night. Castro was removed to the
City Hospital last evening, but DR..
Riggs. his physician, says he cannot
recover.
For some time past the furnace has
not been working satisfactorily, and has
given more or less trouble at different
times TO the management Some days
ago it was discovered that large quaint
tiles of metal were being lost through
the ground. The supposition was that
the floor of the furnace was cracked
and the metal leaked out. thursday
work was stopped with view to chill
ling the bottom Of the furnace. After
an idleness OF thirty-thres hours, the
furnace was again blown in" yester-
day morning at six o'clock. Some OF
the men were of the opinion that tue
stock-metal, coke and limestone-had
"bridged," and was hanging in the 1ur-
mace, and for that reason there was
some danger TO be apprehended. IL
often happens that after a furnace has
been In operation for some time, nara
substances are formed, which adhere 10
the sides OF the furnace, forming a sort
of projection or "scatfolding," which
holds up the stock above, while the
space between the changer" and the
bottom OF the furnace Is partially mica
with molten metal. 1t was the general
belief among the workmen that the
stock was hanging yesterday, although
there was no means OF determining.
Subsequent events proved the correct
ness OF this superstition.
When the furnace was again placed
in operation, the heat melted the metal
about the projections from the walls,
and the immense pressure from ABOVE,
caused the stock to fall, between three
and four o'clock in the afternoon.
Parker is q laborer, and the Italian
works az one OF the stoves Wnlch neat
the air forced into the furnace by the
engines. When the mass OF meta! Tell
il forced the gas upward, then through
the down cover" whence II would
have been conveyed underneath
the boilers, but for the fact that IL
broke out at new place. AT the DOT
tom of the down cover" is chamber
used as q receptacle for the ashes ana
cinders from the furnace. A heaVy
plate is used for a door, by means OF
which the chamber is cleaned. Inc
gas forced this plate off, and the two
workmen, who were standing near oy,
caught the full force Of the explosion.
TIE fall OF the meta made report
which could be plainly heard several
blocks away. The factory whistle
was blown and the engine prompt
ly stopped as precautionary
measure. The other workmen began TO
look about to ascertain il any damage
had been done. They found the TWO
unfortunate men, with their clothing
then burned from their bodies, leaving
them almost entirely nude, ana with the
flesh burned TO crisp, anu reauy W
fall from their bodies. The gas came
out with such force as to tear most OF
the clothing from the bodies OF the
men, and the flames completed the
work.
Parker was carried to the home OF his
father, MIR. Milton Parker, in Alley b.
in the rear of the Niagara engine house
He was a young man, not yet eighteen
years OF age. He was then unconscious
There was scarcely spot upon MS
body from head to foot which was not
charred flesh, which appeared ready to
drop when the wounds were dressed
Or. Taylor and Dr. Rowe were sum
moned and responded promptly. Ihey
did ali that was possible to relieve the
suffering man, who had regained con-