Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-01-31
CRUSHED TO DEATH.
Terrible Result Of the Explosion Of a
Boiler in Pennsylvania.
THREE KILLED OUTRIGHT.
Four More May Die, and Twenty
Others Arc More or Less Seriously
Injured-Wreck of BuiIding-Othcr
Damage.
Dan mage.

HOLLIDAYSBURG, PA, January SO.-
The most disastrous affair that has hap
pened in this section for years occurred
here this morning, when a boiler explod-
ed in the large rolling-mills of the Hol-
lidaysburg Iron and Nail Company. Three
persons were Killed, four more may die
and twenty others are more or less seri-
ously injured The dead are
GEORGE LANE, aged 55; married;
bricklayer; found crushed to death under
the debris.
MERRILL TREEZE. aged Is; top OF
skull torn off; died in about half an hour.
CORNELIUS EVANS, aged is; skull
crushed in and ribs broken; died shortly
after he was found.
The most seriously injured are:
Samuel Keephard, aged IS; married;
skull fractured, and injured internally;
will die.
Frank Cramer. aged So; married; super
irftendent of the mills; skull fractured.
and four ribs broken; may not recover.
Samuel Marks, aged 50; skull fractured,
jawbone broken. and badly burned; in a
critical condition.
Robert Marks. aged 25; puddler; cut
about head. wrists, and legs.
Findlay Ferguson, aged 80; married;
puddler; cut, burned, and scalded; In
dangerous condition.
John Woomer aged 10; married, pud-
der; skull fractured. and internally IN
iured: not expected to recover.
Robert Murray, aged 40; unmarried,
puddler. skull fractured, and i'm a criti-
cal condition.
The others were not critically hurt.
THE ACCIDENT.
When the accident occurred, this morn
ing at 7:lj o'clock. about hundred men
were at work at the mills. \ 30-foot
cylinder-boiler exploded without any
warning spreading death and ruin In IT'S
course. The report OF the explosion
was heard all over the town, and several
blocks away houses were shaken and
dishes were ratified on the breakfast
tables As soon as the noise OF the eN-
plOslon was heard, the men made wild
dash Tor safety. and the majority
escaped with but slight injuries.
In a short time a large crowd had col
lected.
The cause of the explosion is a mys-
terry. Engineer Lloyd Cramer was stand
ing by his engine at the time Of the
accident. He says the boiler had 100
pounds of steam on. lie was not hurt.
The boilers had been repaired and tested
about sixty days ago. 1t Is thought
there was no water in the boiler. The
boilers were placed over pudding fur
naces and heated from their fires.
The boiler that exploded blew open
and went through the roof, tearing
out the entire end of the mill. and was
nUl III. 4
through the mill roof throwing the
beams and iron in all directions. and
completely wrecking that part Of the
plant As the steam escaped with the
explosion the furnaces were demolished
and the stacks were thrown down. A
number of puddlers were buried in the
ruins.
The end Of the boiler was found 800
yards from the mill.
SEARCH FOR VICTIMS.
As soon as the steam and smoke clear
ed away the search for victims be-
meath the ruins was begun.
Lane, the bricklayer, was the first
man found. He was discovered lying
under the bricks and near the unex-
ploded boiler, crushed to death. lie had
been working at a furnace near the
boiler at the time of the accident
the shears. with nearly the whole top
OF mis- head torn off. II IS supposed he
had gone TO the shears just as the
explosion occurred for material for stock
ing the furnace. and was struck by
flying piece Of iron roofing
freeze was found near the furnace.
burned in a horrible manner. Samuel
Keephart. Samuel Marks. Findlay Fer
guson, and John Woomer were found
in front of their furnaces covered with
debris, where they had been struck
down. The other injured ones were able /
to get out OF the mill unaided.
Just before the explosion a tramp was
seen cooking a piece OF meat in front Of
one OF the furnaces, and IL is supposed /
that he was killed and burned under /
the ruins. as he has not been seen since /
the accident.
The loss TO the company is about 5000, /
partly covered by insurance.
Superintendent Cramer was standing /
by the boiler when the accident oc- /
CURED, and ne was struck by flying /
pieces Of iron and brick.