New-York tribune., 1896-01-31
4 BIG BOILER EXPLODES.
THREE MEN KILLED AND TwENTY-FOUR
INJURED.

DISASTROUS ACCIDENT IN A ROLLING MILL IN
WOUNDED LIKELY TO DIE-cAUsE OF
THE EXPLOSION A MYSTERY.
Hollidaysburg. Penn. Jan. 30-The most dis
astrous accident which has happened In this
neighborhood for years occurred here this morn
ing, when boiler exploded in the large rolling
mills OF the Hodaysburg Iron and Nall Com
pany Three persons were killed. four more
may die. and twenty others less in
jured. The dead are:
EVANS. Cornelius. aged sixteen. skull crushed in and
ribs broken died shortly after he was found
LANE. George aged hftyve. married brcklayer: found
crushed T. death under the debris. ~ 49,,
TREEsE Merrill aged fifteen. top OF skull torn on ana
died in about half An hour
The most seriously injured are:
CRAMER Frank. aged hfty-six married. superintendent
Of MILL skull fractured and four ribs broken; may not
FERGUSON Finley. aged thrtye!sht married puddler;
fractured and injured Internally; viii die .,..,.
AHfs hrsd and NGf 1rs a.d asi leg Sosen
MARKS. Samuel. aged hfty. skull fractured. Jaw bone
MpRRHY Roser aged forty unmarriea pudder: skull
fT9cgrsd and In critical condition nuader skull
fractured and internally injured not expected to re-
When the accident occurred about one hundred
men were AT Work IN the Hills ~ tHh'S -AN's
cylinder boiler exploded without warning, spread
ing 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 ana
dishes ratified on the breakfast tables. AS soon
as the noise Of the explosion was heard the men
made a wild dash for safety. and the majority
escaped with slight injuries. In a short time a
large crowd collected.
The cause OF the explosion Is mystery
Lloyd Cramer. the engineer was standing by MS
engine at the time Of the accident. He says the
bliler had 100 pounds of steam on. He was not
hurt. The boiler had been repaired and tested
about sixty days ago. 1t IL thought there was no
water in it. The boiler placed over pudding
furnaces and heated from their fires.
WoRKMEN BURIED IN THE RUINS.
When It exploded itNblew open and went
through the roof, tearing >out the entire end Of
the mill and was then hurled about two hun
dred feet It crushed through the mill roof.
throwing the beams and iron In all directions.
wrecking that part OF tie plant AS the steam
cscacei with the explosion the furnaces were de-
mollshed and stacks were thrown down - NUM-
her ~ Duddlers were buried in the ruins. Inc
end of the boiler was found 900 yards from the
mill
As soon as the steam and smoke cleared away
the search for the victims beneath the RUNS was
begun Lane the bricklayer. was the first mar
found He was discovered lying under the bricks
and near the unexploded boiler, crushed y death
He had been working NJ furnace lleuT lle oOhSi
az the time OF IN. accident. Cornelius Evans was
found living near the shears with nearly the whole
ton of his head torn off. II is supposed that n,
hsd ponp ~ the shears Just as thr explosion &C
| CURED FOR material foi stocking the furnace anC
| was struck by flying piece Of iron roofing Mer
rlll Trerse was found near the furnace with Ms
skull fractured and burned in horrible manner
samuel Kephard Samuel Marks. Robert Marks
Finley Ferguson and John Woomer were iound
I'm front OF their furnaces covered with debris
where they had been stuck down The other
Injured men were able TO get out of the mill un
aided
Just before the explosion tramp was seer
cooking piece y meat in 'front.' OK one o. ths
furnaces and II IS supposed that ne killed
and buried under IN ruins. as he has not D, II
seen since the accident. The loss to the company
! is about 81 0o0. partly covered by insurance sup
eriu,endcrt Craner standing by the rolls
when the accident occurred and was struck 10y
nving pieces Of iron and brick.