The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-07-02
a TERRIFIC BOILER EXPLOSION
DESTROYS LIFE AND SOME
PROPERTY.
Three KILLED, OTHERS INJURED.
The Exploded Boiler Went Block
Crashing Into the Southern PACING
General Offccs-General Man
nger Van Week Injured.

..If
boiler ut The Age newspaper once eA
ploded with terrific force ana a con
cussion that shook the entire hclShpor
hood and started people III every uir'c
zion toward the scene Of the accident
The age publishing company has bu
recently moved into the clarendon D'llu
ing on Congress avenue, about inc iihu
die of the block, just across the stree
from the courthouse, formerly occupied
Inv the Post. 1t was here, in the very
center of the city, that the explosion oc
urred which has resulted IN three
leaths and the serious wounding OF Mr.
~. G. Van Week. the general manager
Of the Southern Pacific Railway com
pany.
The Age commenced the occupancy OF
thc clarendon buldir" on June ], ana III
moving in put in secondhand boiler
that was formerly used ut the mattress
factory at the Heights. This boiler
though second hand, stood inspection as
IN IFS safety before il was moved into
the building, and has since been used III
running the Age press and stereotype
plant.
This evening about the time that
steam is gotten up, for stereotyplng, the
boiler exploded and the twisted and bat
tered iron that formed it, is now lying III
the second story of the w. ii. Coyle
building block away on FRANKLIN
street, after having gone through the
front wall and plowcd its way through
three of the Offices of the Southern IA
cifc Railway company, killing two OF the
employees and inilicting serious injury
anon General Manager Van Week.
How the explosion occurred not one
will ever know positively, as the engn-
Ger who had charge of it, is mangled
mass, his dismembcrcd body being col
lccted at an undertaking establishment
awaiting instructions from his relatives
ut San Antonio.
The engineer, who also acted as press
man. was Henry Lyons, who came here
from San Antonio to take charge of the
Age plant. He formerly worked for the
EXPRESS and has a sister, Mrs. Lock-
wood, living at San Antonio. His body
was completely cut to pieces, and its
members were scattered about the press
room. The left leg was torn off at the
hip, and the left arm at the elbow, while
the trunk. discmbowlcd. was thrown
under the press from the force of the OK
plosion.
The lower and rear portion of the Age
building was badly wrecked and the
rear end of the KAN building, adjoin-
ing, occupied by the Racket store, was
completely torn out.
\ lot of wrcckagc was across Con
grcss avenue into the courthouse yard,
and windows in adjoining buildings
were shattered, but the main force of
the explosion went TO the rear, the entire
boiler being shot through the air a dis
vance OF some 800 feet
Manager Van Week occupied the
front office He was sitting ut his desk
debating a letter to his stcnographcr,
Miss Matte Loeb, when the deadly mis-
silc came crashing through the front
wall, filling the room with brick and
mortar. How Mr.. Van Week escaped
instant death is Il mystery.
Miss Loeb, the young lady stcnograph-
cr, was carried with the flying debris
titions between eHch were crushed like
paper as the deadly boiler made its way
10 the rear of the building. She was cx-
treated from the ruins more dead than
alive and carried by her office associates
into the postoffice building, adjoining
where she shortly aftcrward expired.
The young lady is Il resident of Houston
and Il cousin of cX-Aldcrman Jules
IIirsch.
Mr.. Van Week was buried under the
debris, and when cXtricated was found
10 be severely cut about the head He
was assisted to carriage and driven
home. While his wounds are serious,
they are not thought to be fatal. As
Mr.. Van Week was being assisted down
stairs, behind him were men with
strctchcr upon which rested the dead
body of Mr.. Ed. Il. Emory, the chief
telegraph operator. He occupied the
third office from the front and his skull
was badly fractured. The boiler, in its
flight, must have struck him upon the
head, killing him instantly.
There were but five people in the
three wrecked offices of the Southern
Pacific, two of whom, Miss Loeb and
Mr.. Emory, We're killed while the other
three, including Mr.. Van Emory, were
injured, his injuries being the most
severe.
The other two occupants of the office
gvere Mr.. Charles Hannewall of the
Direct Navigation company, and Mr..
Thomas Grice, the assistant telegraph
operator. Both of these gentlemen were
buried under the debris and had TO be
assisted out, but outside of few
bruises and scratches. their injuries are
not serious.
The Southern Pacific offices present
scene of absolute wreckage.
The explosion caused n fire among the
debris in the rear of the Age building,
and the fire department was soon on the
scene 10 prevent further devastation by