The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-10-18
| BOILER
BXPLODEl IS,
Four W. & N. Trainlnan
Instantly Killed.
ENGINE TOTALLY WRECKED.
Origin Of the Explosion
May Never be Known
as All the Men .
Are Dead.

| D~SS~e
| Engins No. 10 Of the Wilmington an,
Northern Railroad Company blew up a
Kenney's siding near Joanna. Berks Co.
Pa. yesterday afternoon at 81 O'Clock, In
stsntly killing four men. They are:
William Herflioker. engineer, aged 3,
years who Is survived by widow and on,
son.
George Mills, fireman, aged IS years wht
10 survived by o widow and two children
Harry Suydam. conductor, aged 85 year,
leaves widow and one son.
Willis Woodward, brakeman, aged 81
years, unmarried.
All Of tho victims lived at Blrdsboro
and had been iu the employ Of the oompa.
ny for a number Of years. The views Of
the disaster, which was the most horrible
one In the history Of tie company, created
much excitement In tho town because Of
the fact that all tho victims were 20 we'll
known In that community and along the
road
Tho explosion Of tho boiler was heard
nearly q milo away aud the people fOcked
to the scene by the score. When they ar
rived they were horrifsd to fiud that oil
Of the men on tie ill-fatel locomotive had
peon crushed tn death and their manglsd
bodies hurled soms distance from the
scene The engine was soft coal burner
aud was built at Baldwin Locomotive
works, Philadelphia. about seven years
ago. She was tho largest and heaviest Of
ner CLASS and was employed exclusively on
she grade In hauling cars up the side Of the
mountain.
what caused the accidents q mystery
at present, and rs all OF those on tho loco
motive ~ the time are dead, it Is probable
that the mater may never b. known. The
roaaoed was somewh8. damaged a1d the
telegraph lines demolished BY the flying
machinery. Tho bodies Of the dead rail-
ROAD mon were taken to Birdsboro later
III the day and placed In the hands of an
undertaken. The news of tho explosion
Was telegraphed to headquarters ct Will
mington as SOON as the telegraph lines
were restored and the officials of the coin.
pany proceeded on special train to joan
nu as rapidly Is possible,
=. The accident happened a short distance
south Of Joanna, The engine tank had
just been filled with water u few minutes
before, and the cars were being taken to
Springfield Station, which is about three
miles from Joanna. While running along
OF about eighteen miles an hour. tho big
boiler suddenly collapsed and with loud
crash. and the four mon. who were in the
cab, were hurled high in the air. The boil
CT WAS literally torn into fragments and
portions were hurled hundreds Of feet
away. 1t was lifted bodily from the frame,
leaving tho wheels OH tho track.
The conclusion was somstbIuS awfu,
and tho tracks were torn and twisted ont
Of shape The body OF Woodward WAS
thrown into field to the left, a distance
OF about 100 yards. When it alightsa N
bounded along and rolled at least fiftv
feet. The bodies of Hernlcker snvaam
and Mills were hurlel tn ,bs r,gbt and
wers nbout in tbe sams .h.na aa that NJ
Woodward
Herfiickers hodv was found T., tina
swsmn ah,pt boo fact .vav M add IN tL,
,,,o,s,or so,,o "a, ,o.a,a .,u L.,,,.s ~,
,,or. aor.,,a,, .,s .,,.a 1872
both s;dos a, tho r,.d oon,n,ot,Iu ,,Is,.
I'M, tho ,r.,ks o,a 4, ,oaL ~ .,;'..,
,sir ,hs do,,a.,