Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-04-05
\ SERIOUS EXPLOSION
YESTERDAY MORNING
At the BenWoOd Plant of the Wheel
ing Steel Co.
One Man Killed, One Fatally Hurt and
Others Wounded.
The Plant in the Vici nifty Of the
Explosion Very Badly Damaged.
The Cause of the Accident Not
Certainly Known tails of
Very Bad Casually.

a terrible accident occurred about a
quarter to eight yesterday morning at
the Wheeling steel works, at Benwood.
The casualty was due to the explosion
OF one of the boilers. One man was
Killed outright, another fatally injured
and about half dozen more hurt The
list of killed and injured is as follows:
David Gerry, fireman, aged "a years,
instantly killed and body badly crush
ed and scalded.
Owen Taffe, fireman, aged about so
years, fatally scalded.
Vincent Gentle, of Benwood, badly
scalded about the body. VIII recover.
Louis Wallenfelsz, fireman, cut
about head.
George Slobada, fireman, hurt about
the leg by flying bricks.
Thomas Morris, water tender, slight
~ injured.
Fred Vondrey, water boy, hand badly
lacerated and cut slightly on the
neck.
Two tramps burned about the face,
hands and arms.
The explosion occurred in the boiler
house at the east end of the steel plant
At the time of the accident more than
a dozen Of the employees were IN the
boiler house and were not many feet
from the boiler that exploded. Inc
boiler equipment of the steel plant con-
sists of six batteries Of four 1j-lncn
fiue boilers each. The boiler that eX-
ploded and caused such dire results
was the fourth Of the second battery
from the south end The second piece
OF sheeting, measuring about feet long,
three feet wide and three-ei ghths OF an
inch thick, was torn loose by the IN
ward pressure and let out clouds OF
steam and streams of water that Tiled
the entire boiler house and destroyed
life and property A fumbllng NOISE
preceded the actual explosion. DAVID
Gerry, who was firing the battery OF
boilers lust above the exploded boiler,
and hearing the unusual noise, made an
effort to get away. Gerry turned south
and tried to run out along the boiler
that exploded. Geary was caught IN
Y the very midst of the explosion. lie
was thrown up against the wall OF the
adjoining boilers and pinned there by
a mass of brick and iron beams that
were torn loose by the conclusion.
Geary's body was terribly crushed ana
stabbed and he was undoubtedly killed
outright.
owen Taffe, another fireman who
was fatally injured, is said TO have
been about fifteen feet away from
Geary when the explosion occurred.
He was terribly scalded and injured
abgut the body by flying bricks, stones
IN
ergency hospital and everything done
by the physicians to save MIN. ne
remained conscious, but last evening
about 6 O'Clock he died. Tarfe IS aDouI
so years of age He lives IN Beialre
and has a wife and family. Members
of the family were at his BEDSIDE yes
terday. almost frantic with grief
The explosion made report that
sounded like the discharge OF bat
terry OF artillery. 1t created great eX-
citement not only about the steel
nlant but throughout Benwood. Hun
dreds Of men women and children
rushed 10 the scene OF the calamity,
and were interested and excited OBJ
servers of the scenes that followed the
accident AS soon as the clouds OF
scalding steam had cleared away, a
party of men set to work to get out
those who had been injured. Geary S
body was standing in an upright posi-
ton and almost covered by brick and
debris. It was removed TO Beckers
undertaking establishment and pre-
pared for burial The dead man was
unmarried, bur has several brothers
living in Benwood. One of his broth
ers is a member of the police force
The body will be buried at Littleton
w 9tzel county, the former home of the
deceased
Drs. Eskey, Alley. Downing AMI Nc
Donald were all busily engaged after
the accident, dressing the wounds OF
the injured OF those who were not
fatally hurt, the worst injured was
Vincent Gentille, who was terribly
burned about the whole body. His