The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-03-11

An explosion of gas in No. 2 blast
furnace of the Lackawanna Iron and
Steel company at 245 o'clock yesterday
afternoon badly burned Peter Labodl,
of All Alder street, and slightly burned
John Burkovitz, of 1886 Emmett street
The furnace was badly wrecked.
No. furnace is about in the center
of the row of furnaces and early yes
terday afternoon a large quantity Of
pig iron was run out of it. The work
of recharging the furnace was in pro-
gress when the explosion occurred.
Under the furnace is a pit contain
ing a quantity of water used to keep
down its temperature. In some way
that has not been satisfactorily ex-
planned as yet the molten metal in the
furnace found it's way through the bot
tom and into this water. Steam and
gas were at once generated.
This is not an unusual occurrence
at blast furnaces, and as soon as the
men around the furnace noticed Il
sputtering of the water at the base nf
the furnace they suspected that mis-
chief was brewing, and after sig
Mailing the man at the top of the fur
mace to lower the bell" they rushed
for places of safety. All were not quick
enough.
There was a tremendous roar and
from the furnace gushed a fountain
OF molten cinder accompanied by a
great volume of poisonous gases. La
boda and Burkovitz were about fifteen
feet from the furnace at the time and
directly in front of it. The former was
deluged with the cinder, which set
fire to his clothing. In terror he ran
to the Roaring Brook, one hundred
feet away and threw himself in, ex-
tinguishing the flames, but increasing
many fold the pain from his burns.
The clothing of Burkovitz was also
set on fire, but fellow workmen ex-
tinguished the blaze by throwing wat
er upon him. Laboda was taken to
the Moses Taylor hospital. His hands
are terribly burned and he has also very
severe burns about the back. He sus-
tanned some slight burns about the
face. Burkovitz was burned about the
arms and back, but was able to pro-
ceed to his home, where he was treated.
Workmen Immediately after the ac-
cident began the task of repairing the
injury to the furnace done by the en-
plosion. Had not the "belI' been low
cred into the furnace an instant be-
fore the explosion the result would
have been far more disastrous. The
bell is an immense piece of iron in
the shape of bell which serves as a
lid or stopper for the furnace. The
bottom or largest part of the "bell''
is in the furnace, the top or it eX-
tending through the aperature by
which the furnace is fed.
This bell is kept in position by a
mechanical contrivance and when it
is desired to drop anything into the
furnace the entire "belr' is lowered,
the matter passes into the furnace and
the bell" again ascends until the open
ing is securely sealed.
When the bell" was dropped yester-
day afternoon it furnished an outlet
the explosion was greatly diminished.
Had the furnace been securely closed
on top the result might have been
frightful to contemplate.
AS it was, the force of the explosion
was felt all over the central part of the
city and many windows were broken
in the buildings surrounding the fur
naces.
On the morning of Jan. 13 there was
an explosion of gas in the same fur
mace and George Pantle, of Beech
street, who was employed on top of it,
was fatally burned. On that occasion
the buildings surrounding the furnace
were set on fire.