Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-01
Boiler Ezplodes in Pittsburg Iron
Works With Terrible Effect,
WRECKED BUILDING TAKES FIRE
Accident Occurs Just as Night Force
Was Leaving.
HEAVY FINANCIAL LOS

PITTSBURG, Pa, September IA boiler
explosion at the Republic iron works. on
South 2ith street, shortly before daylight
today killed five men and seriously injured
seven others. A fire which broke out fol-
lowing the explosion added to the horror.
The mill was partly wrecked, and the en-
tire plant was compelled to close down.
The list of killed and injured is as follows:
killed-David Matthews, a heater, mar
ried, Thomas Beavens, a heater. married;
William Thomas, a heater, married; John
Warminski, heater; unknown man, crushed
almost beyond recognition.
Injured - Malachi Donahoe, fifty-eight
years old, puddler, badly burned, not ex-
pected to recover; Neil Donahoe, his son,
twenty-eight years old, burned about the
head and breast, will die: Frederick Herb.
a helper, forty-eight years old. skull frac-
tured and burned all over the body, will
die; Stephen Milakaski laborer bruised and
cut will recover; Gregory Sanders, a pud-
dler, not serious; Peter Schnitzer, a helper
not serious; unknown man, cut about head,
left the hospital without giving his name.
Occurred at Fortunate Time.
The explosion occurred just as the night
force was leaving and the day force was
coming on duty that there We're only a
few men in the mill at the time. If 1t had
happened a half hour later the list of
dead and injured would have been appall-
iEg. 1t occurred in the fourteen-inch de-
partment The conclusion was terrific
Buildings were shaken a mile away and
dust filled the air for two or three blocks
1t entered open windows and nearly suf-
fccated per:ons who were aroused by the
roar and the shock Immediately following
the explosion the wreckage took fire, and
this added n the 6jfficutjeS in
rescuing the burned and mutilated victims
A fire alarm quickly sounded, and in
a short time the flames were under control
after which the fremen were employed in
searching the ruins for the dead and in
jured. The first two bodies taken out were
identified as those of Beavens and Mat
theWS.
The bodies were lying against their
wrecked furnaces. The men had been
knocked down by the flying bricks and were
roasted to death by the heat of their own
furnaces
The others were found soon after and
| sent to the morgue. The injured were re-
| moved to the South Side Hospital where
they received prompt attention.
Boiler Blown Through Roof.
When the boiler burst section of ii
weighing four tons was blown through the
roof and crushed into the side of the house
of Gregory Sanders, Wright's alley,
about 300 yards distant. The building,
which was of frame. was wrecked, but the
occupants escaped with bad fright. This
flying portion of the boiler tore down the
central supports of the roof. which fell in
and partially burned some of those injured.
The collapsed roof and torn and scattered
pieces of machinery and masonry formed a
mass of wreckage in which the work of
searching for the additional bodies sup
posed to be hidden by it was slow and te-
diOuS work.
The bar mill, in which the accident oc-
CURED. is a part of what is known as the
oid harton mill. and the present owner
the republic iron works. is a department of
the National tube works. recently merged
in the tube combine.
The cause of the explosion has not vet
was heavy, bat the firm could not estimate
it at this time