The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-02
BOILERS WENT SKYWARD.
THREE Exploded on THE GRE
CESS" PLANTATION.

w II. Pritchard's PIRce-TWo Men
Were slightly Hurt and Mule
was kIIed-One Boiler Was Blown
Half Vile. Hicochetting on the
River, while Another Went
Quarter of Mile InIRnd-The
Third Burst in Fragments.
A tremendous explosion occurred yester-
day morning al an early hour on Mr.. Will
lam r. Pritchard's Recess plantation
Three boilers were destroyed two of Mr.
Pritchard's employees were injured, mule
was killed and the boiler house and other
property was destroyed.
The explosion was OF irresistible force,
the distance TO which two OF the boilers
were thrown certifying to that. One Of
them is now a half mile distant from the
scene of the explosion. while the other is
half that distance The third is about in
spots. most of the spots being a miie or
so from the mill
About o'clock in the morning Alex VIII
son, the co.ored fireman, showed up at
the rice mill and started a fire under the
boilers couple of hours were necessa-
~ TO get the engine in running order, and
to secure a fun head of steam, and the
miller, Dick Green, arrived an hour and
half after the fireman had begun opera
tons. He noticed the steam gauge, which
he said indicated pressure of % pounds.
Knowing there was no danger to be appre-
hended from that. he went into the mill,
where he remained until his attention was
attracted by the swaying and vibration
of the boilers. He could feel the throb
standing. For five seconds. perhaps, that
lasted, and then came the explosion.
Green and William Gnlard were in the
mill where the boilers burst. Afer the ex-
plosion ard when the danger was passed.
Giilard jumped from a second story VIM
dow Of the mill, and was somewhat bruis-
ed. Green was thrown down by the force
of the shock, and was also little hurt.
Wilson saw the trouble in time and, not
knowing how to correct il or not having
the chance, dashed off to the canal and
jumped IN. He was under the water head
and all, when the explosion came, and was
the only one Of the three on the scene who
escaped without hurt
Some 200 feet away a pair OF mules stood.
a negro had just left the team and gone
into a house. The steam from the boilers
Ecalded one of the mules. the work Of the
steam being assisted by a piece Of flying
iron that finished the beasts usefulness.
The other mule was scafded, though not
badly.
The boiler house was built in on all
SIDES Through the front one of the boil
ers went in its mad career, while another
took the opposite course. The path fol-
lowed by one was almost due north and
That of the other was south. The third
decided to try every point of the compass.
The boiler house was blown to smther-
Gems. the fragments being scattered over
wide area.
A high brick chimney stood in the path
of the boiler that few off through the
front of the boiler house. The great iron
cylinder struck il squaresy, and down went
the chimney. With its velocity in no wise
diminished by its encounter, the boiler
sped on to meet whatever else might lie
in iis way It struck the river and rico
chetted. a darkey who saw il declaring il
struck the water and bounced off half a
dozen times before it finally took a dive
end stuck in the mud near the bank. with
one end in the air. That was half a mile
from where il started on its mad career.
The boiler that went threw the rear de-
cided on lard course. Ii went ustling
through the air and rolled and fumbled
after striking the ground. 1t wal!owed
through a clump of bushes and then
struck against a large peach tree that
stood against the negros house It's
down before it. however. Had the tree
not been there the negro's house would have
tumbled about the heads Of the inmates.
The explosion was heard for miles. From
all sides the rice plantation negpoes hur-
ried to the place Mr.. Pritchard reached
the landing about O'Clock. expecting 20
find the mill ia fun blast, but il was to re-
ceive the news of the accident that he
landed. He was seen last night and gave
an account of the explosion and the dam
age ii had wrought.
Mr.. Pritchard said the boilers were very
heavy they and the min being of old
manufacture. The mill was built in 1878
and the workmanship on the buildings and
the boilers and machinery was very fine,
such as Mr.. Pritchard says, would repre-
sent a cost of sonnet hing like $1,000
if duplicated at the present day.
1t was a kind providence, MIR. Pritchard
believes. that provided for the explosion,
since it had TO occur. before The mil
hands had gathered fer their work. Had il
been an hour later the result must have
been disastrous. BY that time many men
would have keen busy around the scene,
and there would have been but Elite
CHARGE OF all escaping. Fragments of bob
er iron, pieces from the house, brick from
the chimney aud scald ug steam were fly
ing in every direction, and he loss OF life
AMI limb would doubtless have been
frightful had the explosion he7n delayed.
Mr.. Pritchard cannot understand how
the explosion occurred. The 10 leIs wee
inspected last spring and found TO BE- in
very coed o;der. Some work had hesn done
on them. and there was every reason to
believe them perfectly safe. Yesterdays
was the first Work il was desired 10 aC-
complish with their a s.stance, hut they
couldn't stand the strain. They were built
TO withs and a pressure Of 100 pounds, and
Mr.. Prtchard believes they must have
had more Than that exerted upon them.
but how in view IF tie declaration of his
mille-. he does act know.
BY next Wednesday AIR. Pritchard hopes
TO have new boilers in the place of those
that were destroyed. The work of harvest
ing the rice crop is wei under way ond il
Is mis- wish to hurry il on 10 completion as
rapidly as possible. He says the planters
along the Savannah river are getting out
a very fine grade Of rice and they are
all anxious 70 finish up before a storm
n g =. On thr l-