The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-11-19

certained. Mr.. Davis could not get
! across to the body, on account of his
| injured foot, but Dennis Finnegan. who
was on his way home from church.
passing along Dundaff street. ran
down, and he and Engineer Dix were
the first to reach Wilson.
The shock of the explosion threw
Mrs. Hittinger. who lives on Van Ber-
gen place. corner of Dundaff street, out
of bed, and was heard for a long dis
tance around.
Mr.. Charles q. Mellen, secretary and
treasurer of Van Bergen 4 Co.. said
yesterday morning that he had tele-
graphed for G. L. Dickson. of Scranton
chairman of the board of directors, to
come at once. Mr.. Dickson arrived in
town at IL o'clock. Mr.. Melen said
that the boiler that exploded was COM
paratively new being put in in 1888 1t
was inspected by Mr.. Wilson on every
holiday. and the last inspection was
held on Labor day this year by WILSON,
The boiler was capable of sustaining
$50 pounds pressure. but it never car
ried more than eighty pounds. and then
only when the foundry was at work at
special castings. The boiler was fed
only by the regular pressure OF the
city water, having no injectors or
pumps. The company had always con-
sidered the boiler the safest piece or
machinery in the whole foundry. Mr..
Mellen said the chance of accidents had
always been considered much greater
in the foundry than in the boiler room.
He had always considered Wilson one
of the most cautious and careful of the
men in their employ and very capable
f-yfz n tSNrnc
praised him for his neatness in the
boiler room and for the cleanliness OF
his machinery. Wilson was employed
on Sundays almost wholly as q watch
man, there being no necessity then for
his services as engineer He selected
him as watchman because he believed
he could rely more upon him than any
other man in the employ of the COM
pany. Wilson had been with the firm
for over seven years. John G. Timer.
the night watchman. whom Wilson re-
leved an hour before the explosion, had
been with the company nearly fifty
years. The works are never without
watchmen, day or night.
A peculiar feature is the absence of
any signs of fire.
NO SIGNS OF FIRE.
The fires under the boiler were fed
with buckwheat coal, and these coals
must have been scattered over wide
area. But there is not a stick or beam
or any fragment that seems burned
or even charred.
Many theories were advanced for the
cause of the explosion Yesterday by
the large crowds that thronged the
scene Of the catastrophe. OF course.
most of them were wild imagininSs,
but there We're a number of engineers
and machinists, who put forth plausi-
BILE ideas. One man, who desired not
to be quoted, told The Tribune repor-
ter that he believed that water Rad
gotten into the frcboX by reason OF
some of the Stay-bolts in the crown
sheet being loosened. This caused L
gas to arise and expand. The steam
also expanded forcing the crown sheet
down and ultimately the strain was
too great and the crown sheet was
torn away and this caused the eNplc-
sion. This theory has color lent to it
by the fact that ii large part Of the
crown sheet was found % feet away
from the wreck. Another man. an en-
gineer, says that he looked into the
boiler as it lay in the wreck, and he is
convinced that the hoilar was entirely
dry before it exploded, and that the
engineer discovered this fact and
turned the water on. thereby causing
the disaster this latter theory is off
set by the statement of the night
watchman and engineer John c. Cl-
mer, who says that when he left at Z
o'clock the water suage was full ana
it would have been impossible for the
boiler to have run dry in an hour, un-
less Wilson blew the boiler nut. Yet
the impression gained ground yester-
day that the boiler had run dry. and
this was the prevailing idea.
CORONER ON THE SCENE.
Coroner Roberts arrived at , o'clock
and viewed the remains and gave u
permit for removal to Wilson'S late
residence. corner Eighth avenue and
Mill street The body was taken there
at 6 o'clock last night from McHale's
morgue. where it had lain all day.
Mr.. Wilson lived in a very handsome
modern home. and it is fitted up With
every indication of taste and comfort
His wife is Frustrated at her sudden
bereavement. Besides her, he leaves
a daughter Hazel, aged 13, and a sis
ter. Mrs. James Steele. of 81 Spencer
street, this city. The victim of the
explosion was AZ years of ase. He was
born in Scotland and came to this
country when IL years of age. His
first place of residence in the United
States was this city. Before securing
his last employment, he was one OF
the locomotive engineers on the Della
ware and Hudson railroad. He was a
member of Division 46S, brotherhood
of Locomotive Engineers, and of Car
bondale lodge, No. 249, Free and !Ac-
cepted Masons. No funeral arrange
ments had been made up to "A late
hour last evening.
Nh Charles u. Mellen, the manager
of the company, said yesterday morn
ing that the company would probably
not replace the boiler, He thought
that they would install an electric
motor instead. but could not say posi-
lively until Il meeting of the board Of
directors was held.
Coroner Roberts empanelled Il jury
last evening. This morning he will
take them out to survey the wreck
and examine the boiler. Then he viii
hold the inquest. He did not care 10
make known the names of his jurors
last evening, saying he thought pub
lie interest would ne better served IL
the jurcrs We're not known. But il
said from other sources, that his jury
will be composed of engineers aid ma
chinists, who viii go carefully into
every detail and Will render Il verdict
reached by their own observations and
those of other experts in steam and
mechanics.