Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1900-12-12
DEATH In EXPLOSION.
NORTHWESTERN POWER HOUSE
IN CHICAGO WRECKED.
Five Persons Are Killed and Twenty
More Injured-Fiying Boiler Strikes
Coach of an Outgoing Train-Dark-
ness Covers the Scene.

With a mighty rush and roar a boiler
in the power house of the Chicago and
Northwestern Railway at KNIFE and
Kingsbury streets, Chicago, exploded at
s o'clock Monday afternoon. killing five
people and injuring score or more. All
tratiis ~ the .acal terminal Of the road
was suspended fer two hours as a result
of the accident.
The 150-horse power metal structure
which in some unknown manner caused
the loss of life and consequent damage
was hurled high into the air and carried
a distance of nearly 100 feet. 1t struck
the rear portion of a parIor car attached
to an outgoing passenger train, destroy
ing the coach and injuring five of the
occupants, one probably fatally.
The explosion was so severe tl.at 1t
shook the surrounding buildings, the CON
cussiOn breaking many windows. The
power house is complete wreck. Only
portions Of the east and south walls are
standing. Flying debris, bricks. stone
and timbers with pieces of structural
iron work were thrown several hundred
feet.
One of the four boilers of the battery
the one thrown upon the railroad tracks
exploded in what is known as Il head
end" explosion. In this manner the force
was distributed to the north and south.
The north portion of the building was
thus destroyed while the boiler tore its
way through the south face and up into
the air.
With the demolition of the north and
south walls the r Vt fell, carrying the
intervening floors with it, The fire re-
naming under the other three boilers ig-
nited the mass of matter east about it
and this added new dangers to the horror.
The flames were eagerly combated by the
firemen, however, and very soon subdued,
although they continued to smolder and
break forth afresh for several hours af-
terVaIG.
Three of the men killed were section
hands working on the tracks nearly 100
feet from the power house. Up into the
air the big boiler, weighing several thou
sand pounds, was thrown. The group Of
section men scattered, but three were
caught by a fence lining the railroad
right of way, and their lives were crushed
out in an instant. Tony Krause, fireman,
ly scalded and injured. He was hurried
away for medical treatment, but died a
few hours after the accident.
Henry Schnur, a young man, Is years
Of age, was employed in the auditors de-
partment of the railway company. He
was just leaving work and on his way
to catch an outbound train for his home.
He passed the fated power house just
as the explosion occurred. The full force
Of it seemed to envelope him. Eye wit
nesses said the unfortunate youth was
tossed into the air twenty or thirty feet.
To all intents safely and securely en-
sconced in the pretty parlor car of the
passenger train which was jusc leaving
the yards, We're a group of passengers
northward bound. Mr.. and Mrs Biskel
of Sheboygan were returning to their
home after a bridal tour. Mr.. and Mrs
August G.. Beck of Milwau zee and A
Levihson of Chicago We're also among the
passengers. They heard the noise and
were locking out of the car windows
when the coach was struck by a cloud of
brick and debris. Then came the crash
when the boiler descended and struck the
car. All these people were injured
The damage to the building and the
parlor car is placed at $4,000. The in
surance carried by the railroad company
will cover about four-ifths of the loss.
The great loss to the company will be
through the temporary loss of the power
house in the operation Of the terminal
lines of the road from Chicago avenue to
the central passenger station.