The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-07-30

James Burnett, Of North Lincoln ave-
nue.. an engineer employed by the Della
ware, Lackawanna and Western Rail-
road company, and Reuben +. Jones
of Nay Aug, Lackawanna brake
man, were killed yesterday m~ning by
the explosion of the boiler of the
switching engine on which they were
employed. The explosion occurred near
the Pancoast colliery, on the winton
branch of the Lackawanna.
The fireman of the engine, Albert S.
Cronk, was badly scalded by the boiling
steam and severely bruised by being
hurled a great distance by the shock
He was taken to the Moses Taylor hos
pital for treatment, but asked to be re-
moved from that institution to his
home in Lincoln Heights, where he can
be treated by Christian Science healers.
The cause of the explosion is at pres
ent unknown, and Chief Clerk Poore. of
General Superintendent Clarke's office,
said yesterday that 1t must remain so
until thorough examination has been
made of the demolished engine and a
careful investigation he held of all the
circumstances connected with the mat
ter. The explosion occurred at $50
o'clock yesterday morning at n point
about three-quarters of a mile from the
colliery, where the Delaware. Lacka-
wanna and Western tracks intersect
with the street car tracks.
SOMETHING THE MATTER
The engine was No. IA, used for yard
purposes, and left Scranton at o'clock
yesterday morning. At the time of the
accident IL was pulling a trip of seven
cars from the mine, and the crew early
discovered there was something wrong
with the motive power, as the engine
pulled heavily, puffed and slipped in
| rounding curves. Suddenly there came
a crash. which could be heard for miles
around. and the next instant the air
was full of flying pieces of heated
metal, and was clouded with the es-
Gaping, sizzling steam.
| The conductor of the train, Mr.. Perry
who was on the rear car, was unin-
jured but all three of his mates bore
| the full brunt of the terrible disaster
Engineer Burnett was thrown high into
| the air and when his body fell 1t
| dropped on car of coal, where he
! lived only about five minutes, suffering
| intense pain.
| Brakeman Jones, who was in the ten
| der of the engine. was blown high into
| the air, and fell fully fifty feet from
the engine. His face was terribly scald-
| ed and his body scalded and mangled
| by the force of his terrible fall. En-
| gineer Burnett had been frightfully
burned. and the force of his fall had
left all thought of recovery out of the
| question. 1t was hoped however, that
| Jones could be saved, and he was re-
moved to the Moses Taylor hospital
where he died two hours after being
admitted.
| CRONK'S INJURIES.
Cronk's injuries and scalds are about
the face and body and. while painful,
are not thought to be of serious ma
| ture. His fall was the heaviest sus-
tained by any one of the three, how
| ever, and one can conjecture the force
of the explosion by the fact that his
form was hurled through the branches
of large oak tree standing several
| feet from the track.
| The Pancoast and Moses Taylor am
| balances were called to the spot and
in these the injured men were removed.
| The boiler and cab of the engine were
both completely ripped from the truck
| anu HulIc'l air, ldllllS upon lnP
| second coal car, splitting it in two The
| engines stack was driven fully fifty
| feet from the tracks, and the trucks
| and tender alone escaped complete
| demolishment. The explosion drew to
the scene a great throng of residents
of Throop, who assisted the injured
men and aided in partial clearing of
| the tracks. Traffic on the Throop street
car line was blocked during part of the
| day.
| Engineer Burnett was A years of age,
| and came here from Carbondale twenty
years ago. A wife and several children
survive him. Brakeman Jones was the
son of William Jones, of Dunmore, and
is survived by a wife and four children.
The funeral will be held Thursday af-
| ternoon at o'clock from his home t
| Nay Aug. Services in the Christian
church. Dunmore. at 3 o'clock
Division Superintendent f.. NJ. Rine
visited the scene of the explosion
| yesterday afternoon and was seen on
his return to the central city by
| Tribune man. He stated that the
cause of the catastrophe would have
to be determined by a most careful
investigation, and as yet no theories
could be formed regarding the mat
ter.