The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-21
And Twelve WOrkmen Suffering from
Serious Bruises, Cuts. Burns and
Broken Legs and Arms.
RESULT OF AN EXPLOSION
FOUR BOILERS IN 4 P~ITTSBURG
PLANT LET GO AT ONCE.
One Destroyed a Boiler Works, An
other Went Through n House and
Two Were Blown to Pieces.

PITTSBCRG, Dec. DEAD, one
missing and twelve injured is the result
of a terrific boiler explosion at the Black
Diamond steel works of Park Brothers, on
Thirtieth street, to-day.
Dead-John Welvik, Patrick O'Connor
and an unknown man.
Missing-John Willis Che is probably
among the killed.
Injured-Thomas Elliott, aged twenty
three, laborer, three severe scalp wounds;
Albert Gesischic, furnace hand, two fingers
blown off and several scalp wounds, Alex
ander Waszeloice, charger OF the furnace.
left leg broken and scalp wounds; Robert
Street, colored, arms bruised; Valentine
PerkiSki, right leg broken and scalp
wounds; Jacob Chesnolanes, aged thirty
two, two fingers blown off and burned
about face, head, hands and body; Isaac
wounds and left arm bruised; William
Steinbaugh, mill hand. chest bruised and
breast-bone fractured; Peter Mikoski,
helper, scalp wounds and back bruised:
John McClusky, helper, face and hands
burned; Munroe LarkenS, colored, twenty
five, arms bruised and burned; Joseph
Zunich, badly cut and injured about the
head. The injured at the hospitals are
all doing well except Steinbaugh, whose
injuries may yet prove fatal.
Reuben Miller. jr, superintendent of the
plant, states that the boilers were exam
ined last week and pronounced in excellent
condition. No known cause can be given
for the explosion. A thorough investiga-
ton is now in progress.
1t was about Ais o'clock, as the night
crew was about to turn over the mill to the
day force. that four boilers in the 1O-inch
bar mill, No. 8, exploded with terrific force,
scattering death and destruction in all di-
rections. The mill was completely wrecked,
and the debris is piled from fifty TO seven
ty-ive feet high. The boiler works Of
James Mcneil. adjoining. the Black Dia-
mond mill, also were destroyed. From
what can be learned the four boilers ex-
ploded at one time, reducing the mill to a
heap of burned and charred and twisted
iron. There is not a straight piece of iron
or steel left in the entire building. Even
the bolts in the beams and ~stringers are
twisted like screw nails.
The mill had sixty men on each turn, and
it is thought that almost 120 men, both
crews, were in the plant at the time of the
explosion. They were all at work or just
about to begin work, and all the night men
were clad in their scanty working attire.
When the boilers exploded a panic ensued.
and the men fought their way to the en-
frances, and all that were able rushed to
the street. The injured and known dead
were found under wreckage and in the
mill yard.
The No. 3 ten-inch mill was a big ironelad
structure, built on a steel frame. One of
the boilers went clear through the Park
Bros.'s mill and crashed into the Mcneil
plant, almost completely demolishing it.
The only man at work in the McNeil plant
was Rudolph Korff, the night Waterman.
He was knocked down by the force of the
explosion. He was found in the plant and
taken to the West Penn Hospital. An
other of the boilers went through the roof
of the bar mill. scared through the air
across Thirtieth street and crashed into the
residence of Robert Price. 1t went through
the front wall and fell into the cellar, com
pletely wrecking the house. Price and his
family were asleep at the time and had to
rush to the street in their night clothes.
The other two boilers were blown to pieces,
and it was these that caused the complete
destruction of the mill.
The biting cold wind from the river made
the rescue work slow and painful. Just
what the extent of the loss will be to the
Park Bros.'s Company and the McNeils is
not known, but ii Is V%ariously estimated
from $4,000 to 500, 900.