Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-12-21
Terrific Boiler Explosion at Pittsburg
Skaters Entire Plant Of Pitts
= Y burg Mill. & s1f@5 3s;55@.'
Five Bodies Have Been Recovered
and Feared Number Of Others
ssss6.,$ss, fssY are in the Ruins. "
Property in the Vicinity Suffers Muci
Damage from Tremendous Force
s.., Of Explosion. !

the Black Diamond steel works of
Park Bros. on Thirtieth street explod-
ed during the morning and at least five
Eorkmen were killed and twelve injur!
ed. There were reports that from 10.
to 80 men lost their lives, but the exT
act loss of life cannot be told until
the wreokage is cleared AWAY, .-.~
Five dead bodies have been removed
and they are SO badly, mangled they
cannot be Identified Twelve Injured
have been taken to West Penn hospis
tai. ..- ~
From what can be learned the four
boilers exploded at one time reducing
the mill to a heap of burned and char
red timbers and twisted iron. There is
not a straight piece Of iron or steel In
the entire building. Even the bolts in
the beams and stringers are twisted
like screw nails. =.
The mill, known as No 3, ten-inch,
had 60 men on each turn and 1t is
thought almost 120 men, both crews,
were in the plant at the time Of the ex-
plosion..
: When: the boilers exploded a panic
ensued and the men fought their way
tc the entrances, and all that were able
rushed TO- the street. A few minutes
after the boilers let 60 the big mill
was a heap OF ruins. The injured and
known dead were found under wreck
age and In the; mill yard where they
had fallen In. their race for life. -;
The mill was big fronclad structure
built on a steel frame i% ~
+ In the rear of the plant on Twenty.
ninth street is the big boiler works OF
James Mcneil. One of the boilers tore
Its way through the Park Bros mill
and crashed into the Mcneil plant, !;
Almost Completely pemolishins 1t. :.
Another boiler went through the roof
OF the bar mill SCARED through the air
across Thirtfeth street and crashed In
to the residence OF Robert Price at 3
Thirtieth street, completely wrecking
the house. Price and his family were
asleep at the time and miraculously
escaped, fleeing 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 report Of the explosion was
heard for blocks around the plant and
the police We're soon on the scene. A
searching party was mmad adiateIy insti
tuted and one by one the injured were
CARRIED to the patrols and anabulances
and hurried to- the hospital. Some Of
che men found in the mill were only
shocked by the explosion and were
able to walk after they were carried
out, but many were frightfully torn.
No official statement as to the cause
OF the accident has been given Out
yet. A meeting Of the officials is now
in session and thorough investigation
is to be made. u :s@- 'E' ~
Just what the extent Of the loss will
be to the Park Bros. company and the
McNeils Is not known, but is variousiy
estimated at from S25, 900 to $100, COO
Both plants will have to be rebuilt.
/ The force Of the explosion was ter
rife and was felt 20 blocks away. A
row of six brick tenement houses In
| Spruce alley, opposite the mill, eccu.
pied by Slavs, was sf badly damaged
Every window In the houses was shat
tered and some Of the walls were
cracked. The g inmates, when they
heard the explosion, jumped from
their beds and rushed to the street
ghrieking and shout Ing. I ssF Or at least
s15 minutes they stood in their bare
feet and in their night clothes in the
cold until assured their homes were
not going to collapse. z:Ss