The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-07-10
ENGINE BLowED UP
One Fatally Injured and Several Othe
Persons Badly Hurt.

One Fatally Injured and Several Other
Persons Badly Hurt.
The Hutchinson News giving the de-
tails Of the accident near Butler yesterday
says; One man is fatally injured, four
others seriously hurt and half dozen
others scalded and burned as the result Of
the explosion Of the boiler of a traction
engine attached TO a threshing machine
near Butler yesterday afternoon. The
man who viii die is Abram Dierks. IS
years old. part oV-rer Of the threshing
outfit. He IS now at the Stewart hospital
in this city. where every medical atten-
ton IS being given him.
OF the four others seriously hurt. the
name Of only one could be learned
boy Of the name of Ratzlaff, who lives in
the neighborhood. One Of the others is a
negro boy. employed on the Dierks farm.
The former was very seriously scalded
and the negro boy was struck on the head
by apiece Of flying steel and may suffer
conclusion of the brain. Two others Were
seriously burned and bruised and half
dozen others were more or lees painfully
injured.
The threshing outfit was owned by the
Dierks brothers and there were four Of
the family working about the machine
when the accident occurred. Only one Of
the four escaped without any injury what
ever. Ahram Dierks the most severe suf-
ferer had been feeding the separator and
stood on the platform forty or fifty feet
from the engine. when the explosion took
place. Tho end of the boiler towards
him was blown entirely away by the
force Of The explosion and he was struck
by the flying particles Of steel and burned
by the escaping steam
HIS upper lip was torn entirely off.
his right eye souged out. and there is no
telling how many bones were broken by
the impact Of the broken machinery. As
ne lay on a cot at the hospital this morn
ing he was tho most pitiable looking
physical wreck imaginable. There was
scarcely = space or his body as large as
mans hand that ana not show signs OF
injury. The physicians say there Is very
little chance II any Of recovery.
The accident occurred on the farm Of
Jacob Parma. about FIVE miles east Of
Buhier. Il was near o'clock and the
engine had been stopped 10 repair some
slight break about The separator. The en-
gineer had allowed the water TO get low
In the boiler and by some oversight had
the safety valve screwed down hard. He
noticed that the steam had gone TO more
than 1so pounds and stiu the safety cox
failed 20 fy off. The pressure continued
20 shoot upward
Look out he suddenly shouted 10
these standing neer. II have lest control
of The eusine,"
There was a lively scattering. but the
words had hardly Jeff his lips when the
explosion occurred. A moment later
Aeram Dierks vas found several rees
away from the separator. trying IA rfss
Ills brother picked HIN up ard PLACING
harn in q busy drove with all speed 10 the
family home. q mile ard ha.f distant.
a few hours later Tobias Dserks. the
father ard a brother. starred with him
Tor Hutchinson net set knowing how n,
other two brothers had fares They ar
riFed here about = O'Clock lass nlghr.
BEFORE they left the team which had
been hltched to Tire water wagon driven
by the youngest Iierks boy. cagas home
with just the front running Eear- ~ tha
wagon. This naturally alarmed The
father. who had to remain in Hutchin-
son ali nishg without much hope Of he
life Of his oldest son being saved. and
with 10 knowledge whatever OF hls TWO