Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1902-11-14
Terrible Explosion at the West
Works of American Iron &
Steel Company's Plant.
FOUR DEAD AND 4G INJURED.
Cause Of Disaster Not KnoWn-Weep-
ing Women and Children Crowd
About Place In Frantic Efforts to
Gain Tidines of Loved Ones.

Lebanon, Pa, Nov. 1.-THE ex-.
plosion of large boiler in scrap pud-
die furnace No. g. at the west works
Of the American Iron and Steel Man
ufacturing company's plant, late yes
terday afternoon, caused the death II
four workmen and about 40 others
were more or less seriously injured.
The dead are:
Jacob Bricker, aged 67 years, cf
Sunny Side, a laborer; leaves a wife
and six children.
Walter Turner, of this city, pud-
Ter; leaves wife and one child.
James Hissinger, Of this city, a
puddler; leaves wife and four chill
dren.
William Cakes. aged As, puddler;
leaves widow; died at hospital.
Among the injured are the follow
ing: James Nine, single, aged 25
years, puddler's helper, badly hurt in
ternally and leg broken, condition
critical; Aaron Potteger, puddler,
married. decorations Of hands and
head and serious internal injuries,
condition critical; Francis Murray,
seriously burned about body; Frank
Arnold, puddler's helper; George P.
Meyer, puddler's' helper; Joseph Girls,
aged so, coal stoker; Daniel McCor-
mick, -puddler, general injuries; John
Cochran; Plus Kline, puddler,
struck by a flying piece of iron;
James HoTgan, struck by a piece Of
iron; Sylvester Wolf, boss puddler,
struck by flying timber; Cornelius
Nader, Penrose Hurich, John Habble,
Michael X. Spang, John Hosiery,
Wilson Lash, Simon Pottieger, injured
very severely; Frank Dissinger.
There are others injured in addl.
ton to the above whose names were
not obtained. The physicians at the
hospital express the opinion that sew,
eral Of the injured will die.
It is not known whether the ex,
plosion was due to defects in the
boiler or not. Inc boiler, which was
Of 200 horse power, broke squarely
in half, one part sailing through the
machinery and woodwork of the mill.
The roof collapsed and the flames
from the puddle furnaces under the
wrecked boiler set fire to the debris.
The fire force Of the company, how
ever, had the flames eXtinguished IN
Is minutes.
The calamity is the worst that ever
occurred in Lebanon. The boiler ex.
ploded without warning and in an in
stant the entire place was black with
death-deaiing debris. The wreck and
ruin Of the nine immediate puddle
furnaces was complete.
Thousands Of persons were at
tracted TO the scene and weeping
women and children crowded about
the place. making frantic efforts to
obtain tiGings Of their loved ones, bat
the excitement was so intense that
but very little. comfort could be givel
them. Physicians were called from
every quarter Cf the city and the hos
pital ambulanccs and other vehicles
were hurried into service. The ot-
Gees Of the works were at once con-
verted into n hospital and a corps Of
nurses from the Good Samaritan hos
nttal Were brought to the place. Into
this Temporary cospital the manned
IN sca.2~d wo"k-en were carried
and given ct enticn. Some have their
eyes burned cut. others their hands
b,own of.
1t is feared tho list Ct dead will be
materially i-C- e~~~d when the ruins
cf the nine wrecked puddle furnaces
Pc eIp:o-e3. The exploded boiler
was hu-lei high into the air ana
passed ove- the Offices. burying itself
in the south bank Of Cuittapahill2
creek, saYe~al hundred yards away.
No information could be secured at
he temporary hcsaital at the works.
he PIN his been closed and work.
,en are renewing the debris.
MIccINMARN FONEERENN=