The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-10

Boiler Nd. 3, at the American Flominy Company's
Plant, on Mission Of Destruction.
shoulder and scalded somewhat but is not
Seriouslv burt

shoulder and scalded somewhat but is not
seriously hurt
ENGINEER NOT BADLY HURT.
A +. Klingensmith, engineer Of the plant,
was standing outside the boiler room door
when the explosion occurred. He was not
badly hurt. but was bruised somewhat by
railing brick and scalded by escaping steam
He was attended by volunteer hpysicians
and nurses, but after being taken to his
nome, at 1906 South East street, had fully
recovered. and was found to be not badly
injured.
Paul Sturm, water tender to the boilers,
iiVinS at 1881 Madison avenue. escaped with
little injury, although he was in the boiler
room. His arms and head were scalded
somewhat and his body bruised by debris.
but he was able to climb from the wreckage
and walk to his home.
William Mcdonald climbed through a win
dow after the explosion with an injured
knee and scalded back. He was repairing
boiler No. when No. 3 blew up, and was
drenched by the scalding steam before he
was able to emerge from the engine room.
Eugene Hutchinson. a coal passer was en-
gagged in unloading a coal car, and was pro-
tected from the fierce heat caused by the
explosion. He was hurt somewhat about
the face and breast, but not seriously
Hutchinson lives at 635 South Missouri
street, and was taken there and attended
by a physician.
Leo Wiley. a nineteen year-old boy, who
was employed as helper to a boiler maker,
was working under boiler No. In the ash
pit when No. exploded He was protected
by the walls of the ash pit, and was the
only man to escape without injury. Aside
from a few bruises Wiley was not hurt in
the least.
THE PROPERTY LOSS.
The explosion caused property loss of
about 5000, and will cause a cessation of
operations at the plant for about two weeks
1t will be two days before the wreckage can
be cleared away, and fully two weeks will
pass before the engines and boilers can be
reset and work proceed In the meantime
the seventy men employed in the mill will
be thrown out of employment or else en-
gagged at work in clearing away the wreck
age and in making repairs on the building.
The engine room was completely wrecked.
All of the boilers, ten in number, were built
by the Atlas engine works. and had recent
ly been overhauled. Three of them were
not in use yesterday, as repairs were being
made on them, but there were fires in the
boxes Of six boilers. No theory as to the
cause of the explosion has been discovered
yet by the owners of the plant, and Charles
Ellis, superintendent of the plant. and Sec
retary and Treasurer l.. o. Bodman said
they knew of no cause for the explosion.
The losses suffered by the firm will be
partially indemnified by the Ocean Accident
and Guaranty Corporation, which has the
accident insurance to boilers through the
agency of John Wocher & Bro.
IMPRESSED BY SCENE.
The scene of the explosion Immediately
after its occurrence was one that impressed
the spectators with the appalling effects of
such disasters. The engine room roof. a
frame structure. was torn from it's position
and spread over the coal cars standing on
the siding. Water pipes and steam flues
were torn, bent and twisted and the piles
of brick and debris were heaped about in
utter disorder, while the whole lot was en-
veloped in cloud of steam that was
heightened by the cold water thrown on to
a slight blaze by the fire department. The
force of the explosion was terrific, but it's
action, an upward tendency saved the di-
viding wall between the engine room and
the milling building proper. The coal cars
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