The Indianapolis journal., 1903-05-03
Bursting of Steam Flue I'm Terminal
Company Power House May Cost
Lives Of Two Men.
FROM PIT OF BOILING WATER
ENGINEER GORDON WAS TAKEN
WRITING IN AGONY.
His Visitor Thrown by Explosion Into
Boiler ExcavatiOn-Their Con-
dition Critical.

The bursting of a steam flue in the West
Washington-street power house of the Indi-
annapolis Terminal and Traction Company
shortly after z o'clock last night caused
Orville n. Gordon, a fireman, and Frank
Groves, a visitor in the power house, to be
painfully scalded and probably fatally in
jured.
The men were taken from the scalding
water which filled the boiler pit and hur-
riedly attended by physicians Gordon was
found to be horribly scalded about the head,
face and arms and trunk of the body, from
the hips up. and was taken to st. Vincent's
Hospital in the City Hospital ambulance.
Groves, who stumbled into the pit full of
boiling water, was scalded on the legs.
feet and hands He was taken to his home
at 1922 West Ohio street and attended by DIR.
o. S. Deitch, who last night pronounced
his condition critical, but said he was un-
able to decide whether he is fatally scalded
until a better examination can be made
this morning, when the intense pain with
which the man is suffering is likely to
abate.
CAUSE is UNKNOWN.
The cause of the bursting of the flue is
unknown. The steam pressure was not
too high, the fiue is a comparatively new
one and no flaws were known to exist in
it's construction. The bursting was accom-
panied by an explosion which hurled boiling
water and steam to the ground with much
force, and Gordon, who was standing be-
meath it, was knocked from his feet by the
deluge Gordon was firing the furnace un-
der the boilers, over which he was in
charge, and was unsuspecting of danger
I-..x L l-l-
ping from the leak in the fiue. When the
fue suddenly burst he was throwing coal
into the. furnace. The noise of the explosion
and his agonized screams called assistance
to him promptly, and he was drawn from
the pit The water from the iue filled the
pit to a depth of two and one-half feet and
into this Groves fell.
Repairs are being made In the power
house building and entrance to the plant
Groves walked into the power house to
visit Gordon, one of his friends, and had
got within a few feet of his friend when
the explosion occurred He stumbled for
ward and into the pit which had filled with
water His calls for assistance were an
swered as soon as the steam had cleared
away sufficiently to enable the rescuers TO
locate him. When he was hauled from the
pit his lower limbs and hips were found to
be fearfully scalded by the boiling water
and the feshy parts of his legs were par
boiled. His pain was intense and his suf-
fering rendered him partially unconscious
GORDON'S INJURIES.
Both men were carried to safety and DR..
Deitch, physician of the neighborhood, ar
rived and gave the first aid to the injured.
Groves and Gordon writhed from the pain
with which they were suffering, and only
with difficulty were they held down until
the ambulance arrived which took them
away. Gordon's head and face were burned
severely and the loss of his eyesight may
result His arms were burned, but his
| shoulders and body were saved somewhat
| by his clothing and escaped with less in
| jury than his head and face.
After Gordon was taken to the hospital
his injuries were attended. but his condi-
| ton is regarded as critical. Groves was
taken to his home on West Ohio street and
was attended by a physician during the
| night.
Gordon is a young married man living al
| 122 Minkner street He has been in the
| employ of the Indianapolis Street-railway
| Company for some time and has many
| friends in the west end of the city. Groves
| is a fireman employed by the p. & E. Rail-
| road Company. a married man and the
| father of several small children.