Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-02-06


rophes that ever occurred in this sec.
tlon visited our neighboring town vi
| Northumberland Monday morning.
A large boiler exploded in the mai
mill of Van Allen 81 90 at6:15 o CLOCK
and as the result seven well-known
residents of the town are dead while
six others are very seriously injured.
THE DEAD.
Willard Brouse, wife and one child.
age 35 years
Edward Krebs, wife aud three chill
dren; age 33 years
Grant Reeder, wife and four chill
dren, age 3S years.
Duval CLARK, wife and three chill
dren age 90 years.
Thomas Jones, widower, two grown
up children; age 60 years.
Samuel Sarviss, wife and five chill
dren ; age 90 years.
John f. Scholvin, wife and four
children; age "a years.
THE INJURED.
John Newberry. William e. Craver.
Harry Smith, William @. Morgan,
Daniel Sanders, Wesley Reichenbach.
a stranger.
The people of Northumberland are
stunned by the suddenness and the
awfulness OF the shock. The same
feeling and emotions were shared
throughout this entire section Mon.
day as the news OF the explosion. with
the accompanying loss of life, was
telephoned TO neighboring towns. Ev.
cry train that rolled into Northumber-
land during the day brought a crowd
OF visitors curious to see the scene OF
the accidene and measure the full ex-
tent OF the havoc wrought.
The 1881 D. l.. s. W. train Mon
day carried contingent Of Danvilie
people, among whom was a represent
atiye of this paper, who during the
afternoon went carefully over the
ground learning al the facts from
authoritative sources and becoming
familiar with the latest developments
that rela-s 10 the catastrophe
The EXPLOSION.
The explosion TOOK place at about
6:l5 Il. N. just as Sho msn we're get
ting ready to draw the first heat.
Without a moment 8 warming the Sec
ond boiler from she eastern end of the
mill OH the south side exploded. There
was dreadful scene of havoc and
death. The explosion was accompani-
ed with the usual dull thud rather
than deafening report, although the
crash Of falling timbers and tumbling
brickwork as portion of the mill COL
lapsed, added much to the noise. A
portion-somethingm more than one half
OF the boiler was hurled by the force
of the explosion some five hundred
feet southwark. landing at the rear of
row of houses. The other portion
was thrown in the opposite direction,
striking smoke stack, which it level
ed to the ground, and coming in con-
tact with the forge house, capaciuus
brick structure in which is housed the
" fifth wheel" department. A large
gap was torn in the brickwork of this
building, but the boiler rebounded and
fell on the ground between the puddle
mi and the forge house. The wing
of the mill In which the ill-fated boil
er was located was partially wrecked.
The eastern end for at least eighty
feet is mass of ruins made up of
brickwork, roof timbers and fallen
smoke stacks.
Many OF the men were just coming
into the mill for the days work when
the explosion occurred, otherwise the
loss Of life would have been greater.
The men killed, all puddlers, how
ever, were at their posts, H. V Jac-
ques, who has charge of the "fifth
wheel department, was just entering
the works He was stunned for mo-
ment but recovering was among the
first to reach the puddle mill. He
gives d graphic description of the
scene. Many of the victims were pin
ned fast or were half buried under the
debris.
NARROWING SCENES.