The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1911-01-06
BOILER KNOWN
TO Be UNSAFE
Investigation Of Disaster Near
PittSfieId Is Begun
SIXTEEN MEN ARE KILLED


Day After They Had Been Tested
Pieces of Victims Bodies Blown
Two Hundred Feet When Explosion
Occurs at Icehouses
Pittsfeld, Mass, Dec. 30.-Five
members of the state boiler inspection
department started an investigation
here last night, to prepare evidence
for the inquest to fix the blame for the
explosion of the boiler at the More
wood Lake Ice company plant, which
killed sixteen men and injured twenty
three others, three of them fatally.
F. l.. Forbush of North Adams is
the inspector who last examined the
old boiler. Forbush is said to have
fixed fifty pounds pressure as the
safety limit for the boiler at the last
inspection, last summer.
A state officer says that the boiler
with only fifty pounds pressure could
not run the engine of the ice con-
veyer, which required at least sixty
pounds of steam.
Inspector Forbush, it is alleged,
agreed to allow sixty pounds on con-
dition that a new safety valve and
new steam gauge be installed. A IL
cense was issued, limiting the steam
TO sixty pounds.
These new safety devices. both
gauge and valve, were tried out on the
boiler Wednesday, and the gauge
found to be showing only $3.50
pounds of steam when the safety valve
popped at eighty. at which pressure 1t
was set, it is claimed Both gauge
and valve had been tested and passed
by the company supplying them.
The fire under the boiler was start
ed yesterday in spite of the test
Wednesday. It was known that the
gauge had failed to register properly,
and after the explosion the safety
valve, set at eighty pounds, was
found, blown some distance still set.
The failure of both safety valve
and steam gauge to work properly,
installed on an old, unsafe |
boiler, is stated to be the cause of the
explosion. At the inquest every eff
fort will be. made. to- determine who.
was TO blame, engineer. ice plant
owners, boiler inspectors or me-
chanics of the valve and gauge COM
pany.
Before more than incidental meas
ures were started to fix the blame, the
work of providing assistance, imme-
diate and future, for the sufferers was
started. Mayor McInnis was over
whelmed with offers of assistance,
and a fund had grown to s235O within
two hours after it had started.
The icehouse of the Norwood Lake
Ice company is nearly two miles from
the city. Nearby residents, hearing
the crash, Immediately telephoned to
the police headquarters in the city.
Chief OF Police White rushed to the
scene every possible assistance.
The relief party arrived at the scene
nearly half an hour after the explo-
sion. Bodies we're scattered around,
a few of the injured conscious. The
living were cared for first.
OF the injured, hardly any are
known here. Three of them are seri-
ously injured and not likely to live.
Most of them are Poles, Canadian
French and Italians None of them
were on the payrolls.
The ice plant was to have COM
menced storing yesterday. Prepara-
tons had been under way for a few
days. and in answer to advertise
ments for laborers, inserted in local |
papers. about $50 men reported at the
plant for work.
The day was cold, and as many of |
the laborers as could gathered about |
the boiler room, where Fireman Allen,
Engineer Dunn and John Reynolds, a
carpenter, were at work.
These men were engaged in getting |
up steam. Under the boiler a hot |
fire had been going for some time.
The boiler ripped open with a roar.
The walls Of the boiler room were |
hurled outward. and fragments of |
steel boiler plate. great splinters OF |
wood and pieces Of machinery scat
tered through the crowd Of waiting
Iaborers.
The execution was terrible. Pieces |
of bodies were blown 200 feet. One
piece Of boiler plate was blown 500 |
feet away. II weighed over 200 |
pounds.
Following Is a list OF the dead: VIII |
liam Dunn. engineer: George Ward, |
fireman; John Raymond. carpenter;
Edgar Allen. driver; Leo fernando.
laborer: Martin II Smith, laborer;
Wyatt Moore, laborer; William Pc |
poon. laborer; Alfred Bence. laborer;
Frederick ROuthier, laborer; Elmer |
Eldridge, laborer; James McNalus.
faborer; George Houghtalfn, laborer;
Joseph Gallogo. laborer: Obelino Gal |
logo. laborer; unidentified laborer.
Flies $50 Miles In honopIsne