The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-03-13
STORY OF BOILER EXPLOSION
TOLD BY HONESDALE MAN
Edward Deitzer Visits Scene of Ac-
cident Right After Explosion and
Tells The Citizen About the
Horrors of the Catastrophe.


Owing to The Citizen going to
press shortly after the blowing up
of the boiler in the Gilpin mill when
four men were killed, at Green
town last Thursday, we were un-
able to reproduce a detailed ac-
count of that awful catastrophe.
Since then we learned that Ed
ward Deitzer, shoe dealer, of this
place, and John Andrews, of Ariel,
were within a mile and half of the
explosion and after the alarm was
flashed over the phone he and Mr..
Andrews were on their way to
Greentown. Mr.. Detizer said he
neard the explosion at Newfound-
land People were walking, riding
and running. Women were mourn
ing and wringing their hands. Mr..
Deitzer stated that an elderly WONG
an was crying for joy because her
son was saved. When he and
Mr. Andrews arrived at Greentown,
an hour after the explosion, Mr.
Deitzer said there were $50 people
gathered around the mill and as
many more coming from different
directions.
1T was a horrible sight and one
l do not want to witness again"
quoted Mr.. DeitzeE. Three of the
men were killed outright, the fourth
dying an hour afterwards in Gilpin
Bros store. A leg was missing
from one of the men. When the
boiler exploded Haden Rock, Anth-
ony Bloss, Jr., Edward Hay and
George Croft were in the boiler
room, where they had placed their
dinner pals, as was the custom of
all the men mornings. One of the
men was blown up the river 800
feet, where he was found upon the
ice. Two others landed across the
stream. One, l believe, Edward
Hay, was alive when found and re-
/ mained conscious until a few min
utes before his death in Gilpin
Bros store. His wife was at his
side when he died. The fourth man
went in an opposite direction to the
first and was found about 200 feet
down the river. When we saw the
men in the mill basement their bod
les appeared like a bundle of rags
and meat. They were covered with
blood and their faces were torn
away by the terrific explosion.
never want to look upon such a
sight again"
extreme southeast end of a house
built especially for it. A section OF
the mill proper was also removed
When the explosion occurred the
force with which the boiler travelled
was incomprehensible. 1t was
found about 500 feet down the riv-
er. Near the boiler was a 12-inch
beech tree cut in twain. The breaks
were clean. One was about six feet
above the ground while the second
break was near the butt of the tree
1t was wonderful. The boiler evil
IDENTIFY was travelling with lightning
speed when it struck the tree anC
there is no telling what other dam
age 1t might have done had it mo-
struck the tree.
"A young man shivering anC
shaking came up to us and said, 'Ol
mister, only a minute more and
would have been killed, too. AS
came out of the door / heard 1
cracking noise and turned arounC
and l saw a man flying in the air
I'm mighty glad / came out
"A barn standing some distance
from the wrecked boiler house haC
three gable boards splintered by
flying stick of timber. The sticl
went in an opposite direction from
the boiler. Pieces of wood from th
boiler house were scattered owe
quite an area. The ground was ais,
covered with a black SCOT, presuma
bly, from the boiler room. The mil
was not damaged to any extent, saw
the boiler house"
We have since been informed tha
1t is alleged that the explosion wa
J caused by an accumulation of gas.