The following account of industrial accident/explosions appears in William
Travis' HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY
(Published 1909):
"A fatal boiler explosion in the puddling department of the rolling-
mill of the Central Iron and Steel Company, Monday, January 9, 1888,
shook up and startled the population of the city of Brazil, many of whom
were at the dinner table at the time, as it occurred at exactly 12:25 p.m.
The exploded boiler was riven in two, one end projected against the
brick stack on the east side of the mill and the other against the stack
on the west side, demolishing both. The sheet roofing, with its support of
timber beams and iron stays, was precipitated in promiscuous ruins upon
the floor, and in the midst of tumbling walls, cracking timbers, brick and
iron missiles, showers of hot water and clouds of steam, were a number of
men at their posts of duty. The scene immediately following the crash
was a mass of debris in the midst of which lay a dozen or more victims,
cut, bruised, scalded, burned and disfigured almost beyond recognition,
some pinioned to the floor, wholly unable to extricate themselves.
The instantly killed were Mat Mortimer and John E. Tobin; the
injured, John J. Lewis, Peter Dolan, Edward Myers, William Williams,
John Bentley, Edward McGlew, Elias T. Davis, George Hendrix, John
Kaufman, John L. Sullivan. Having held an investigation, Coroner Sla-
vens found that the explosion was attributable to defective machinery.
Previous to this there was a disastrously fatal explosion at this place on
the 10th day of February, 1885. The killed were Mahlon Barker, Robert
Davis, Peter Farrel, William Pettit, Lewis Miller, George Miller, James
Billeter, the last named surviving his injuries three days. The injured
were James Rogers, John Nussel, Thomas Kennedy, Francis Paney,
Matthew Mortimer, Thomas Brady, Thomas Hendrix, John Burns, John
Daly, Thomas O'Mara, Charles Sage, Thomas Sullivan, Thomas Chilton,
Henry Brankstin."
John Humphrey
----- Original Message -----
From: "Concetta Franco" <concetta.franco(a)BLDD.COM>
To: <INCLAY-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Friday, June 20, 2003 10:51 AM
Subject: [INCLAY] Explosions in Brazil
Hi!
Could anyone point me to any resources about these? I am specifically
looking for
one that killed a great-uncle between 1888-1890.
Thanks!
Concetta
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