Huddersfield Chronicle (04/Jan/1868) - page 3
Fatal Boiler Explosion at Barnsley
FATAL BOILER EXPLOSION AT BARNSLEY.
THIRTY PERSONS INJURED.
About noon on Satyrday one of the builers at the steam corn mill belonging to the executors of the late Mr. George Jackson, and situate near to the centre of Ba rnsley, exploded, killing the engine-tenter, and injuring more or less some thirty other persons, as well a5 doing a great deal of damage to property in the neighbourhood. The inhabitants of the locality and persons passing along Peelstreet, which the mill fronts, and Pitt Street at the back, were all at once startled by a heavy booming noise like the discharge of artillery. On_looking in the direction from which the sound proceeded, the mill premises were found to be almost entirely enveloped in steam, whilst bricks, stones, and pieces of wood were falliag about in all directions to a distance of nearly 200 yards, and from a considerable height. On several persons going to the place where the boilers and engine were worked, they found the engine-tenter, 2 man named Abraham Laycock, so dreadfully cut and scalded that he died in about a quarter of an hour after the occurrence, his wife just arriving a minute or two before he died. The remains were at once removed home. Several persons in the few houses which run on one side of the mill were considerably injured and two females had to be removed to the White Hart Inn, where they were attended by Mr. Blackburn, surgeon, who was himself struck on the shoulder by a brick as he was leaving his surgery. Several men and boys were also injured by being struck by the falling bricks and stones. The boiler itself was one of the old ""haystack" description, had been a long time in use, and a few months since had been repaired and put down at the mill, previous to which it was worked at the Burton Bridge establishment belonging to the same firm. By the force of the explosion, with the exception of a small piece that was torn off, the boiler was lifted cleanly and completely out of its bed, and on rising appears to have struck against a cottage house a few yards distant, now a complete wreck, and then passed over the tops of several other houses for fully 100 yards, until it came to the Freeman's Arms Inn, the roof of which it sent in with a crash, It then fell over on to the top of a strongly built one-storied shop, oceupied by Mr. Pepper, druggist. The assistant, who was in at the time, rushed to the door and made his escape uninjured. The position of the boiler was rather singular, balanced as it was on the top of the building not more than eight or ten feet from the ground; and to prevent the possibility of any further accident the place was completely fenced round, so that in the event of its falling off no-one could be injured. The women who were removed to the White Hart Inn, were Mary Newsome, aged 28 (far advanced in pregnancy), and Catherine Connelly, the house in which they were not being more than five or six yards from where the explosion took place. An elderly man, named Somersgill, residing in Dodworth Road, and formerly an agent or collector to the Royal Liver Suciety, but who is unable to follow any employment, suffering from a paralytic stroke, was severely hurt by a brick. A lad, ten years of age, Frank Frudd, residing with his parents in Dodworth Road, was also injured by a brick whilst passing on the opposite side of the mill. He was conveyed home in a cah, and attended by Dr. Steward. Mr. Sadler, Mr. Blackburn, and other members of the medical profession were indefatigable in rendering assistance wherever needed, and so far the parties injured are in a fair way of recovery. The same evening an inquest on the body of the tenter, Abraham Laycock (who leaves a wife ani four little children) was opened at the Cranberry Iun, before Mr. Taylor. The body having heen identified, the inquiry was adjourned to Thursday at the White Hart Inn. During the whole of Sunday the place was crowded with hundreds of visitors.
On Tuesday preparations were made for removing the boiler from the top of the shop ef Mr. Pepper. That gentleman, who resides at Mexbro', received the first intimation of the closing of his shop by the following telegram : — " Come and look at your shop, there's a boiler on the top." -