1891 — June 3, Boiler Explosion, Dusard Brothers’ Saw Mill, near Fayetteville, IN — 5
–5 Appletons’ Annual Cyclopaedia and Register of Important Events…1891. 1892, p. 254.
–5 Bedford Mail, IN. “Five Killed…Explosion of Dusard Brothers’ Saw-mill.” 6-5-1891, p3.
Narrative Information
“Joe Dusard galloped into town on a horse Wednesday forenoon about 9:30, with the startling intelligence that the boiler of the saw-mill owned by himself and brother, John, had exploded a short time before, killing and injuring a number of men. He was after physicians…
“The mill was a portable one…and had recently been purchased by the Dusards. It was stationed on William Pitman’s farm one mile north of Fayetteville…Wednesday morning a new engineer, Geo. Hayden, took charge. He did not arrive until about 8 o’clock, and John Dusard fired up. When the engine was turned over to Hayden it is said to have been carrying about 30 pounds of steam. The young man asked Dusard how many pounds of steam he wanted, and the latter replied about 60 pounds, as they were going to saw short, small logs, and would need but little power. John then went off a distance of about 75 yards with Joe Dusard, to attend to some horses, and had been gone but a few minutes when the boiler blew up.
“The force of the explosion was tremendous. The boiler, composed of iron 3-16ths of an inch thick was not ripped open, as is the case where excessive pressure is carried on weak boilers, but was shattered into a hundred fragments, as though it had been filled with dynamite. Some of the pieces were less than two inches in diameter, and were driven deeply into surrounding objects as though they had been shot out of a cannon. A large piece, several hundred pounds in weight, was hurled to a distance of 100 yards. The cast-iron fly-wheel was broken up fine and the pieces projected through the air with he force of grape-shot. The report was heard a distance of seven or eight miles, and was distinctly noticed by many persons in Bedford… The mill was totally demolished, and of the seven persons in it at the time five have died. The list is as follows:
“Dove Kern…about 21 years…of Fayetteville…blown some 40 feet against a lumber pile….
“James Perkins, aged about 20 years, unmarried, and lived at Fayetteville. He was thrown into the pit…he died within an hour…
“Edward Dusard, of Bedford, aged about 29 years…had both legs broken and was awfully scalded. He was taken to Fayetteville and lingered until nearly three o’clock….
“Gordon G. Evans, aged 22…of Fayetteville, had one leg broken and was scalded all over. He died at 4 o’clock p.m. at Fayetteville. He was a school teacher…Evans was the support of his mother, with whom he lived.
“George Hayden, a young man, married, was the engineer, and had been in charge of the engine less than twenty minutes when it blew up….” (Bedford Mail, IN. “Five…” 6-5-1891, p. 3.)
Sources
Appletons’ Annual Cyclopaedia and Register of Important Events of the Year 1891 (Vol. 16, new series). “Disasters in 1891.” NY: D. Appleton and Co., 1892. Google digitized at:
http://books.google.com/books?id=FUcoAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
Bedford Mail, IN. “Five Killed…Explosion of Dusard Brothers’ Saw-mill.” 6-5-1891, p. 3. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=196315092&sterm