Brown Brothers Explosion - 1906

HOUGH, MENNIFEE, BROWN

Posted By: A.M.W. (email)
Date: 5/26/2004 at 23:08:20

5-16-1906 – Wayland News

BLEW UP
About 6 o’clock last Thursday morning, the boiler at Brown Bros. Tile factory at Crawfordsville exploded killing Henry Hough and Walter Mennifee. The damage to the building will amount to several thousand dollars. The dry sheds were full of green tile which was more or less damaged. The building stood near the railroad and the force of the explosion was so great that the boiler head was hurled across the track and into Dr. Hull’s field. The shock was so heavy that many in town thought it an earthquake.

Walter Mannifee was bout thirty years old and was born and raised in Henry County. He leaves a widow and one son about sixteen years old. His father, Philip Mannifee, lives south of Crawfordsville. Henry Hough was about sixty years old and had worked for Brown Bros. twenty years. Most of his family live in Colorado.