One man dead in Mill explosion

ARMSTRONG, BLACK, BEECH, LONG, STEVER

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 7/10/2006 at 07:43:44

"Fairfield Ledger"
Friday, May 21, 1859,
Pg. 3, Col. 1

MILL BLOWN UP -- ONE MAN KILLED. With pain we record the particulars of a terrible accident which occurred in Des Moines township, in this county, about twelve miles from here, on Tuesday morning, the 17th inst.. BLACK's mill had not been in operation for some time, and on the morning of Tuesday, steam was put on, and in a short time after both ends of the boiler blew out, incidently killing Mr. Titus ARMSTRONG. It is supposed that a part of the boiler head struck Mr. A. in the breast. Mr. BLACK was stunned considerably by the explosion, but as soon as he recovered he hastened to offer assistance to Mr. A., whom he found with some timbers lying across his breast. He lifted the timbers off. And although Mr. A. gave a few convulsive efforts afterward, he expired almost instantly. Mr. BLACK was badly bruised, although no bones were broken. Another man was in the mill, but he escaped without injury. The concussion was so great that the mill was entirely demolished, the timbers lying about in every direction.

Mr. BEECH who was plowing in a field a short distance from the mill, was looking at it at the time of the explosion, and says that he saw two volumes of steam issuing from the mill, one from each end, and when the steam cleared away the building was lying on the ground. He hurried to the mill; but found that his efforts were useless in saving life. Mr. BLACK says that there was not much steam up -- that it did not escape at the safety-valve; but upon examination of the valve, by Mr. LONG, it appears that the valve had become rusted, and Mr. LONG supposes that there was more steam on than there was tho't to be by those in charge of the mill.

Mr. ARMSTRONG was the son-in-law of Mrs. Adam STEVER, and was about thirty-seven years old. He leaves a wife and two children to mourn his untimely end. His remains were deposited in the grave yard at this place.

*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.

[Note: Titus ARMSTRONG is buried in Old Fairfield City Cemetery, on the east half of Lot 30. His wife was Ann Mary STEVER, who remarried Samuel GLASGOW and died and was buried in Seattle, WA, in 1921. The dates given on Titus' stone are 1816-1860; the death date is in error, as he died in 1859 per the above article.]