Iowans Die in Deadly Mill Explosion (1902)

CARTER, BOYD, SHAFFER, SHEFFER, MYERS

Posted By: Kate Hite (email)
Date: 7/18/2020 at 20:09:14

Iowans Die in Deadly Mill Explosion

Three Men Blown to Pieces At Peoria, Fifteen Miles From Oskaloosa.

May Claim Another

Property Completely Destroyed by the Force of the Blast - The Scene is One of Desolation - Dead Men Mangled Beyond Recognition.

Oskaloosa, April 9. - (Special) - As the result of the explosion of the boiler in James Carter's sawmill at Peoria, a little town fifteen miles northwest of this place, late yesterday afternoon. Dudley Boyd, James Shaffer and Frank Myers are dead, and the proprietor of the mill, James Carter, is probably fatally injured. The property is completely destroyed and the situation is one which words can but poorly describe. The remains of the dead men are mangled almost beyond recognition.

Particulars Not Known.

Peoria is not in telegraphic communication with any place and is not located on any railroad, and consequently particulars regarding the catastrophe are hard to obtain today. The coroner of Mahaska county has gone to the scene of the accident and will doubtless hold an inquest there this afternoon or evening.

The first news of the affair that reached Oskaloosa came by the way of New Sharon, for an undertaker as soon as possible after the explosion occurred. From this man it was learned that the boiler which exploded and caused the loss of life was an old one that had been patched several times and was considered dangerous. It is supposed that there was more steam on than usual at the time of the accident and the metal would not stand the strain. The only survivor of the accident, Mr. Carter, is so badly injured that he can throw no light upon the affair as to its exact cause.

The noise of the explosion brought all the inhabitants of the village hurrying to the scene and the sight that met their eyes was enough to make one's heart stand still. Charles Hale was the first to reach the ruined sawmill, and he and others who followed soon after picked up the dead and wounded men and bore them to their homes. One body, fearfully mangled, was found thirty feet from where the men had been working at the time the boiler exploded. The three men were killed instantly.

Two Were Married.

Two of the dead men, Shaffer and Myers, leave families. They were each about 45 years of age. Boyd was about 35 years old and was unmarried. Carter is a married man of middle age. (Ottumwa Tri-Weekly Courier (Ottumwa, IA) April 10, 1902, p. 12)