Father and Son Killed
NEIS, BLATTIN, PAMPLE, FRANK
Posted By: Volunteer: Sherri
Date: 7/25/2015 at 10:24:34
FATHER AND SON KILLED.
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The Boiler of the Keosauqua Flouring Mill Explodes and Kills Anton and George Neis. A Terrible Scene of Destruction.About 15 minutes past 11 o'clock Friday of last week inhabitants of the lower part of Keosauqua were startled by the shaking of their residences and a report like heavy but distant thunder. Some ran out of their houses thinking it was the shock of an earthquake. Up in the business part of town windows rattled and buildings trembled but no particular attention was given to it by many because they heard no accompanying noise, prevented by a high wind which blew from the west. In a few moments however the news spread that the boiler of the Neis flouring mill down on the river in the eastern part of town had exploded, badly injuring the proprietor Anton Neis and his son George. People hurried to the mill and found an awful scene of destruction and that both father and son were fatally hurt. The family residence is about 75 yards from the mill and the injured men had been conveyed there when the writer arrived. Mr. Neis lived not to exceed half an hour and George about two hours, neither regaining consciousness. Mr. Neis was not disfigured but his ribs were crushed in several places and his body scalded. George's head was horribly crushed, the skull being torn away over the eyes, his body bruised and like his father badly scalded.
The engine and boiler house, which was a frame structure extending along the side of the massive four story mill building, was literally blown away, scarcely a brick that made the furnace or a piece of a board or scantling that made the engine house proper, being left. The boiler was gone, a section of it being thrown half across the river, a large part out in the old mill race and pieces of it away across on the residence lot 70 yards away and directly opposite from the sections blown into the river. The smoke stack, a large fly wheel and a section of the engine were all that remained on the site of the engine house. Eye witnesses who were some distance away say that when the explosion occurred the smoke stack and a great mass of debris was thrown higher than the top of the mill. Brick and pieces of iron were hurled to a distance of nearly a quarter af(s;) a mile. The mill whistle was found near the depot, fully a quarter of a mile distant. A brick was hurled through a space of 75 years and struck the kitchen part of the Neis residence with such force as to break out a piece of weather-boarding nearly a foot in length. The excellent picture of the mill here given is from a photograph taken not long since. It shows the engine house on this side of the mill just as it appeared before the awful accident. The windows on this side of the mill were blown in and the roof of the main building, shown on the slope this way just below the center and upper story, which, as can be seen, is narrower than the three stories below, was badly wrecked and workmen are repairing it at this writing. Had not the mill proper been constructed of very heavy stone, with walls of great thickness, it would doubtless have been wrecked too. But the walls withstood the terrible concussion and are without injury. Slight damage only was done to the machinery and contents of the mill. This mill was built by the late James Kinersley in 1857. We can give no better account of the accident than that which we learned direct from Andy Neis, the elder brother, who was at the mill when the explosion came. We talked with him and will now give in purport what he said about it:
"We had been grinding some chop feed and some flour and had stopped to do a little packing of the engine. Father, brothers George, and Loui and myself were in the boiler room. There had been a small wheel loose on part of the machinery and father had put it on and said he would watch it for awhile and see whether it would stay on. He had sat down on a block of wood at the rear of the engine room next to the mill and I told him he had better go up into the mill and I would stay down and watch the wheel. He didn't answer me or make any moved to go, and as George was ready to turn on the steam to begin grinding again, I started with Loui towards the front of the engine house to go out and around to the front door of the mill, George following us towards the throttle as I supposed to turn on the steam. Loui and I passed out of the engine room and around the mill corner and up onto the platform in front of the door, and just as we were in the doorway, side by side, the explosion came. Instantly the interior of the mill was filled with steam and flying pieces from the explosion. The shock and noise confused me for an instant but I realized the boiler had bursted. Loui started to run out but I held him and told to stand right where we were until all the things blown into the air had fallen. As soon as we could venture through the steam we went to where the engine house had been. At first we could see no one but soon we found George lying at the front of what had been the engine room and father was lying near the block of wood where he sat when I left him a moment before, which was at the opposite end from where George lay. Both were breathing but unconscious, Help soon came and we carried father and George over home. I cannot account for the explosion unless it came when George opened the throttle to turn on steam and start the machinery. I think there was plenty of water in the boiler."
Since the conversation with Andy, we learn from others that he has examined sections of the boiler and machinery which he could find and he says the indications are that the throttle had not been opened. There are various opinions as to the cause, some attributing the accident to lack of water in the boiler and some to other causes. Like most boiler explosions, nearly all is conjecture, and just what was the fault will never be known. It was an awful affair, awful for the community and doubly so for the family. It is the worst horror that has ever visited Keosauqua ... deep gloom ... row for the bereaved wife, mother, brothers and sisters is deep and cannot be expressed. Mr. Neis came here fifteen years ago to operate this mill and he and his children were always at work. They were industrious from father and mother down to the child not old enough to lift a hoe or carry an armful of wood into the house. They attended to their own business, were kind and accommodating neighbors, honest and charitable people. George was 19 years old and was a home boy. He stayed close to his father and was his especial help at the mill the past two or three years. They lived together, died together and were buried in one grave. The funeral was held Sunday afternoon last in the Odd Fellows' hall, a very large concourse of people attending. Eld. Johnson was in charge of the services assisted by Rev. Perkins and Rev. Ingham. The grave services were by the Odd Fellows at the Purdom cemetery where the remains were buried.
Anton N. Neis was born Feb. 14, 1841, in Georgenhausen, Grand Dukedom of Hesse, Darmstadt, Germany, and died Feb. 27, 1903, at Keosauqua, Iowa, being of a family of 10 children. In 1857 he came with his parents to America, settling in Burlington, Iowa. For several years he resided in Warren county, Ill., afterward in Washington county, Iowa. He took the trade of miller after coming to America, building a mill at Harper, Iowa, then at Conrad Grove, this state, coming from the last named place to Keosauqua 15 years ago. He was raised a Lutheran and identified himself with that church at Paris, Iowa. In 1862 he enlisted in Co. B, 71st Ill. Infantry, serving three months, where he lost his health and never recovered from its effects. He was an Odd Fellow and was identified with that order for 27 years. In the spring of 1864 he was married to Christina Blattin who died the following year. In 1869 he married Maria Frank. Two children, one of whom is Andy, now living in Keosauqua, were born to them. This wife died when Andy was less than two years old. May 17, 1877, he married Margaret Pample who survives. Nine children were born to them, one dying several years ago. George, who was killed with his father, was born at Harper, Keokuk county, Iowa, January 27, 1884, which made him a little over 19 years of age. Father and son, so strong in life a few days ago, now repose side by side in death.
Source: Van Buren Co. Genealogical Society Obituary Book E, Page 100 & 101, Keosauqua Public Library, Keosauqua, IA
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