Natchez, MS Terrible Boiler Explosion, May 1887

FIVE MEN KILLED BY A TERRIBLE BOILER EXPLOSION AT NATCHEZ, MISS.

Natchez, Miss., May 28. -- At 6:30 o'clock Saturday morning the boiler of the Natchez cotton factory exploded with terrific violence, entirely demolishing the engine-room and the pickery, which was above it, and bursting in the walls of the main building, causing the roof to settle in the center of the building. The smoke-stack was almost entirely demolished and the large factory injured to the extent of many thousand dollars. The mill hands go to work at six o'clock, and most of them were in their places when the explosion occurred. A scene of the wildest terror prevailed among the 450 men, women and children in the factory. When it became known that several persons had been killed and many more or less injured, the anxiety and grief of those who had friends and relatives in the building was heart-rending. The fire organization of the city was soon on hand, and a relief party was immediately set at work removing those who were in the building. All but two of the sufferers -- HENRY MULLINS and GEORGE A. McNEAL -- were soon taken from the ruins. These two were deeply covered with debris, and relief parties were several hours in reaching them. McNEAL was first removed, and he was found dead, his head being mashed to a jelly.
The casualties are as follows:
Killed:
GEORGE A. McNEAL.
A. H. FOSTER.
JESSE HITCHCOCK.
ERNEST ALEXANDER (colored).
MULLINS is doubtless dead, and he is still beneath the ruins.
Injured:
MAGGIE WELCH, seriously.
EMMA SCOTT, seriously.
NELLIE SIMS, bruised.
GEORGE THOMPSON, scalded.
S. E. LEES, engineer, bruised internally.
EVANS JENKINS, thigh crushed.
MONROE PRICE, bruised internally.

The Iola Register Kansas 1887-06-03
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!