THE TERRIBLE BOILER EXPLOSION

SIX MEN KILLED OUTRIGHT AND FOUR WOUNDED!

The farm of George Jung living seven miles west of the town ofCenterville, was the scene of 
a terrible disaster Tuesday morning caused by the explosion of the boiler of a thresher engine, 
resulting in the instant death of five men and the serious, if not fatal injury of three others. The 
accident occurred about six o'clock in the morning, soon after work had been commenced.
Of the killed two were negroes, the name of one of whom, Albert Arnold, was all that could be 
obtained. The one white man killed was a German named Fred. Bartheleder.

Of the injured were Conrad Lindemannt the engineer, and his brother in law, Christ. Diehl. 
The latter is probably the most seriously injured, as in addition to being badly scalded one 
of his legs was nearly torn from his body. Our informant describes the scene as one of the 
most harrowing it has been his lot to gaze upon. The body boiler was carried by the power 
of the explosion a distance of fifty-one yards and from its position must have passed directly 
over the wheat stacks. The body of one of the colored men, Alfred Arnold, was lying still 
further beyond the boiler and was fearfully disfigured and mutilated. The top of the head 
was blown off and both legs were broken. The bodies of the others also presented a sickening 
sight, being burned by the fire which no longer bore semblance to the human form. The engine
 which caused this terrible loss of life and destruction of property belonged to the two brothers, 
George and Charles Jung and Conrad Lindermann but of whose manufacture it has not now
 been learned. Immediately following the explosion came a conflagration caused by the straw 
taking fire and communicating to the separator and wheat stacks. Everything combustible 
was consumed.

 Later intelligence from the scene of accident reports the death of Christ Deihl, whose serious 
injuries are noted above, making six deaths in all. Coroner Bader was summoned to the scene 
of the accident by telegram and preceded at once to hold an inquest. From the evidence it 
appears that work had been commenced at four o'clock in the morning and continued until 
nearly six when a stop was made for breakfast. The meal not being quite ready, the men remained 
about the machine talking, when Lindemann noticed something wrong about the engine. It appearing 
to be making steam very fast. Instead of drawing the fire and taking other precautions to prevent 
an explosion, he opened the fire door and commenced to poke the fire, when suddenly the already
over strained boiler exploded hurling death and destruction in every direction.

The coroner's jury rendered the following verdict: "That the deceased persons came to their deaths 
by the explosion of an engineboiler used to operate a threshing machine and that Conrad Lindeman is 
to blame for the same." 

The following is a list of the killed: 

Fred. Bartheleder. white. nephew to engineer. aged 22. unmarried.

Nathan Brown. colored. aged 35, leaves a wife and five children.

Christian Deihl. white. aged 44. leaves a wife and four children.

Joshua Morgan, white. aged 15 years.

Alfred Arnold. colored. 28 years. unmarried.

Charles Stewart. white.

THE WOUNDED ARE:

Conrad Lindermann. white. engineer. aged 46. wife and four children.

George Storm, colored. aged 55. wife. and several children.

Henry Deihl, white, aged 23 years, unmarried.

Grant Hart.

The engine which caused this terrible destruction of life and property, was of foreign manufacture, 
and was not, as was stated in the st. Louis Republican, manufactured at the Harrison Works in this city.

LATER
The very latest intelligence from the scene of the calamity is to the effect that the four wounded men 
have died, making ten victims in all. There were eleven men on the ground at the time, only one
of whom escaped.

The article was taken from the newspaper files at the Belleville
Public Library.