A FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 100, 28 April 1879, Page 4

A FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT.

Stockton, 22nd February. One of the most terrible explosions in the history of California occurred at tbe bead tf a Stockton Slough on El Dorado-street, io a crowd of more tban 200 people, wbo had assembled to witness the trial of a new propel!.?, pump. The pump was set io the slough and was ran by.a tbreabing eagine, Tbe spectators kere standidg About the engine and pump, and made a dense crowd. A moment after tbe scene, was iadeacribabie. Tbose who stood near were prostrated, falling away from tbe scene of tbe explosion, many beiog tumbled and rolling headlong, covered with dirt aod steam. The body of the engine waa blown through the crowd a distance of about 120 feet, aud landed, with a part ofthe trucks on which it stood, about midway between lhe Weber engine-house and the head of the slough. The dead lay prostrate io every direction, some failiog into tbe slougb from ths bridge. Ten or twelve bodies lay io one beo p, or. near enough together to touch one another at the nortb-west corner of the bridge, wbile tbe others lay strewn dead and #fr« m .he street, btavo from SO to IGQ- feefc. Thftf «c«ae wash the taoat hor tfhlereve. i MltMMei by any t visited it. T^a hesds of some were blown to jtipoflfc "anjl others seemed to ««ye been blown lp. the ground with such force as to break every bone jp their bodies* Jfoq, wopqn,. and cfrjtTdrea hurried Jo aod fro aimlessly, with blanched cheeks and horrified countenances. The wounded were as promptly oared for ss possible, and tbe dead were left undisturbed until the excitement had somewhat subsided. It ia said that five piinutea before the explosion a friend of Avery, the engineer, told bim tbat be had better clean tbe engine before be attempted to start ber, as it was 100 dirty to ruo. He said, '• I will run ber or bust her," and he did.