Stillwater Valley Gazette

August 10, 1871

BURRELL, --- -

HORRIBLE ACCIDENT - Three Men Killed by an Exploding Locomotive!! - AWFUL SUNDAY CATASTROPHE! - Our own neighborhood was visited, on last Sunday afternoon, by one of those dreadful affairs which tingle the nerves and curdle the blood. About 1 P. M., three men, names John O'Brien, ---- Burrell and Matthias Fox, were engaged in brightening the brass work, on the old locomotive, at Bradford Junction, (four miles west of this town), on the Indiana division of P. C. & I. railroad, when the boiler suddenly exploded, and instantly killed the two men first named, and so scalded poor Fox that he died, after intense suffering on Monday. Persons near the spot say that but little noise was made by the explosion; but it was so violent as to scatter the boiler into fragments, drive the rail outwards on which the engine stood, and throw the dome some 200 yards! The back part of O'Brien's head was blown off, and the others were horribly mangled and scalded. No engineer or fireman was near the locomotive at the time; but several persons narrowly escaped. Like most "yard engines" in use by our leading lines, this was said to be an old affair, long since condemned as unfit for the road. A similar accident with a like machine, occurred in Cleveland, a short time ago. Joseph Marlin, Esq., of Covington, acting as Coroner, held an inquest over the deceased, on Monday, and the jury returned a verdict in accordance with the above facts. O'Brien had a wife and a family of young children in Bradford. The others had no families.