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Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott
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Alpena Weekly Argus
October 11, 1876


           FEARFUL DISASTER!

           BOILER EXPLODED!

           Minor & Co.'s Shingle Mill
             Blown to Atoms.

           Five Deaths from the Disaster

           Eight Other Persons Injured

           Last Saturday morning, about twenty minutes to 7 o'clock an
         explosion was heard and a tremendous shock felt throughout the
         city, which proved to be the bursting of the boiler of the shingle
         mill of J. S. Minor & Co., near the dam, on the south side of the
         river. In a few minutes an immense crowd was at the scene of the
         disaster, and parties were engaged in caring for the dead and
         wounded. The mill was literally blown to pieces, and the greatest
         wonder is that there were no more lives lost. The casualties are
         as follows:
           Andrew Tigchon, killed.
           William Card, picked up insensible, and expired as soon as his
           body had been conveyed to his home.
           ____ Jojaski, killed.
           John Berryhill, seriously injured about the head and body, but
           may recover.
           James Jones, slightly bruised about the head and body, and a cut
           on the back of the head. Jones is the young man who escaped
           injury at the time of the tug explosion a year ago.
           Daniel Bowman, the engineer, left leg, right arm and thumb
           broken, and badly scalded. He lived but a short time after the
           catastrophy.
           William Irwin, a deep cut in right thigh, and somewhat bruised.
           John Thompson, a boy, so fatally injured that he died on
           Saturday evening.
           William Thompson, a brother of John, cut about the face and
           head, and left leg broken, but will probably recover.
           John Bezoyer, hurt about the back and internally.
           Benjamin Hill, slightly bruised about the back.
           Louis Peck, arm and jaw broken, and badly cut about the head and
           face. He is in a critical condition, still hopes are entertained
           of his recovery.
           James Lennox, son of R. Lennox, somewhat bruised and burned,
           with face and eyes blown full of ashes and dirt, but will
           recover from his injuries.
           Charles Harwood, a young lad of about twenty years escaped most
           miraculously. He was in the packing room at the time of the ex-
           plosion, and was completely buried beneath a hugh (sic) mass of
           timbers and debris, where he remained for about an hour, when he
           was liberated after much sawing, cutting and digging. He con-
           versed with the men while they were at work, and informed them
           how and where he was held fast, which was a heavy pressure upon
           his legs. He appeared to be uninjured.

           It would seem from the manner in which the mill was torn to
         pieces that there must have been a tremendous pressure of steam in
         the boiler, for large sheets of the iron were completely flattened
         and thrown many rods from the mill. The exhaust pipe was blown
         more than a block away, while the mill was nearly blown to
         slivers. Taking at as a whole, it was the most terrific blow up we
         have heard of in many years.
           It is supposed that this sad affair was caused by low water in
         the boiler, and overtaxation of the capacity of the machinery.

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