Morewood Lake Ice Company explosion
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Pittsfield, Massachusetts
| Date | December 29, 1910 |
|---|---|
| Time | 9:30 am |
| Location | Morewood Lake Pittsfield, Massachusetts |
| Cause | Boiler exceeding its strength due to a faulty pressure gauge |
| Deaths | 17 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 20 |
The Morewood Lake Ice Company explosion occurred on December 29, 1910, at the company's plant in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Twelve men were killed in the boiler explosion and five more died from their injuries.
The explosion occurred on the first day of the ice harvesting season.[1] Around 125 men, mostly Italian and Polish immigrants, gathered in and around the boiler house of the Morewood Lake Ice Company waiting for work.[2] The boiler was a second-hand locomotive boiler that had been purchased from a saw-mill in 1906. It was only used for two to three weeks out of the year when ice was being harvested. The boiler had been inspected in the spring of 1910 and after changes were made, it was permitted by a state inspector to operate at 70 psi (480 kPa).[3]
At 9:30 am, a violent explosion blew the boiler to pieces and sent fragments of iron and timber through the air. Men 400 yards (370 m) away from the boiler house had to dodge debris and a 300-pound (140 kg) piece of the boiler flew over 300 yards (270 m) and cut off five 30-foot-high (9.1 m) treetops.[1] 12 people were killed almost instantly. Some of the bodies were thrown as far as 100 to 200 feet (30 to 61 m) away from the boiler.[2]
The blast could be heard throughout Pittsfield and shook windows as far as one mile (1.6 km) away.[1] Physicians, ambulances, and automobiles rushed to the scene. The injured were transported to the House of Mercy and the dismembered bodies were gathered up and brought to their families.[2] five people died from injuries they suffered in the explosion.[4]