SOOT IN THE FLUES

That inscription is on the face of a multiple tombstone for a
woodcutter father and his three sons killed by the massive blast of
a steam engine when cold water from a nearby creek was poured into
the engine’s dry boiler.

The explosion killed Henry McKinnis, 51, and sons, Billie Ted,
10, and John O, 19, in addition to little Henry.

Pieces of Body Found

For a while, folks in this Lucas County town thought Henry had
escaped the blast until they found pieces of his body.

John O. lived long enough to utter the words that became his
epitaph as recalled by his mother, Elizabeth E. McKinnis.

‘Said he, ‘Ma, your time to die will come.

‘ ‘Then it matters not when we leave here; yet soon we
will all be gathered home.’ ‘

Stories on the blast in two Chariton newspapers typify the
colorful, competitive journalism of the day.

The Chariton Patriot which had a one-day jump on the story,
carried a rather straight account, conceding that no one knew the
cause of the blast, but describing the event:

‘McKinnis lived at Lacona with his wife and family. He was a
well known character and has for years been engaged in operating a
portable sawmill in various parts of Warren County and several days
ago he moved his plant to the woods three and one-half miles
southeast of Lacona and near Oakley and began work for the farmers
in the vicinity.

‘Everything was apparently all right and the saws were
going. The father was at work on the carriage and one of the sons,
which one is not known, went back to see to the boiler.

‘He was seen to hurriedly start the pump and then just as he
began to walk rapidly away the explosion occurred.

‘The boiler and all the machinery was shattered and thrown
about the big lot in which they stood. The branches of the trees
overhead were severed by the flying pieces of metal and wood.

‘The noise of the explosion was heard for several miles and
the excited farmers who at once rushed to the scene found nothing
but the dead and mangled bodies….

‘The cause of the explosion is unknown, but it is supposed
that the water was allowed to run low in the boiler and that cold
water was pumped into it, with the usual result.’

Same Story

Beaten by a day and trying to make up ground, the writer at the
Chariton Herald turned loose every action word in his lexicon to
tell the same story:

‘On last Saturday afternoon about 2:00, the boiler of Henry
McKinnis’ sawmill, situated about two miles southwest of
Newbern, in Liberty Township, this county, exploded with terrific
force, killing the proprietor and three sons, who were working with
him at the mill, aged respectively 52, 19, 12 and 10 years.

‘Mrs. McKinnis and four small children, who are left in
comparatively destitute circumstances by this terrible
dispensation, were at the dwelling nearby at the time of the
occurrence.

‘She hastened to the mill where a heart-rending scene
presented itself that was enough to appall the stoutest-hearted of
the human race. The husband and father was found 75 yards from the
mill gasping in the last throes of death, and wholly unconscious of
her presence he uttered one solitary groan and life became
extinct.

‘The eldest son, John, was found some 10 yards farther away,
conscious, but in a dying condition. He inquired of his mother what
had happened and where he was.

‘The distracted mother hurriedly explained to him the sad
catastrophe and sought to relieve his sufferings, with the aid of
neighbors, who, alarmed by the explosion had quickly gathered upon
the ground but their efforts were of no avail, and death claimed
his victim in less than one short hour.

Pile of Lumber

‘The 10-year-old boy, Fred, was found dead near by a pile of
lumber in the yard, against which he had been thrown headforemost,
with his skull mashed in.

‘The body of Henry, Jr., the 12-year-old son, who was acting
as engineer and fireman, was literally blown to atoms, pieces of
which were gathered up at a distance of 300 yards, one arm not
being found till Sunday morning, and some portions of his body
could not be found.

‘The remains of the unfortunate victims were gathered up and
prepared for burial as best it could be done by the kindly hands of
sympathizing neighbors and were interred in one grave at the
Baptist Cemetery near Oakley on Sunday afternoon.

‘The grief stricken mother and four fatherless children have
the sympathy of all human hearts who have learned of their sad
bereavement.

‘The particulars as to the cause of the accident is shrouded
in mystery never to be revealed, as there was no one about the mill
at the time save those whose lives were extinguished as by the
besom of destruction.’ (The dictionary defines besom as a
broom, particularly one of brush or twigs.)

‘The boiler was an old one, out of repair and in a leaking
condition. A short time before the explosion, a neighbor was at the
mill and observed that the water was low in the boiler, that the
pump was not throwing as it should and the engineer was working at
it and trying to get water into the boiler.

‘It is supposed that the water kept running down in the
boiler until it became dry and hot, and when the stream of cold
water was finally started the inevitable explosion took place.

‘Only Plausible Theory’

‘This is about the only plausible theory, and under such
circumstances no other result could reasonably have been
expected.

‘How any rational man could have been so reckless or
thoughtless is one of the human mysteries that are almost daily
brought to public attention.’

There are lines of poetry, too, on the stone of Billy Ted, but
time and the weather have obscured all but one line in the
sandstone: ‘Jolly, laughing little Teddie.’

On Henry’s too, only a couple of lines can be distinguished:
‘Four loving ones from me are gone, four voices we loved are
stilled. Co. B, Iowa Infantry.’

Of mother, Elizabeth, and the four younger children, there is no
further word; no other stones. After 85 years, chances are that
John’s words have been fulfilled:

‘Yet soon we will all be gathered home.’

A letter came from ROBERT RAUHAUSER, R. D. 2, Box 766,
Thomasville, Pennsylvania 17364: ‘I read the article in
Iron-Men Album about monument to Shep so I decided to write and
tell you about my new hobby, collecting dog licenses. It’s the
most interesting thing I ever collected. I starting collecting dog
licenses after I had three operations to keep my mind occupied.
Now, I’m hooked! I get to know and hear from people all over
and get to do a lot of trading of dog licenses. I have my York
County, Pennsylvania series completed now 1907 to 1978. Now,
I’m working on the other Pennsylvania counties and other
states. I still need the years for Lancaster County for quite a few
years.’ (That surely is a different hobby, don’t you think,
folks?)

Next letter comes from MELVIN R. GRENVIK, 115-1st Avenue, N.E.,
Kenmare, North Dakota 58746: ‘Have received my first few issues
since entering my subscription, and enjoy it from cover to cover
even the ads are darned good reading!

I have a question about identification of the Case engine on the
cover of the Mar/April issue. The inside caption says it is a
32-110. If this is so, it must be some year model made after 1909
with taller stack, longer smoke box, two smoke box cover latches
instead of three and narrow drivers instead of the 36′ width
shown for the 110 in my 1909 Case catalog.

With my limited knowledge of this family of remarkable Case
engines, I would guess it’s a 28-80 rather than 110. Am I
wrong?

Keep up the good work. Hope to have an article and pictures of
my intended 1/3 scale Case project some day.

I intend never to let my subscription to our fine magazine
lapse. The big steamers were much in use when I was a kid and
I’m utterly fascinated by them.

P.S. In 1909 catalog the 110 was not offered with long canopy
but locomotive type cab only.’

GILBERT KEYES, 446 N. Milwaukee Street, Plymouth, Wisconsin
53073 says: ‘I enjoy reading Iron-Men Album very much and look
forward to each issue. Could you put this note in your column I
want to restore this engine and need information, ‘Leroi’ 2
cylinder open water jacket Model M H 3, built in the late 20s. This
engine turns backwards. Thank you!’ (Hope you get your answers
Gil.)

This next letter is a cancellation for a show that’s sad
news but want to pass it on to you. It comes from ASEL A. GABEL,
R.F.D. 1, Box 193, Sharon Road, Bridgeport, Ohio 43912:

‘We are very sorry but we will not be able to have our
Gabel’s Threshing Bee this year. We had it for 10 years and had
real good times meeting all you nice people and talking to you
all.

For years now, we have been raising our oats, wheat, rye, and
buckwheat on the farm behind our place. It was owned by the coal
company. They are stripping that farm and we have no place to
plant.

The farm that joins us on the south are core drilling getting
ready to strip, so we can’t get land there either. Our own
place is not large enough to plant enough grain to thresh two
days.

We have gotten several letters from you nice people wanting to
know more about our Threshing Bee, others wanting to know how to
get here and others wanting to bring in stands.

We are very sorry indeed to disappoint all of you. We are so
disappointed ourselves, too.’

DANIEL H. STEINHOFF, Beach Hill Road, New Ashford, Massachusetts
01237 wants to comment: ‘In reading my article on the Hydraulic
Compressed Air Plant in the July-August I.M.A., pages 18 and 19, I
find I made a couple of errors. First there are two B’s on the
schematic, one should be C, however, I believe the readers figured
this one out. The other one on page 19 in parent thesisit has a
period in the wrong place (20 inches air at 1.25 is a lot of air),
it should be (20 inches air at 125 PSI is a lot of air). The steam
men will get a laugh out of this as 1.25 or 1 lbs. of air per
square inch would not begin to turn the wheel over, whereas 125
lbs. per square inch will produce power.

Sorry about this, I should have reread the article more closely
before I submitted it.’

This letter comes from CHRIS DIEHM, 1238 W. 223 rd Street,
Torrence, California 90502: ‘I have written to Burt Dillon and
tried to answer his question as to what make was the largest steam
tractor built. While I may have ‘missed the boat’ as to
what make was the largest steam tractor built in America, I think
that many readers of Iron Men would be interested to read that Jack
Norbeck’s book, ‘Encyclopedia of American Steam
Engines’ lists both Case and Russell as having built steam
tractors as large as 150 horsepower. This is their stationary or
belt horsepower rating. Their drawbar rating may have been
approximately 50 horsepower.

Case built their ‘monsters’ between 1904 and 1907.
Russell was listed as building them in 1907 and may have built
their ‘Goliaths’ for a number of years after Case quit. The
Case engines had a 14 x 14 inch bore and stroke and operated with
160 pounds steam pressure. Their two speed gear or power train was
too weak to take power thrust of the huge steam cylinder. Only a
few of these big Case steam tractors were built and most of them
were returned to the factory in Racine, Wisconsin. The book does
not mention that the big Russell engine had any problems. From the
book’s illustrations, the Russell appears to be heavier and
more complex than the Case engine.

It is possible that larger steam tractors were built in England
and maybe also here in America. Perhaps another reader or readers
in Engine Land can supply more correct information than mine on
Burt’s question.’

G. VAUGHN SMITH, Powerhouse Museum, R. D. 2, Box 262A, St.
Matthews, South Carolina 29135 would like to share his letter with
you folks: ‘We have had for several years a small Farquhar
engine that evidentially once was the power unit of a portable
engine with about a 22’ boiler. The engine was rescued from a
sawmill after a fire and is completely burned out but still carries
the builders plate with serial number 8176.

Since there is no hope of finding another original portable
boiler, I have had the idea of building a small traction engine
that would be about 2/3 full size but I would like to make it as
close to an actual Farquhar engine as possible.

I am writing to ask help from any Farquhar traction engine
owners that would be willing to spare a few minutes time
corresponding to help us build our engine as authentically as
possible. I will be more than happy to pay the film cost for any
pictures that would help show the construction details. .

Thanks for your time and I would appreciate hearing who has
built an engine of this size from scratch since I am sure that
there will be many pitfalls, that could be avoided through
experience.’

PARLEY G. CARPENTER, Guys Mills, Pennsylvania comments ‘You
are doing a great job with the I.M.A. and the articles and pictures
are very interesting. I like the columns and the Christian
sentiments of our beloved brother and editor who founded the paper
(Elmer Ritzman). May God rest his soul in peace and bless all you
good people who are carrying on Rev. Ritzman’s dream. As
promoter and founder of Pioneer Steam and Gas Engine Society of
N.W. Pa., Meadville, Crawford County, it is a great honor to be
associated with the fine paper and all connected with it.’

BARBARA (CHANDLER) REAGAN, 1104 Harney Drive, Lebanon, Indiana
46052 writes: ‘I’m sending for this I.M.A. subscription as
a Father’s Day gift to my dad. He has been ill with a heart
problem since April and spent most of the month of May in the
hospital. I’m sure he would appreciate hearing from his many
friends he has made through the years. He is retiring and will have
time to answer his letters.’ (She did not mention his name
though, but maybe some of you will know the name REAGAN hope so
then you can write him.)

The correct address of WILLIAM HALL is 222 Porter Avenue,
Seaside Heights, New Jersey 08751 as he tells us in the following
note: ‘I wish to thank you for the publication of the article I
wrote some time ago about the tragedy which took the life of John
Saddilac. However, since I wrote the article I have moved and my
current address is as above. I’d appreciate a note in your
column as I often get letters concerning my articles and any sent
to my Maryland address will not reach me.

And that about finishes up the column letters for another
deadline keep having fun while the weather holds out, for too soon
we’re heading for the cold area of the year isn’t it
something how time flies?