On September 17, 1907, at the cider mill of Senary Erdman in Erdman, Lykens Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, a boiler exploded killing Elmer Artz, seriously injuring Samuel Martz, and injuring three others. The tragedy was covered in local newspapers and also was sent out by the wire services, some of which reported the story from Shamokin and one of which reported it from Gratz.
Isaac Elmer Artz (1872-1907), was the son of Paul Artz (1834-1904) and Kate [Haas] Artz (1841-1915).
According to information found on Ancestry.com, Samuel Martz survived the accident and died in Lykens Township, December 19, 1950.
Here are some of the accounts:
____________________________________________
From the Elizabethville Echo, September 19, 1907:
FATAL BOILER EXPLOSION AT EARDMAN
On Tuesday, September 17th, a boiler explosion occurred at Eardman, about one mile south of Klingerstown, which resulted fatally to one man, and badly scalded another. Elmer Artz, who lived about 3/4 of a mile east of Eardman with a wife and two children, and had charge of the boiler was terribly injured and died an hour and a half after the accident. The force of the explosion threw Mr. Artz a distance of 95 feet against a house, crushing many of the bones in his body. Samuel Martz, who was there with a load of apples was quite badly scalded, but it is believed that he will recover.
The building, which was of the usual saw mill type, was used by Henry Kessler to saw lumber, and one end was fitted up with a cider mill and press, and at this end a stationary boiler was set.
What caused the accident cannot be told for certainty, but it is thought that the water was low.
There were a number of other people around the mill but all of them escaped with slight injuries except the two mentioned. A son of Mr. Kessler was thrown through an opening about the press, against a man unloading apples, but neither of them was hurt. Pieces of the boiler weighing half a ton were found four hundred feet away and the end of the building was completely wrecked. Mrs. Artz, the wife of the man who lost his life, it is said was on her way to Elizabethville at the time of the explosion, and telephone messages were received here to notify her that her husband had been badly injured. It is considered almost miraculous by those who have visited the scene of destruction that there were not more fatalities.
__________________________________________________
From the same newspaper, Elizabethville Echo, September 19, 1907:
EXPLOSION AT EARDMAN’S SAW-MILL AND CIDER PRESS
A boiler exploded at Eardman’s two miles north of Gratz on Tuesday, September 17 [1907]. Samuel Martz went to have some apples made into cider and was sitting aside of the boiler while Elmer Artz was getting ready to run water into the boiler when the explosion occurred. Elmer Artz and Samuel Martz were the unfortunate men. The former died about 15 minutes after the explosion and Samuel Martz was badly scalded.
___________________________________________________
From the Lykens Standard, September 20, 1907:
FATAL BOILER EXPLOSION AT ERDMAN
On Tuesday while Elmer Artz and Samuel Martz were assisting in making cider at the steam saw mill and cider press of Senary Erdman, at Erdman, Dauphin County, the boiler exploded. Martz was so severely injured that he died three hours later, and Martz was painfully scalded. Artz leaves a wife and three children Martz is also a married man and has a family. The funeral of Artz will be held this morning at Klinger’s church.
_________________________________________________
From the West Schuylkill Herald, September 20, 1907:
An explosion occurred at Erdman, 3 miles west of our place. The engine boiler used to run the engine of a cider press blew up. Elmer Artz was killed and Samuel Martz so badly scalded that the doctor has no hopes for him.
_________________________________________________
From the Harrisburg Telegraph, September 18, 1907:
CIDER PRESS BOILER EXPLODES
Gratz, September 18 [1907] — One man was killed and another so badly scalded when the boiler of the cider press at Erdman‘s, two miles from Gratz, exploded yesterday morning, that he will die. The dead man is Elmer Artz, and Samuel Martz, his assistant will die. Artz was about to put water into the boiler when the crownsheet blew out.
_________________________________________________
From the Sunbury American, September 27, 1907:
On Tuesday at 11:30, a boiler used at the saw mill and cider press, belonging to S. Erdman, of Erdman, Dauphin County, exploded killing almost instantly Elmer Artz, aged 35 years. He was buried at the Klinger’s Church on Friday forenoon, Rev. O. D. Kressley officiating. At the time Mr. Artz was killed, Samuel Martz was also seriously injured. A few others were slightly injured.
_________________________________________________
News articles from Newspapers.com.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.