OBIT: George BARTLEY, 1878, Blair County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by MS
<MMSGemstone@aol.com>

Copyright 2010.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/blair/
_________________________________________ 

BARTLEY - The funeral of George Bartley, one of the victims of the 
Gaysport horror, took place on Sunday afternoon. It was attended by a 
very large number of our people.

Democratic Standard, Hollidaysburg, Pa., Wednesday, June 26, 1878 

BOILER EXPLOSION. - It wanted five minutes of 11 o'clock yesterday 
morning when the boiler of Caldwell's Gaysport tannery exploded.  The 
boiler house and an adjoining building, used for a wood and coal house, 
were torn to pieces and brick, stone and wood hurled with great 
violence in every direction.  One of the heavy boilers, weighing 
probably two or three tons, was shot straight as an arrow from a bow, 
to the island opposite the tannery, a distance of fully three hundred 
feet.
  Three young men, George Bartley, Lewis C. Baroner and George Berger, 
were in the tannery at the time of the explosion, and they were all 
within a few feet of the boilers.  Bartley was the engineer and was at 
his post, while the others were engaged in draining hides.  It seems 
inevitable to one who has looked upon the ruins of the establishment 
that were not all instantly killed, yet such was not the fact.  Baroner 
was badly scalded about the head and face, as was also Berger.  Both 
these men, it is believed, will survive, unless, as is barely possible, 
they inhaled steam and were thus internally injured.  Bartley's body, 
head and face were terribly scalded, and he cannot recover.  It was an 
awful spectacle, the removal of the clothing from this unfortunate 
young man, as the skin came from his body in great rolls.  Strong men 
as they looked felt sick at heart.
  We cannot tell the cause of the explosion.  We asked Mr. John M. 
Caldwell if he could give any explanation.  He said he could not; he 
knew it was not for want of water.  There was plenty of that.  In view 
of the gravity of the situation we prefer to indulge in no speculation. 
- Hollidaysburg Correspondent of Altoona Tribune, of Saturday last.
  - Since the above was in type we learn that Bartley died on Saturday 
morning at 6 o'clock.

Huntingdon Journal, Huntingdon, Pa., Friday, June 28, 1978