Friday, January 18, 2013

Londonderry Explosion 107 Years ago Today


"AT LONDONDERRY
Big Boiler Explosion On Friday
LIVES OF THIRTY MEN WERE IN DANGER
$10,000 Loss In The Rockingham County Town
FACTORY WILL BE COMPELLED TO TEMPORARILY SHUT DOWN

Londonderry, N. H., Jan. 19.
--A boiler connected with the Annis grain and lumber mills plant at North Londonderry exploded today, wrecking the boiler and the engine house, and damaging both the grain mill and the wood working factory, besides causing injuries to 
Justin Sanborn, the engineer.


The boiler was one of two which are used in operating the mill. It burst with a report which was heard for a long distance, and was thought at first to have been an earthquake.

The concussion practically demolished the brick boiler house and threw the second boiler out of place. Flying debris also knocked off portions of the ends of the wood mill and the grain mill, between which the boiler was located.

The plant was compelled to shut down and it will be practically idle, it is believed, for about six weeks, until repairs can be effected.

The total damage is placed at about $10,000. "


Portsmouth, Herald, Portsmouth, NH 20 Jan 1906
Transcribed by Helen Coughlin for GenDisasters.com http://www.gendisasters.com/data1/nh/explosions/londonderry-explosion1906.htm

page 11 of  Londonderry, by the Londonderry History Historical
Society, Acadia Publishing, 2004


Annis Grain and Lumber Mill was located in the north end of Londonderry that is now known as “The Villgae”.  You can still see the smokestack and some of the buildings between Mammoth Road and Rt. 28.   Annis mill also had a large grain elevator, and most of the mill was later destroyed by fire and razed.  There was a B & M train station located here, too, and the rail trail is barely visible.  So many people used to be employed at this location that workforce housing grew up nearby.  These Victorian era homes are still standing on Buckthorn, Foxglove and Waymouth Roads.


The Annis Mill chimney still stands
but all the other buildings date after the above photo.
The restored rail trail will cross this section of
Mammoth Road. 


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Copyright 2013, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

1 comment:

  1. That's a big plant, and it must have been quite a scary explosion!

    ReplyDelete