Hi, my name is Errin Cain and I have been a member of the list since the beginning. I have been pretty content to view the postings of others since most of my prominent lines only passed through Marshall County on the way to Wetzel. Now I have an interesting but sad story that I would love to know more about. I am hoping that someone out there has some information. My gggrandfather was E. E.(Elsworth Elias) Carson. He was born in Wetzel county where he married Minnie Pogue. At some point, the family came to McMechen --- for work I think. At first, Elsworth was employed by the Benwood Junction shops of the railroad. When David RUST was killed there in 1902, he decided to change jobs and told people it was because he thought the job was dangerous and he feared that he might also be killed. On October 17, 1902, he began work for the new Riverside blast furnace company. On October 19, 1902, there was an explosion at the Riverside plant that killed many workers. Elsworth Carson was one of them. I have a copy of the Wheeling Intelligencer from October 20, 1902 that contains information about the accident. There were 8 men seriously injured and several of them died shortly afterwards. These men were working on a scaffold in the engine room erecting a partition when a twelve inch steam pipe burst. The blast hurled the men across the room, destroying the scaffold and the partition and filling the room with a cloud of scalding steam. It is said that the explosion could be heard all through that section of town. Here is a list of those injured as printed in the Intelligencer. Arthur HALFPENNY, of Benwood William ANDERSON of Benwood Frank BARTURI of Benwood Samuel BRADY of Virginia but boarding in Benwood Harry WESTENHAFER of Benwood William JONES of Forty third Street C.E. CARSON of McMechen ---- (actually EE Carson) Michael BURKE of Parkersburg boarding in McMechen William H. Jones died later that evening and is buried in Mt. Rose cemetary. He was born 1854. The article said he left a wife and three grown children. Michael Burke, pulled my gggrandfather from the building while he was making his escape. Unfortunately, EE Carson died later that evening and is buried in McMechen Cemetary. In the paper, it says that Elsworth was a member of the A. O. U. W. and the Modern Woodsmen of America. Does anyone know what these organizations are? I would thank anyone who has any information to share on this horrible tragedy. Errin Cain