Deadly 1867 explosion uncovered after News 12 report on ‘haunted’ Newburgh brewery
A newly uncovered newspaper report reveals a deadly explosion at a 19th-century ironworks connected to the historic industrial property where Newburgh Brewing Company now operates.
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The mystery surrounding eerie surveillance footage at Newburgh Brewing Company just got another twist — and this one dates back nearly 160 years.
Following News 12’s exclusive report last week about strange surveillance footage inside the historic City of Newburgh brewery, the brewery's owners say a local historian uncovered newspaper accounts of a deadly boiler explosion in 1867.
Historian Salvatore LaBruna found a Jan. 20, 1867, New York Times article detailing the explosion at Washington Iron Works, an early industrial operation associated with the brewery’s historic property. According to the article, the explosion happened Jan. 18, 1867, when a large boiler blew apart, tearing through a brick wall and sending debris across Washington Street.
The blast killed 45-year-old worker Hugh Elwood, who was thrown against a wall and trapped beneath the wreckage. Rescuers worked for about an hour to free him. An account published in the Poughkeepsie Eagle described Elwood as “gasping in death” when he was pulled from the debris. He died while being carried from the building, leaving behind a wife and four children.
Several other workers were injured, and the New York Times account described one worker being scalded by escaping steam. A coroner’s jury later blamed a defective boiler and inadequate safety precautions.
Brewery co-owner Chris Basso says he and his business partners had no idea about the tragedy until the article surfaced following News 12’s report.
“That was news to us,” Basso said. “We knew there was a fire, but that was in the ’70s and nobody passed away from that.”
During a walkthrough of the brewery Monday, Basso pointed out remnants of the building’s industrial past, including former windows that are now below street level as the surrounding area has changed over time. He says they have looked for signs of damage or repair from the explosion but haven’t found anything obvious.
“It was so long ago that it could’ve easily been fixed up and it now looks like the rest of the old building,” Basso said.
The discovery adds an especially eerie layer to surveillance recordings captured inside the brewery in February 2024.
A motion-activated security camera recorded a mysterious white shape resembling a cloud of steam drifting through the kitchen. A screenshot from the footage appears to capture the shape seemingly transforming into a face with an open mouth.
Two other overnight recordings, captured about 47 minutes apart while the business was closed, showed flashes of light and kitchen items, including knives, pots and trays, appearing to change positions when no one was reportedly inside. The footage does not show the objects actually moving.
Basso says that’s the part he still can’t explain.
“We use that camera all the time and it catches people reliably, so I can’t explain how it would miss a person that badly,” he said.
As for the newly discovered tragedy, Basso admits it’s a little creepy but says the brewery has always had a welcoming atmosphere — even for any visitors who might have overstayed their welcome.
“That is creepy, yeah. But I will say we always have good vibes here,” Basso said.
And if there really is a spirit lingering inside the historic building, he has a theory about why it hasn’t left.
“They must like people drinking beer and having a good time,” he joked.
As for any ghosts that might be sticking around, Basso figures there are worse places to spend eternity.
“If they are stuck here for centuries, what else is there to do, right?”
