On the morning of July 15, 1894, a boiler explosion occurred at the mill of the Parmele-Eccleston Lumber Co. in Jacksonville, N.C., killing four men and destroying a large amount of property. A picture of the wreckage can be found in an old booklet by Fidelity & Casualty Insurance of New York, N.Y., that was most probably used as an advertising aid.

The company boasted that the settlement for loss was paid within 10 days of the explosion. A copy of a letter written by Parmele-Eccleston to the insurance company thanks its officials for their quick action. The booklet also illustrates a copy of the $10,455.44 draft the lumber company received.

Edward A. Parmele was part owner of the company; he was born at Clifton, on Staten Island.