Press enter after choosing selection

A Terrific Boiler Explosion

A Terrific Boiler Explosion image
Parent Issue
Day
4
Month
August
Year
1871
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

New York, Juljr 30.- The Staten isLand ferry boat Weatfield, whün in the i Whitehall, and crowded witli passengere, explodedher boiler at 4:20. Jfhe conoussion was terrifio, stiafctcririg the forward part of tho boat, and killing and scalding i groat numher of people. The hurricauo doek was oarried overboard, and feil over a large ntuubei of porsona in the water, who woro drowned. The Scène was Beyond description. Men were Strook dumb" at the loss ot' wIv.m ;:d little ona, and -woiiicn distraoted at havng lost husbands and ohildren, whilo ittle children wc-re cryiug for their t:iciits who were lost. -TUK A.CCIDENT. Tho front of tho boiler was suddonly il.nva out, lodging in tho bow ight feet dutamfa Theforward part oi ; 10 boat, upper cabiu and all, was in;antly shivered and split intoa thousaud ioces, as an eyo witnoss expressed it. 'ho fonrard part of tho boat was lifted t'ty feet in the air. The Anoke Btaeb 'olí, md thun everything wis buried b the hold. Passen;jers, cliairs, stoola, lOTaes, benones and Irte preserven dxop d into the Lold at tjie boiler, which toured out a deadiy rolóme. Many pero;8 were blown overioard. Fathen and mothers had ohildren blown ironi thoir iniis into the water, which in an instant was alivo with men, womeii and ohildren bruggling for lite. The aftel part of the )ont, which bad eecaped the toreo of the ixplosion, would have beon bbJo few the uninjured, but they beoama panio striokeii and leaped overboard without regard ,o oonsoQuenoeSf AJ&XSTAHOE PEOMPTLT EENDERKT. Capt. Ullman, of the new street poLic , hearing tho explosión, was promptly on hand, and the Ure alarm souuded. Dr. Shire was at the scène within teu niinutes, well supplied with medicines and bandagea. Cool and collected, he ssived severa! lives by his prudenoe. Within t'.vonty inmutes Inspector Jamison was on the giound, directing t'u; cffortt ot' the ]joii;;e and keeping baek the crowd. Many persons were drowriod. The barbor pólioe boat oame to the reecue, md gentlemen who were in row boate near by saved sovoral livcs. RESCTl.NG THE Vi'OCNDEl). The firemou also wont to the rescun, aTul right bravely did they work. ïho debrü in the foro part of the hold was lirst removed. The crios of the poorhalf boiled victims wore heartrending. Stimulants weru given them as thoy struggled benoath the beains, and oil puurod upoü their burns. As soon as the wounded recovered tkey were brought to tho doek of another boat nioorod alongside, where they wore tonderly oared i'or by Dr. Shii'c. LATER. The World publishcs the names of 71 killed by tho exyjlosion,and says there are eight bodieê Qdknown. The lleraldgivea tho number of the killed as evon greater. The ïiaincs of 12Ï injured are also pu'olishod. Tho majority of tho killed ;unt wounded are from the city, Brooklyn and Staten Island It is believed that many moro bodies will bo takuii out of the water, and of course othoru will never be foiind. TTy.ART-RENDIXG SCÈNES. The most painfal ifter feature of the tragedy is the appearanoe of hundreds of anxious and half orazed peoplü at the hospitalfl and stationhouse, inquiring after missing friends and relations. Ono poor fellow, Aliohael Finley, who lost his wifè and cliild by the explosión has gone mad, and yesterday attenipted to commit suicide by throwing kiniself into East Eiver. THE GOVERXMEXT INVESTIOATIOK. Inspectora Matthews and Boolc will comtuenoc! an ex unination to-day attheil office, '2i Pino streel, by order of tlie Booretary of the Troasuiy. Captain Bulknap, U. S. Superviaing Inepeotoi General of Steamboats, reoeived a telegram from Seeretiry Boatwali, diiecting him to mako the most searehing ïnvostigation into the cause of tho exploñon, in l report tho result of hia iuvestigations to liim. KIHBTT-8BTB5 DEAD BODIES RTJÜOVERED. Hu terrible couviction is settling itself upon tho popnhice that the holooanst is yet moro awful than ha been even suspected. Several bodies have been taken out of tho water this morning, making a total of 97 already B60flxecL It is now said by thoso best informed that tho number of injured will exeeed 200. ritOIiAUI.E CAUSE 01' TUK EXPLOSIÓN. The secretary of the Staten Ialancl Ferry Conipany Btated yesterday that it was yet impOSSlble to account for the accident. The inspector of the company rigidly croas-examined the ongineer, fireman, captain and pilot, and he oan not attach the slightest blamo to any of of these offioen. Thia statement, hcwover, must bc taken for what it is worth is reg irda the engineer. The allowanoe ot steam prossure, aocording to the ment certifícate, was i pounda to tho Bquare inch. ïo prevent accidenta tho Government competa tho use of wjlttt is termed a lock safoty-valve, which is only accessible to Government inspectora. At a prossuro of 27 pounds to tho square ineh the danger is supposod to begin, and the valve automaticauy opens. Tho engineer admita the steam h;ul just begun to rscapo through tho valve at the tune of the explosión, thua inoidentally admitting tho faot that he (lid not previously know the amount ot' pressure of steam, and that he had negleoted bis en gine. Had tho boiler boen a s;und ono it would doubtlesa havo rcsistoii the pressimj tiil the safety-valvo relieved it. But the boiler was :i pátohed ('no and too olose to the weak spot of the manhole, through whioh engineors enter the boiler to clean it out. That the boiler was unsound at tho break can be little dpubted, for it was on the ïvprescntations to that etfeet of several gentlemen at tho barge office with referenee to the piece that wa blown into the doek that made Inspector JainÍ8on seize tho iñece and oarry it off to poliee headquarters. Ihos. T. Powers the Brooklyn Boiler Inspector, examinei the boihsr of tho Westfield, and says : - "The explosión, in my opinión, ooourrec [rom over presiure of steam, and there is no appearunco of low water, but on the contiary there is evury evidenoe of there having boon plenty of water in tho boiler."

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus