The Sun.
London, England, 1853-06-06 00:00:00

EXPLOSION OP A STEAM-BOAT.

( From the Dublin, Freeman.)
We deeply regret to have to state that a most lament-
able and fatal accident occurred on Thursday evening
on board the Times screw-steamer, one of whose boilers
exploded, causing loss of life and dreadful injuries to a
large number of persons, several of whom are not ex-
pected to survive. We give the particulars of this de-
plorable catastrophe, so far as they could be ascertained
last night.

The-Times, one of the vessels belonging to the Dublin
and Liverpool Steam-Packet Company, and commanded
by Captain James Collis, left the North-wall yesterday
evening for Liverpool, at six o'clock, having on board
303 deck Rassengers (chiefly emigrants), and seven
cabin passengers. She also carried as part of her cargo
a number of cattle. When nearly opposite the Pigeon-
house, at about seven o'clock, a partial explosion of one
of her boilers took place, causing a rent, through which
there was an immediate and destructive escape of steam.
A scene of the greatest confusion and terror ensued. A
number of the unfortunate passengers who crowded the
deck were instantly overwhelmed and frightfully
scalded by the steam ; and those who had the good
fortune to escape its destructive effects were in the
greatest alarm for their lives. The condensed steam and
boiling water shot up from the xtidship hatch and the
window of the engine-room, and descended on the un-
fortunate deck passengers, who were gathered in the
waist of the vessel. Scarcely anything can be ima-
gined more appalling than the sight which the deck
presented ; men, women, and children rushing to every
side for shelter from the scalding steam, others--many
of them women—screaming in agony, the terrified cries
of their friends, and of numbers who were in search of,
and apprehensive for, the safety of friends, added to the
bellowing of the cattle and the bleating of sheep and
lambs, with which the vessel was laden, rendered the
whole a scene of horror happily without a parallel in
this country.
On the vessel being stopped, the boats were lowered,
and the unfortunate sufferers conveyed ashore. Nothing
could be more frightful than the appearance some of the
poor creatures presented as they were taken from the
boats. On examination it was found that 33 persons
were injured, many of them severely, and that two, a
boy about four and a girl about three years old, were
dead. We were unable to ascertain the names of the
latter. Their bodies were removed to the hospital at
Pigeon-house Fort, where an inquest will be held on
them this day.
The greater portion of the sufferers were landed at the
fort, where Dr. Gilburn, the resident physician of the
hospital, was in immediate attendance, and rendered
every assistance in his power. Colonel Savage, and the
officers and men of the Royal Artillery, also exerted
themselves in every possible manner to alleviate the tor-
ture of the unfortunate creatures. About half-past 7
o'clock a party of police, under Inspector Pinnamore,
arrived, and proceeded to assist the soldiers in removing
the persons who had been injured to the various hospi-
tals.

Dr. Gilburn found, on examination, that six of the
sufferers could not be removed without imminent danger,
and he had them carried to the hospital of the Pigeon-
house, where everything that care and skill could sug-
gest was immediately done for them.
Inspector Finnamore had stretchers brought for the
conveyance of those who could not be taken on cars to
the different hospitals in the city. Some of the passen-
gers who had escaped uninjured were sent by a boat up
the river and landed at the wharf, and those who had
received partial injuries, whioh did not render it neces-
sary to send them to hospital, were treated with the
greatest humanity by numbers of citizens, who exhi-
bited the utmost sympathy for them. None of the ca-
bin passengers were injured. The second engineer was
severely and the first engineer slightly scalded. We un-
derstand that the Times has been built only about 1S
months, and that a fortnight since her boilers were examined
and certified to be in a sound state. The rent caused by
the explosion was about 15 inches long and two wide.
We should observe, that one of the cabin passengers,
Mr. Thomas Henry Carter, an exhibitor of a patent
cooking apparatus in the Great Exhibition, exerted him-
self very creditably, and rendered valuable services in
landing the persons injured, and as far as possible allevi-
ating their sufferings.
As soon as the accident became known to Mr. Middle-
ton, the agent of the company, he immediately despached
the Mona steam tug to the vessel in order to afford any
assistance that might be required, and we understand
that directions were given that no expense should be
spared on the passengers who were injured. It is ex-
pected that the Times will be ready to resume her
voyage to-morrow.

Captain Geary, of the Trafalgar, City of Dublin Com-
pany's steamship, on passing the Times, kindly offered
his services, but as there was no damage done to the
vessel, with the exception of the rent in the boiler, there
was no occasion for them.

The engineer, William Galway, gives the following
account of the accident :—"At about half-past 6 the
vessel was going nearly nine miles an hour against the li
tide, which was then flowing, the pressure of steam on'
the boiler at the time being 101 b, to the square inch less
than it was calculated to bear. When the vessel had
proceeded down the river to the point nearly opposite
the Pigeon-house, he was going up the ladder from the
engineroom, after having left the machinery in charge
of Patrick M'lntyre (the assistant engineer), when the
explosion took place. He immediately rushed down,
seized the safety valve and stopped the engine, and in
doing so was severely scalded on the hands. He also
states that at the time the vessel started the water in the
boilers was 15 inches above the level of the action of the
flame from the furnaces. In accounting for the cause of
the accident he states that in one of the landing or com-
partments of the boiler a portion of the rivets had been
frayed, and when the pressure was put on the part that
was thus indurated gave way. The pumping gear for
supplying the engines with water was in perfect order,
and at work at the time of the accident."
The following persons were conveyed to Baggot-street
Hospital on cars and stretchers by the police, and men
belonging to the Artillery Corps stationed at the Pigeon
house :—Thomas Rathkin, county Galway, labourer ;
Teresa King, Kilbeggan ; Margaret Donelly, Birr (who
was accompanied by a little boy, her son, who fortunately
escaped injury) ; Michael Feeny, county Galway, la-
bourer; John Mullieran, Williamstown, county Galway;
Mary Cummins, Ballinasloe ; Mary M'Cormick, Drumsna;
county Galway, servant ; Catherine Fitzgerald, Lough,
rea ; Thomas Molloy, town of Galway; Bridget Kenny,
servant, Williamstown, county Galway ; Mary Neville,
Liverpool ' • Anne Mulcale, Williamstown, county Gal-
way, is so dreadfully injured that little lope is enter-
tained of her recovery.

Among the persons conveyed to Mercer's Hospital
were—Anne Droney, from the county of Clare ; Mary
Diegan, from Ratgangan, county of Kildare; Jane Acton,
from Westport, county Mayo ; Ann Maguire, a widow,
and her two children, Patrick and John, the latter a
mere infant, all dreadfully scalded.
Catherine Kelly, of Westport; Charles Cassidy, of Kil-
beggan ; and Mary G-eraty, of Westport, were conveyed
to the Jervis-street Hospital, where they were promptly
attended to by Dr. Phelps, the resident physician.
The following are the names of some of the unfortunate
sufferers lying in the hospital of the Pigeon-house, so
dreadfully scalded that they could not be removed :
Ellen Ward, Galway ; Catherine Feeney, of Annadown,
countyGalway; Mary Barrett, of Clare; Patrick Maguire,
of Sligo ; Mary Drawney, of Ennistymoia.
There are others in the Pigeon-house Hospital, but in
such a dreadful state that their names, or the localities
from which they came, could not be ascertained from
them.

At half-past 11 o'clock Dr. Doyle, of Irishtown, who
had been sent to render assistance to Dr. Gilburn in the
treatment of the patients at the Pigeon-house Hospital,
reported that all the sufferers were going on favourably,
with the exception of one poor woman, whose life was
in imminent peril.