New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1846-09-11
Terrible Boiler Explosion.
DESTRUCTION OF The STEAMBOAT EXCELSIOR
LIVES LOST /.

AT 5 o'clock last evening as tie Steamboat E1-
cetsior Captain Nelson. which plies between 'Ais
Civ and Co1sackie. was leaving the dock foot OF
Cortlsndsr. her boiler exploded with a teFrlhc
concnssiop killing and scalding several OF her
,..e,.s.rs and crew. The boat Immediately took
i- ,,or, the effects OF the explosion drifting at
H.. ,..;l1 ~ the elements and FOR moment It
va. feared that those on board her who had es-
.,,s .s original calamity, would be cngu!fed IN the
flames.
She drifed down the stream as far as Cortsndtst
when he steamboat Columbus took her passengers of
and lowed her up nearly to the wharf from which she
Ind started when the steamboat Fairfield going up the
river. went between the Excelsior and Columbus The
stern OF the Fairfield brought in contact wiki the
burning vessel and those board the T. cutting the
tow-line the wreck was adrIf. again.
As the wreck dritted down stream great fears we're
entertained ha: she would run fou! of some one of
several ships which lay q; anchor IN the stream
This prevented however By her coming IN contact
with small soop setting her bows FIRE. and then
veer:ns round and setting ire 10 her whole b-osdsde-
After hard fight the blazing wreck beaten OF and
pursued her down the river. She mad pro-
ceeded far however before she overtaker by the
John Fitch which grappled with the hery fugitive
and conveyed her 10 the Jersey shore The boat
burnt entirely the waters edge, and the skeleton
OF the boat half through clouds OF smoke and
hame as she swept down the stream was grand and
sublime The shore lined with dense masses Of
people and the river crowded with boats.
The boat and put the route IN June lsst
but was not one Of the first class. She engaged
principally in cheap passenger business between New
York and Catskill and Coxsackie and owned
by Hunt Nelson e. sons, of the latter place. She was
valued at $4,000. and was but partially insured.
The whole number OF passengers on board probably
did exceed forty The boat at the time Of the eX
ploson had just left the wharf and the passengers as is
usual when the boats pass up the river moved over 70
the s,arboard or City side. The boiler which burst
on the larboard side
The explosion shook the large Hendrix Hud.
son and Empire lying at the cortland.t piers. The
tnbers thrown high up into the air and the body
of at eas. person falling with the tinibers
The boiler not after the explosion That part
of not broken to pieces wen; Immediately the bot
tom.
The sufferers Immediately carried to the Hospital
and taken care of Their names
Daniel slauson passenger, aged -. iather.in.aw Of
Alderman Gilbert, lst Ward. lie was badly scaldcd
and died in few minutes after being taken to the Hos
pital.
VIM Hull passenger lives at No. III Lewis.st. His
face is very much battered and upper and lower Jaws
both broken in several places has deep injury his
thigh and is burnt knee.
VIM. Van Wart, lst Engineer, has both arms badly
burnt, and is bruised on his back.
George Van Wart I'd Engineer brother of William
has his arms legs back and throat, badly burnt
One of the remen is missing, supposed to have been
a., t,,- bio,, in, b, Ina. Of, no
plosion.
We learn that the first Engineer struck on the
back by something heavy and forced through bulk
head and returning his station found Mr.. Slawson
in his 0he Engineer'9 room lying on his back with
large piece of the smokc-ppe alongside of him.
The injuries sustained by Mr.. Slawson were not
known last evening Coroncrs inquest is to be held
this morning
The cause of the explosion is yet unasccriaincd.
There are various about it, but cannot state
anything positive. The st Engineer says tina, there
only about eighteen inches Of just before
the explosion. There be ii searching enquiry in
sutcd AS the OF this sad catastrophe and let
the public know whether not is the result of care
lcssness.
1t is said that the steamer could have been saved with
loss of only about thousand dollars worth OF the
woodwork, had the Fairfield not gone between the Co
umbus and the wreck and severed the tow-linc thus
setting the Excelsior adriit again. The E. almost
the wharf where tho ircencines could have easily SUBJ
ducd the flames.