The Ohio union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1849-1854, 1853-09-14
Explosion on board the Bay State-fOur
lives lost-A number SOalded,

lives kost-A numner SOalded.
The Telegraph on Thursday announced
the explosion on board the Long IslanC
Sound steamer Bay Stale, and from lh'
New York papers We get The following
particulars.
The boat was on her way from Fal
River to New York with about 200 pas
sengers on board. The unusual small
number oil passengers, and the time wher
the accident occurred-4 o'clock A. N,
fortunately prevented great loss of life. {
The most ldmeplsblo cases of the injur,
ed were The children OF WIN. F. De Wal
OF Chicago, who was on board with hi,
wife and four daughters. The ages oI
these Misses ranged from ten to sixteen
years. All of these daughters we're bad,
ly scalded and three died on Thursday
The remaining daughter and a Miss Char.
lotIe Snow Of Dartmouth, Mass, liz in a
critical position.
The following is The statement of the
Engineer: :
irwas about 3 o'clock, A. NJ, when the
key, or rivet, by which the piston is at.
tached 10 the connecting rod or crank, gave
way, and at the next Stroke of The engine,
the head of the OFFENDER was blown com
ple'ely of, and the steam escaped, and
peryaded the promenade deck in VOLUMES.
U~Pon1his'deck are several private stale.
rooms, for the accommodation of families.
persons who pay for extra privacy, and
sumo of which were on that occasion oc.
cupied by Mr.. De Wolf, of Chicago, lis
wife and family Of eight child en-.
The steam entered the windows of these
rooms, and s~ alarmed The four eldest girls
that they rushed on deck, thereby meeting
it in full force, and with sad effect. II IS
a wonderful but perfectly natural instance
of maternal foresight, that Mrs. De Wolf,
on pcrceiving The vapor, making WAY into
tie cabin, removed her youngest children
from their berths to the noor. and they
thereby escaped any injury Whatsoever.
Had this taken place, four inform int adds,)
during the day'while the deck is usually
densely crowded with passengers, the con.
sequences'would have been certain death
To many, and had the steam got ven, al
the bottom, instead of at tho top of the
cy Under, the greater portion Of those on
board the vessel must have suffered. and
but few would probably have escaped
alive.
AS an instance Of the effect, he states
that tie plate glasses through which the
workings Of machinery are 81 frequently
observed by spectators on board, were
shattered into fragments. At the moment
of the explosion The pressure Was only rs
pounds 10 the inch. and the engineer i'm.
medlately shut il or
The passengers had all retired lang he.
fotc the accident took place. The first
warning they received Of the catastrophe
vas a tremendous concnssiun, and a rush
of steam Immediately aferward, which
completely filed the forward SALON, aud
scalded Hose persons very severely who
incauiiousIy opened the doors Of their
sl.te rooms. The cadse of the deaths is
undoubtedly 10 be attributed to this fact
The steam would scarcely have penetrated
10 The state rooms in sufficient quantities
to produce fatal %resnlis. had The doors been
suffered to reHain closed.
A Mr.. Thomas Warren, Of Dartmouth.
was scalded from his head to his feet, aud.
has since died.
The Bay Stale took FIRE soon after the
accident, but The flames were'speedIly ex
inguished, and the passengers were,
brought to New York by the steamer Con
neclicut, which being attracted by signal
rockets went to the relief Of the Bay Stale