The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-05-16
THE DAILY DISPATCH
From the San Francisco Herald of April is.
PARTICULARS OF THE EXPLOSION
OF THE JENNY LIND.


OF THE JENNY LIND.
The Jenny Lind was on her ay from Alv;.
SO to this city, with about $50 passengers. A.
ten minutes past twelve-the boat being then
about four miles from the west shore of the
Bay-a violent tremor was felt throug ghout the
boat, like the conclusion produced by the firinp
of a cannon, and in second after, tremen.
dous report YVES heard, and the whole vessel
was enveioped in q dense cloud of scaldng
steam. A plate on the after head Of the boiler
had been blown out, and the steam and boiling
water gushed out with fearful violence. The
bulk.head separating the boiler from the cabin,
which was aft, was shivered into thousand
fragments by the force of the shock, and each
trag gment became a missile of death and des.
truction.
The cabin was closely confined room,
about Is by % feet, with small windows
LOOKING out upon a sort OF gangway that inter.
vened between it and the ratings. 1t was about
dinner tme-ihe table was spread, and five
minutes before, the ladies', children, and gen.
tlemen in charge of ladies, had been introduc-
ed into the cabin, so that they might not be in
commoded by the rush to dinner when the
bell should ring; they were about seating
themselves at the table; some of the ladies were
already seated. Just at this moment the ex.
plosion took place-the dense volume OF steam
rushed into the cabin and instantly pervaded
it. All who were in it were stricken down as
| il wiited by the heat. They ware scaldec
frightfully externally, and all inhaled the fe ar
| ful steam. Not one escaped; they were all
| killed instantly, or have since died. Many OF
them had their clothes literally torn from them;
| the skin was entirely burnt off their faces and
bodies. The sight they presented was horri-
BILE beyond description; they were not simply
| scalded, but all were more or less mangled by
| the fragments of the boiler and bulk head, und
| streams of blood flowed from their mutlated
| bodies. Some few of the gentlemen managed
| to grope their way out of the cabin crying
| piieously to those above to save their wives
| and children. When some OF the passengers
who were unhurt rushed below, the sight that
presented itselfstaggered them, and some be-
| came faint. They found the dead and the dy
| ing in confused mass on the floor, covered
| with fragments of chairs, tables, furniture
and timber, and horrible to relate, they were
writhing in scalding water, which lay six in
| ches deep on the floor.
| The volume Of steam struck, as we have
| said, against the buh-head in the rear of the
| boiier-the greater portion burst through the
cabin on its mission of death, whilst another
portion recoiled and rushed forward killing in
stantly one of the fremen, who was standing
in front of the furnace doors, mortally seaIding
another who was on the forward deck, and
killing several passengers, who were standing
on the forward part OF the lower deck.
Those of the passengers who were standing
on the forward part of the upper deck were
nearly all saved. A.few only were scallded
and those not dangerously. Those about mid
ship, right over the boiler, were entirely un
injured. But the most terrible destruction o.
life was on the after pant of the upper deck
just over the cabin. Here large number OF
passengers were congregated. Alter the steam
had done its work of destruction in the cabin, il
burst up The companion wa and in an instant
swept those in It's path to the deck, like grain
before the sickle. NOta man around stools
iftv lay PROSTATE, scalded, wounded, shrek
ing with agony, or mourning in the las, mo-
ments of life.
We have said not man stood, bit there
| was one who fell, and one alone, who escaped
unhurt. This was Mr.. James Tobin, late oi
the firm of Tobin & Duncan. He was stand.
ing near the companion way leading to the
cabin and talking TO Mr.. Shelton, when he fell
the uemor before alluded TO. Familiar with
such accidents on the Mississippi. river, and
knowing what it p0T;ended, even before he
| heard the explosion, and simultaneously with
the gushing up of the steam. with extraordina-
ry presence of mind, he Jerked apart the tasten.
ings around his neck OF heavy cloak he had
on, threw it entirely over his head, wrapped il
and his hands in the folds and prostrated him.
| SCH ~ tuc ucChs fOluiNcS vi
steam rushed over and around him, but he lay
with his hand clasped over his mouth ard held
his breath. This he did as long as he could,
when he made gasp to recover himself, and
again held his breath. Even through the thick
folds ofhis cloak-through his hand-.low down
on the deck-haf a minute after the explosion
the air was painfully hot. In little more than
a minute, he raised his cloak osee if he could
breathe, found it still too hot, and covered him
srlf up again. La two minutes he uncovered,
completely unhurt-he had not even been
snged. His cloak was burned, and almost
dropped to pieces. Beside him lay poor Shell
ton, to whom he had just been talking, fearful
| ly scalded, internally and externally, and now,
poor fellow, dying. He was rhe only man of
that whole crowd around him, who rose up
His escape, under Providence, is due to his
| presence OF mind alone.
| Some one went to assist the poor fireman
who was so terribly scalded in front. He said
TO them-"Leave me and 60 TO some one 10
| whom you can do some good-im dead
man." and iE a few minutes after expired.
A German was blown overheard and was
! floating senseless. Mr. Peter Smith, a most
estimable fellow, who is well knows on the
wharf as fisherman, launched casoe and
| succeeded in picking him up.