Eaton Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1843-1856, 1855-10-25
Awful Steamboat Explosion = Destruc. Ion Of
Human life.


Shortly after nine o'clock yesterday morn
ing one Of the most tremendous explosions
took place in Chicago liver that il has ever
been our lot 10 chronicle. The small steam
tug Seneed was in the actof passing through
Randolph street bridge. when one Of her boil
ers exploded with a fearful noise, tearing the
upper works Of the boat completely 10 atoms,
which was thrown high in the air by the cloud
OF steam that rose from The wreck. The boil
ef, which was Of The usual kind Of steamboat
boilers, about 9 xteen feet In length and three
'1eet in circumference, was lifted bodily from
ats place in Inc vessels hold, AMI, passing
Through boil the main and upper decks, was
thrown over the larboard wheel house, aud IN
TO the river. II may be imagined what dc.
'struction followed in lis course. Hardly q
timber a plank, or o board was left unbroken.
The smoke stack come tumtling upon deck,
which, in tuln was crushed down upon the
deck below. Almost The entire boat was left
a shapeiess mass OF rubbish.
Captain Joseph Donaldson, the Seneca's com.
mander, was standing, when The explosion
took place, upon the upper deck, givin, orders
IN regaIG 10 The vessel which he had in tow
He was thrown into The river, and sunk never
to rise alive. All yesterday afternoon persons
were engaged in dragging The bottom with
hooks, but the body al five O'clock, had mol
been found.
William Vaughan, engineer, and part owner
of the boat, was terribly wounded in the face
and limbs by flying fragments of the wreck.
dis cheek bone was crushed inward and q
dfightlul wound, two or three inches in length
nude in his face. There wee other wounds
on his chest, and a serious confusion Oh zach
ankle, made probably by fragments OF iron
projected by the explosion. Ills body present
ed a spectacle truly %lrlghtful when brought
across The river and placed IN c. d. Spaid'S
office. DR., McVickar dressed his wounds,
which, il was thought, might not prove fatal
10 his life. He is, however, terribly hurt.
The wheelSman and fireman saved them
selves by Jumping from The beat into The river,
hardly an instant be fore The calamity took
place. The explosion was proceeded by a sort
OF Kissing noise like that which Immediately
preceGes the blowing Of q S cam whistle. The
sound was understood by the men as q VAIN
ing that some part Of The steam machinery
was about TO explode, and their timely Leap
for life into the waller probably saved them
from q far worse calamity than an unpleasant
cold bath.
A lady, the wife OF The fireman, with her in
FAINT child, was OIL board when The accident
happened. She escaped uniniured. Her babe
was in a berth in a small cabin on the uppe
deck. The cabin was lifted bodily Severa
feel into the air and fell back again with q
crash, but, almost miraculously The child,
save a slight Scsld in one arm, was unharmet
The Seneca was owned by G ID. Spalds ant
William Vaughan. She vas a crazy oid.cmf
totally unf, for any service whatever, ant
'should long ago been conslg ned--heT timber tt
stove. wood and her machinery to The raw ma
terial Of some iron foundry. There are nov
one or Two other tugs running in our rive
which belong 10 the same class. We hopt
the present accident will be a warning Il
their owners, which will induce tlem 10 make
everything about their boats secure beyond {
doubt, or else that they will abandon them al
together. Human life should mol be leopard
ICED, for all the profit that can be made, b.
running such worthless an unSeaworthy old
hulks.
The immediate cause Of this explosion is un
known. The Seneca had a vessel in low
which, instead of passing directl, through
warped against the western abu,ment Of thu
bridge, aud made it necessary for The ting Il
stop and back he. engines. In The act OF do
ing Ibis the boiler blew up.
Chicago Times, l7h.