New-York daily tribune., 1856-07-29
THE EXPLOSION ON THE EMPIRE
STATE.
STATEMENT BY A PASSENGER.

To the Editors Of The Erenfns Po'fi
You ark me for an account of the recent catastrophe
on board of the En- pire State. only give most
rapid sketch
iontd the boat at Newport, at about quarter
be<ore nine, Saturday evening, bound for New York.
Among those already on board was a sir. Ketcham,
sftewald most severely scaded who stated to my in
fl lmant that he was foreman Of the boiler works. and
was on hs way to Nex-York to repair the boiler Of
cur boat.
II was a clear and still summer evening, and did
lot what excited the alarm Of OF the pas'en
gers that the heat was increased after leaving New
port TO such exert that one smoke pipe was red
bot for half its length and the Other to within three
feet of it's top They spoke TO one OF the lemen abo 1t
it, but be replied that it usual ahc unavoidable
with the fuel be was using. At about quarter before
ten however, the blowers were stopped, and the chin
ntys began to COOL when, after about five minutes, an
Explosion to, place.
We were Just opposite Point Jadth, running due
south; was about retiring, and il the middle Of
the forward et.teroom saloon, when succession Of
hesvy dtioDation. unoerneGth heard It not
Terrific Oise, but rather Dumbfr Of heavy sounds
or expoeiOnssOme three rtouI-suggeatibg the idea
Of ,oi-ioD the fall of heavy pieces OF machn;r cry.
Instantly was left alone, but in few seconds steam
iush, rom the Iaboard p4sesge-way, aud escaped
10 The plaifOi III la font OF the saloon.
TIE sceLe here was one Of awful excitement. Be-
hind a cabin feO With steam; around Was intense
dalkntss; in front, below, on the main oeck, WAS
mess Of men in the dark at at som thug no cn-
kiw what; few passengers stood ae a1st the rail'
ing quietly expecting to fl4mes to burt Out tro
nIrtbip SucceDy, from the body OF tn" boat II 1t
an theu another, rushed or we4 brought t. the
forward main otck gt0hDi'g and shrleklnS Ia tpe
dbik ees Ill such horrible accents that 10 this nom ut
they St EN- The most terrible part Of the scene; whe
at the time, fr the upper deck the cl ar tones
of officer, Let go that anchor, Mr.. Johnson? con
trasted with the col fusiCn arouUC.
A ter the cabins had been cleared Of the steam l
went eft. Generally speaking the passengers were
cool; oil were self poe esred Two mothers separated
in their sateroou and had been saved from sufioca
tion by tie Captains kicking the door in, showed an
excite eit proper i'll Itself but from the fsct OF Its
being observed, contrast with the gen raj composme
The men were generally engaged i'll fa-ten lin life
prtsever either upon themselves or the ladies' uGder
their charge. The latter were seated quietly awaiting
tbe 7, snlr until, sf'er wbe repeated assurances
that the boat not on fire. that he steam bad done
all the daDS ge aid the hull upinured, succeeded
in restoring eiig of safety and the SOUND oi prep
aratiors for escape gave va, to other soun1e'
Some Of the scalded were now being brought up into
The forward saloon Out of twenty one, twelve we're
placed there under the charge OF the stewardess.
Some wtr. left the forward main deck some IN the
cabin; but ny ATTENTION was particularly devoted 10
tbOfe in our saloon. Twelve sc0lded men can neea
DO 6escIiption The first who brought III groaned,
' If / die give Y love to my wife, and his agony
wss DR. aoful. Another walked up and GOWN begging
for reliet or ers grosned, but said nothing Thore
Guilty. Out of the twelve, only four apparently had
10, beer scaideo internally.
The suffering was dreadful; but the mos. striking
par, of The scene the patience, the real manhood
with which it was borne. Ii made every exertion 10
keep them easy and filled the whole tcene with dig
ni,y and power Every who worked, worked as
if ior brotber. The stewsrdes- Ist, by her reaf-
pets, cheerfuness kill, tepdt trness, showed US how;
ano after ber, A. NJ. G. Smith, ano Victor Legal OF
our city, anc other e. ntlemen whose names L am
s.Iry did ot learn, laboed for hou without lag
Oil il u labor which must have been strange as 1t
wss awful ,.
Soon sfter the accident the boat put back aud the
great deere Of the tufferers was to get to Newport
where we hoped 10 fnd physiciaus and rnseed OIL
and audanuu-three articles Of which we We're Gu
tr " destitute. The C,ptsin, however, declined 70
op at New oort aud with one ergine We worked our
long WY bsck to Fall Rive where Ge arrived al m
There four ply sciabs came on board, AMI 0y thelr
Prescriptions contributed TO the relief If the sufferers
Mott however of the wounded were beyond hep-ah
that coulJ be core was to make death more easy.
Before We came away, three of our twelve had dieu
tw in horrible sgory and there was no hope tor many
WHO It'll larguisb.
B, o'clock The propiietorE Of the l'De had got the
steamer State of Maine ready 10 send US 10 ward snd
we left our unfor'una coppanions behind VI tue care
of women, and with all the sympathy which the s'Su
OF patiently borne agony must always arouse, anu
reached home last evening at q o'c!oek lonr, &C,
July IS. "lLLlAm u hU'SN