New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-08-04
f,5
Explosion on the Steamer Eslnp state on,
r. = - Long Island Sound.
We condepse The 6tSwing account of TIE assspve asssp
named disaster rom The report in the NeEt

we eondepse the f4Swing account, of tileS aspovei
named5a disaster rom fhe report in the New Yor ri
baHe; Of the 2Sth qIt::zhA :. !. Q; $50 IL
FqEthe particulars of this shockine fgan. Ne arb
indebted to ALr. Wn. W. Harding one 81 She.moDri
et5fs df the PenhsYl lTania Inquirer ao was 81 pass
se4gsFDn boart; hiitfv The
State left sFall foE Z 6iii at ri
tnrtlay evening sgfg5rs. She
aElayea $ Newport at ST clock sand eftagan in o.
.qaasTtsr gfsan hpur. ppears tossaTe gone
.on.as tsfEsHp t9 nearlg that that
and it further asseled that thesmoia stack was
feds not tor some time previous to the explosion
At a1aft fore 10 O'clock, when most Of the pas-
asagsrs hstfsd forhe terrific eSplosio
ing const and; ds1nay aiaerg hefpasseneers.
osien had hard lgssubsided lie;
fore dense volume OF steam filled every part Of the
vessel. N, FT7 -
The alarm among the passengers NAV be better
conceived than described Most of them having re.
tired for the night seized their lifepreservers and
rushed into the saloons in their night Clothes In
few seconds the saloons were filed with dense body
of stean and the frantic passengers rushed wildly to
and fro through the snfocatiug vapor, seeking to
reach the open air. AS it was Impossible to see the
way thher they had to feel it out stumbling against
each other and over sofas and chairs at every step
was on fire. aud unable from the darkness to see the
true condition OF things, for time the passen-
gers continued to blindy rush from one part Of the
boat to the other giving vent to their fears in loud
shouts and screams, and imprecatons that rendered
the general confusion more appalling. Then came
loud above all the din, the agonTzing s1rieks and
groans of she wounded, to swell the horrors of the
occasion.
Capt. Brayton promptly caused the engine to be
stopped, and then dropped anchor and proceeded to
investigate the extent Of the disaster Upon exam
ination it was found that the steam-chest around the
starboard smokestack had exploded about on a level
with the upper deck, forcing the steam all through
the boat with terrific force. Wherever the scaldng
yapor touched it blstered and as the result Of the
casualty, it was found that large number of people
were scalded with more or less severity. Out of
those, six have died, and sixteen others are suffering
untold tortures, many Of them being doubtless in.
jured past recovery.
AS soon after the accident as practicable the boat
was put about for Fall River to land the injured for
medical treatment 1&
Mr.. Brockway, the engineer of the Empire State
says the boilers of the boat are one year old and were
built at the Morgan Iron Works. They are combi-
nation of ue and tubular boilers and have been sub
ected to hydraulic pressure as test and certified as
safe, this year, by the Massachusetts, Inspector un-
der pressure OF 81 lbs. AT the time of the accident
there were only 81 lbs on. Mr. Brockway himself,
although uninjured, was within thirty feet of the
boiler and had a very narrow escape with his life
When the accident occurred the night was clear and
calm, and the sea almost motionless.