The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-11-23
L ii E DISPATCH.
MONDAY MORNING .NoVEuIBplEi;R . ,ss1

O..
Ihk STEAM Tuo EXPLOSION AT DErRoIr.-The oc.
eafrenes OF fatal explosion on board the steam
tug ~ ). sprague at Detroit, on the lstb ,n.t h..
oeeh mentioned. The tug was torn into n thou.
sand pieces, and sunk out Of sight In a moms,,
carrying down eight souls with her. The circum.
stances are as follows:
The tug had in tow the scboonar, ~
roy and the barque Sunshine the batter baino .o
line ''As ai'sr Dy
Captain James Y. Snow, of the Sprague. the o,,v
man VINO escaped without serious injury had han
aboard OF the Sunshine all the Afternoon snS -
ABOUT three o'clock called by his 6rst ,oata
VINO informed him that q vessel below vantsd .
.ow. lie got up from the transom where he had
were then just below the foot of Belle Is,e and
nearly opposite the water works CAPTAIN MeNsil
OF the Shunshine, stood upon his fcrecastle dect
LOOKING looking towards the city. Seeing Captain snow
-. IA near his cabin on the deck of the tug 10
Ih3oe some remark to him, which the latter not
undefstanding, he stepped from his own deck unon
tue rail OF the Sunshine. At the same instant the
Doiier exploded, and both captains were thrown
W oy the concussion The next instant storm
OF iron, COAL broken spars and machinery com
barque Va 'Ao
a great quantity Of water was thrown on hoard
.se.her Win TWO hues belonging to the boiler of
tne tug, about eight feet of the smoke nine incln
uius the throttie-valve, and large piece of tha
poher: Large pieces of timber from the hull of the
tug also fell upon the tug Of the vessel epdaneer
ins Tue h'es OF those on board, while perfect
haiistorm OF coal fell in all directions The i'm
petus OF the vessel being retarded by the shock
sno swung around, and lay, in a moment in the
must OF perfect devastation The water Was CIV
efea e "ith fragments of floating wood but no tan
glpie shape was left to denote the existence of ba
handsome little tug. Captain Mcneil informed ms
that, upon being Knocked down. he recovered him
sen as soon as possible and, after the fragments of
'ns wreck hsd ceased falling, walked to the side
and looked over. The tug had disappeared entirely
from sight, either having sunk, or been blown into
atoms. -A''
" Inc form OF man was then discovered floating
sonle ilttie distance or and boat sent after him
Iva "aS discovered to be the first engineer, Thomas
Alien clinSing to some fragments of the wreck
with his hands, his thigh being broken and his
lower extremities immersed In water He was Ia
ken from the wreck and brought upon shore in a
sIale- NO one else was saved out Of crew
vi hIne noh capt. Spow WAS saved from death by
the circumstance Of having moved from his posi-
Lon near the pilot house but moment before the
e4plosion' lie was struck on the chin by flying
nag uien. ana knocked down. He was also injured
on the left shoulder and arm. The crew of the yes
sci were al upon deck but none were hurt
inc engineer Ihos. Allen, states that the boilers
were WORKING under pressure of from seventy.
1--WE " eighty pounds Of steam Just before the
e1plosioh Ae went into the engine room and tried
the water gauges, finding three flush cocks He
then assembled the stairs and turned to 20 to his
caoln, when the boiler exploded, after which he
had no Consciousness till he found himself in the
water: lie Was blackened and burned by tho steam,
ana ms thigh broken by r blow from something
"nich inflicted terrible cash at the same time
| Much excitement was created on the docks
~hlch soon extended into the city, aud hundreds
hocked to the place where the vessel WAS moored.
Inc entire disnlantng OF the vessel was the sub
Ject OF universal wonderment. The floating pieces
ol the tug were regarded with awe, at the thought
| OF power SO mighty as that which had manifest
ed itself in tearing to fragments go strong furna
| tion Those who saw the occurrence from the
shore aver that nothing to be seen but cloud
| OF steam, above which ascended mingled mass OF
| wood, IRON aud men. An eye witness from the
canada side declares that he saw two men ascend
| 800 feet ia the air.