New-York daily tribune., 1858-08-14
MARINE ATFAIRS.

io - nlosop on board the lake stesuer Vir-
o,iaNtbe particulars OF which, that could be OBTAINED
up to the time OF gong 70 press s'. svenns s
r,ssf.d rts1se eycitement che was advertised for
an excursion trp TO Point Clear and i.fge NUMBER
Of pessureseekers, was known, intenaed 70 90 On
On spproscbing the wharf alongside which the Viz
cifa syirg The only sign Of the disaster observab
Is the slbosrd chimney tnat had toppled over on the
stsrbo1rd eide. On gettirg nearer, however, she wl
n. se.p supk ustto her main deck part OF her star
board side (sbe lying with her stsrooao bde 10
the wharf burst out ard general look OF something
wrong the came SIDE. There 10 ABOUT eigut ioe'
of water where she lies.
Getting on her promenade deck which is almost
level with the wharf, end going t'rwsfd the scene
that is presented is indeecriosble. Two thirds or
more Of the main part of the boat is not blown away
but r cap of rups Vf every description Delicstey-
gided spars and huge portions Of the chimney cen.
tert.be and boiler, chandeliers and stancnions, ana
laoeo end smmed into each other In the most inextri-
cable way. II appeared strange 10 US how 80 much
truck was left instead OF being blown into the lake.
The cabin on the srbosrd slde om the boiler to the
stern of the boat, is completely mashed up with the
exception Of the outer wals of the ssarbosrd state
roCms.
Capt Meyers and The pilot Capt. Walker, were
sittirg on the promenadedeck forward, when the eI
plosi0n took place. The pio. had been on board all
pigtt but the Captain had only arrived short time
before the occurrence. They can give, we believe,
s1lutien Of the affair.
Mr.. B. B. Hodgklss, the first clerk, aud Mr.. w. +.
Taylor the second clerk, and Mr.. 3. Levy, Express
messeuger were their way 10 the boat, and were
fskirg drink at BeDtons Hotel when the explosion
tot K place. Had they been unuckiy little earlier,
their obituaries would probably have appeared 10 the
fpofnr papers for they would most likely nave been
in the tfice, which was knocked into cooked hat
The other officers G. W. Park, first engineer, w.
II Phillips second engineer and John Doyle, were
on b)a,d Doyle was the fret victim, as he died 10
the Cbarity spits before his injuries had been en-
tirely attended TO- Park and Philips escaped, ana
their statements we give below. We endeavored TO
get full particulars as possible from tne hrst engt
reeI-with what result will be seen
FIRST ESGIxEER's STATEMENT.
got I'D about AZ O'Clock, and went to work at the
force. pumps. l connected the starbosrd hand pump
hsd the larboard boiler pumped up igot steam on
the donkey boiler and commenced getting steam on
the aibosrd boiler. There were about hye pounds OF
steam got on the lsrbosrd boiler TO pump up the star
board boiler with the donkey sent man down 10
start the donkey. lie hsd started the uonsey wnes
the carpenter asked me If l could turn the Sarbeard
wheel es he wanted TO screw up BUCKET. l ssa
VIC ulc 90 as got steam enough i started oo~n
to ascertain whether could spare the steam from the
donkey 10 turn the main engine While was in the
starboaId fire ROOM on the arbosrd eide of the star
board boiler the explosion took place. asked the
man how much steam there was on the ial93sra an, %;
boiler He ssd there were three pounds. told hi n
when there were four five pounds TO start the dom
key. few minutes after the man said there were
three pounds of steam on the exposion TOOK plsce.
The dorkey had OILY been throwing water tao or
three minutes before the explosion, aud the hrioS up
had oniy been commenced about an hour previously.
SECOND ENGINEERS STATEMENT.
had been taken sick the previous evening ana
slept during the night in q cot on the larboaid guard
back Of the wheehouse. l ewoke between and
O'Clock Yesterday mornog, and feeling better, thought
could 10 to work if there was anything light to oo
went forward on the larboard SIDE ana seeing iorce
pump wanting connection i connected II. Feehng
worse went ait in the lower saloon and turned INTO
benh or the aboa-d side. The place being too not
TUNED out and stated orSard went up Ia'S S Tue
cabin AID lay down small sofa iust at the door.
saw Capt. Meyers (of the Virginie and Capt Val
ker, tue pilot sitting on the promenade deca, waen
the explosion took place. remarked MY God
whats the IN tier, something's let 60. ran DOWN
the forward stairs and boered for MIR. Park tthe first
ensneei) / saw him in the engne.ronm asked
him what was the matter lie replied that the lar
board boiler bad LET go the boat sinking aud they
had better get their things ashore. gathered some
olothee and went on the wharf. The boat had then
stopped going down. l went on board again. got
some swte. oil and returned with it to bshe some OF
the htnds on the wharf | had been lying down
abou, an hour. No stesm had been put on when
lay down. When | went down Mr.. Park was in be-
tween tie boiler and disgonal braces On the star
board side. He park said he thought at hrst the
water glass gusge had burst, and started over to fix 1t
but found the cold water, and knew the boat was
sir kipg. The carpenter who told Phips) asked
Park If be could not turn the wheel. Park replied
that cook could not do anything until the water WAS
boed-he would turn the wheel as soon as he could
get steam enough. Il would be impossible Tor the
amount Of stesm that wouldn't turn the engine over
to burst the boiler have carried thMtytwo pounds
Of steam. With cold water il would take about an
hour and twenty minutes to get up hiteen pounds OF
steam il would take only ten or hiteen minutes more
TO get I'D thirty pounds of steam. The boiler was
sound There were no leaks. The iron IN the oohsr
was bad The whole after end of the boiler exploded,
and turned night over the shafi.
Btsde those injured, which we reported yesterday,
We have to add three more TO the list
John Hefferan, chief cook, was seen lesplng over
board wounded, but was not feep afterward. lie Is
said to be native Ct New. York, and about thirty
years Of sge. .
Samuel C. Poor fireman probably fatally scalded
apo burned. He was On duty but whether attending
t. it or net We cannot ssy-when the explosion oc-
cuned.
Augustin, slave boy of Mr.. George Fosdicks,
slightly scalded.
John Fitzgerald, reported yesterday as fireman,
wa. a plumber in Mr.. McCsrthys employment, aod
blown into the Lake. Fitzgerald is very badly in.
iured Jean Bsp.ist, a T. c., was the second
victiu-or rather the third victim, Heh.Tan having
been dro~ned-as be died last evening in the Charity
OF ot urss there mary ideas ahoat in regard to
this catastrophe but We do not feel satisfied yet IN
expressing any positive opinion.
The general Iumor is that il WAS caused by gun
powder charged into sticks of hrexood, BY some yet
unbuLg parties, which were pnsuspec,ingly being
ustdto fre up with. Steam was not up as the boat
was 10. 10 start until III O'Clock, az hour and three
quarters later than the time Of the explosion. The
"6octor ens inc, which is worked by Disconnected
boiler, was at work st the time pumping up the
bters The lsrboard boiler was displaced aud evi.
dently fractured at the lover side, 60 as 10 escape
sad hot water, but whether by the improbsbls
force Of steam within, rby sn explosion OF gun wder
beneath, It will not be known until It shall be raised
ard examined.
Tie boat was fred by the explosion, but the conHs
grafton cid not contioue. She lies sunk to her main
deck. Size wss insured for $sl 600, in some seven
difsrert city ofbces
NAVAL ISTKLLIGEScE-THE PARAGUAY SQUADRON.
The crew of w. j. steamship Fulton, now st Wash
ngtop, ID. G, has been discssrsed on recomuends-