Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-10-30
An Explosion ON 4 Norlh river.

NEW. York, Oct. 2S.-This morning at
about quarter to six O'clock while
abreast of 10th straet, North river, the port
boiler of the steamer st. John, from ALBANY,
| exploded. Seven persons were killed,
| seventeen scaled and one missing. There
| were only about one hundred persons
aboard, so that the causalties arc not so
| great as they would have been during the
summer. At the time of the accident the
| engine was making thirteen revolutions per
minute. and carrying a pressure of steam
| pounds. 1t is licensed for thirty five, but
the safety valves are wrighted at thirty
three pounds! Il ,T2bT J1f lTi
/ None OF the engineers can account for
| the explosion, and regard it. ,ssr very mys-
| teriouS. which can only be solved by thor
| ough Investigation. At the time of the ex-
plosiOl there were two firemen in the boil
er7 room, one of whom, name unknown,
jumped overheard and swan for Shore but
it is supposed he was drowned. The other
escaped, The steam, owing to the position
! and character OF the explosion, did not af-
| feet the main deck so much as the boiler
deck. Only one of the deck hands was Sc
| verely burned on the lower deck. The rent
boiler, which is fortunately located on the
guards, is about six feet long and three
feet deep, leaving an opening into which
three or four men could easily enter. The
whole upper edge of the sheet is torn Off
The aperature Is ON a level with the
saloon deck, and when the explosion occur
red the steam was followed by tons of scald-
ing water, which passed through several
state rooms, and rolling in torrent, across
the deck, entered state rooms on the oppo-
site side, add in few minutes the boiling
water was at least five inches deep on the
| floor. The explosion also tore up the hur-
| ricane deck. making splinters for a long
distance around. The state rooms over
those that were destroyed below were ter
ribly shattered. The large pillar in the
center of the saloon is perforated with a
large piece of iron. Room 1875, in the main
saloon, and AZ in the gallery on the oppo-
site side of the saloon, over 20 feet from the
place OF explosion are shattered and drench-
ed with water. ''li q e's +" ''" - ''t
Mr.. Hines. the baggage master, narrowly
escaped death. The steam forced the bulk
head of his room inward several inches.
There were numerous very narrow escapes.
AS soon as the accident happened, the
ferry-boat Morristown went to the assist
ance of the st. John, and after some delay
she was brought to her berth, pier No. al,
North river. Assistance was Immediately
secured. Capt. Peck and Mr.. Colgrove. the
clerk, and all the attaches of the boat, did
everything In their power to alleviate the
sufferings of the unfortunates. AS soon as
she came to the dock the police took possess
sion of her to keep Off the throng. ra
The scene on board was sad. Forward
near the engine room bulkhead lay the
dead, first mother and her two chIldren,
next mother and child whose husband
and father lay at the other end of the saloon,
suffering tortures ineXpressable; next a
mother and wife; by her head sat her hus-
band; he was alive; so was their child. He
had gone out of their room just before the
explosion occurred. i4y Il i..