The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-10-30
Boiler Explosion /.

New YORK, Oct. 29.-This morning, al
about a quarter to six o'clock, while
abreast of Twentieth street, North River,
the port boiler of the steamer st. John,
from Albany, exploded. Seven persons
were killed, seventeen scalded, and one
is missing. There were only about ONT
hundred persons aboard, so that the cas-
ualties are not SO great as they would
have been during the summer. At the
time of the accident the engines were
working at the rate of thirteen revolu,
tions per minnie and carrying a pressure
of steam varying from twenty-four to
twenty-six pounds, and is licensed foi
thirty-tive, but the safety y.valves are
weighted at thirty-three pounds. None
OF the engineers can account for the ex.
plosion aud regard it as very mysterious,
which can only be solved by thorough
investigation.
At the time of tie explosion there
were two fremen in the boiler room, one
of whom, FrenchnaD, name unknown,
ju .nped overheard aid swan for shore,
but tits supposed was drowned; the other
escaped The steam, owing to the posi-
tion and character OF the explosion, did
not affect the main deck so much as the
main saloon deck. One of the deci
hands was severely burned on the lower
deck. The rent OF the boiler, which is
fortunately located OIL the guards, Is
about six feet long and three feet deep,
leaving an opening ipto which three OF
four men could easily enter. The whole
upper edge of the sheet is torn Off
the aperture is on line with the saloon
deck where the explosion occurred
Tons of scalding water passed through
several state rooms and rolling In tor
rent across the deck, entered the state
rooms Oh the opposite side and in a few
seconds the boiling water was at least
five inches deep OH the floor.
The explosion also tore up the hurri-
cane deck, making splinters for loug
distance around the gallery aud state
ROOMS The large pillar in the center OF
the saloon is perforated with a large
piece of iron. Rooms No. 8 and AZ i'll the
galleries on the opposite side to the sa-
loon, and over 20 feet from the place OF
the explosion. are shattered and drench-
ed with water.
Mr.. Hives. the baggage-master, mar
rowly escaped death The steam forced
i'm the bulkhead of his room several inch
es. There were numerous very narrow
escapes.
AS soon as the accident happened, the
ferry-boat Morristown hurried to the as
sistance of the st. Johns. Medical as
sistance was Immediately secured. Capt.
Peck and MIR. Colgrove, the Clerk, and
all the attaches of the boat did every
thing in their power to alleviate the sut-
ferings of the unfortunate. AS soon as
she came to the dock the police took pos
session and kept of the throng The
scene OH board was sad Near the ell.
gine room bulkhead lay the dead; first
n mother and her two children; next
mother and child, whose husband and
father lay at the other end of the saloon,
suffering torture ineXpressible next a
mother and wife-by her head sat her
husband. He had gone out of their room
just before the explosion occurred. A
man lay in this group. The following
are their names: Mr.. Brooks, of New
York; Mrs Wallabar, and two children,
of Albany; Mrs. Archambly and child, OF
Albany; Mrs. Julia E. Reynolds, of Brook
lyD