The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1865-11-08
TmE sr. John ExPLosIoN.
The scenes ON the Steamer-A
Full Description Of the Dis.
0Stef. f

e ~ IN"
The Scenes ON the Steamer-A
Full Description Of the Dis.
! The following account Of the scenes
on the steamer st. John after the explo-
sion Of her boiler at New York, on Sun.
day last, is taken from the New York
The passengers were nearly, If not
quite all, in their rooms, asleep, when, at
precisely $685.
TERRIFIC EXPLOSION
was heard, the cabins were filed with
hot, Kissing steam, the floors were flooded
with boiling water, and a rush as Of
mighty roaring waves, shook the steamer
from end to end. Quick as. thought, the
loosened steam with all its mighty power,
tore down q portion of the steamers side,
broke into o thousand splinters The parti-
tions between rooms Nos. III and 1923,
smashed to fragments the furniture,
scslded aud burned and mutilated the
bodies Of o lady and two sleeping chill
dren in one room, bloated and mangled
and slew a mother and infant in the 9th
er +; whirled swiftly through the upper
ceiling, uprootcd the flooring Of room
No41, seisad The occupant Of the lower
berth, enveloped him in its blistering
folds, filled his lungs with ii. torturipg
heat, drove the life from him, and then
passing with fearful violence into the ad.
joining room, No. 43, it blasted the sleep
ing form of q wife whose husband was
by her side, separating forever and in the
most markedand terrible manner, those
whom God had Joined together. While
the crash f broken glass and fractured
furniture above, drowned the death
shieks Of those victims, the passengers
in their rooms, awakened by the noise
and frightened by the tumult, jumped
hastily from their berths and rushed
reckle,sly and foolishly for the saloon
The majority Of them were in their night.
dressss, and with uncovered feet, stepped
instantly into the boiling water with
which the cabins were flooded. and open
cd their lungs for the inhalation Of the
scalding steam. The Captain and Clerk
knew at once what was the matter, and
went into the cabin, broke the windows,
threv.opeh the doors, and let in a sup
ply Of fresh air. Fortunately, there was
one Doctor Oh board-Dr. VIM. Morris
Of Brooklyn, who made himself usefr'
in the most marked and acceptable man
ner. The wounded lay all about the cab
in, grooming, screaming, shouting, ii
very agony. Heads and feet and bodies
were scalded and blistered faces wer'
peeled and feet made useless Cor life
OF course the immediate relief Of tb'
sufferers was all the Doctor and his as
s~istants could attend to, but all that ex
perience could suggest and willing hand
perform, was done. In the cabin, we
found a series of fearful and distressing
tableaux The long, brilliant saloon
with lis gaudy tr%appings and elegant fin
ish, was one scene Of confusion, dire and
dirty. The costly carpets were soaked
with water, spotted with blood, and GOV
cred with dirt trampled upon them b.
the heavy boots. Of the workmen thu
gilded and painted paneling Of the side
was smashed and broken, splintered an
split; the glass windows graved most Gu
riously, were dashed into fragments
great sails of heavy duck had the wrecI
made in the sleeping rooms by the FER
steam, and an atmosphere of general des
%olation oppressed. the locker IN. Dread
full sight. A large white cloth, curious
ly outlined with elevations and depres
sions, spotted with blood stains, darkene'
with matter and smeared with gore, sug
gested a more terrible revelation, Jus
then a brother in search of a sister oam,
to see if she was there the sheet wa
raised, and oh, dreadful sight, the vic
Tins Of the slaughter lay before us.
No battle field could exhibit such mu
t%ilatiou, no thicket inhabited by vii,
beasts could boast more perfect ~disfgura
ticn. The steam in its operation mus
have been instantaneous, and death mos
likely carried off the victim ere a second
agony had followed the blow of the as
s%ailant. No one Of the adults lay straigh
out, but with clenched fist; uplifted knee
bloated cou~ntenance, ~dis6gured features
and in most instances, with skin e%ntirel
peeled away, they lay, hideous and repul
sive. More touching than pen can pain
were the ~lifeless forms Of the three littl
ones, that unconsciously kept their moth
er's company to the unknown shore b.
yond. One pretty child, not more tina
three years of age, with tinny hands Out
stretched, alone preserved the semblanc
even Of humanity /; upon the rest VI
gladly drop the clo'h Of fOrgetfulness.
In the forward cabin lay a Mr.. Lyon,
who appeared to be in the last moment
!. of life.
The wreck Of the boiler was a yer
suggestive sight The boiler, with fe
low on tae other side Of the boat, is 20
feet long, with a II foot shell, 1871 fee
front and contains 1l5 tubes, 20 fee
long, AZ inches in diameter, has an apel
] ture in its side, not far from the middle
about six feet square. One Of the sheet
was literally torn from the side, its DO,
t tom holding on and serving as q hing,
|. Through this aperture the steam burs
carrying devastation in its front, breal
ing down the side Of the steamer, NJ
8 roofing and demolisbipg every thin
movable, and ~shivering everything Of
l. permanent nature. The sheet aud on
/, or two others are wholly Embraced, viii
| tha rast 90 tho ko:lo, - aJannotalv c,,r,