North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1865-11-01

Frightful Steamboat Explosion On the
Hudson River--Seven Passengers Killed
and Seventeen Wounded.
New YORK, Oct. 29-This morning, at q
quarter before six O'Clock, while abreast of
Twentieth street, North river, the port boiler
Of the steamboat St. John, of the Peoples
Albany line, exploded. Seven persons were
killed, seventeen scalded and one is missing
There were only about 100 persons aboard,
so that the casualties are not so grea, as they
would have been at the height of the summer
travel. $500,
At the time of the explosion the engine
was making about l3 revolutions per minute e,
and she was carrying steam pressure fIom
26 to 2S lbs per square inch. The St. John
usually carries 80 lbs. and is licensed for 35
lbs, but the safety valves are weighed at 33
lbs. None of the engineers present could
give US the cause of the explosion, and all
regard it as profound mystery which can
only be solved by thorough investigation.
At the time of the explosion there were two
firemen in the boiler room, one of whom, q
Frenchman, name unknown, jumped over
board and swan for the shore, but is be-
lieved to have been drowned. The other
ran out on the main deck and escaped all
harm. t
Ths steam, owing to the position of the
boiler, did not affect the main deck as much
as it did the main saloon, but John An6er-
son, deck hann, was severely burned.
The rent in the boiler, which was fortu-
nately located between the guards, is abont
6 feet long and deep, leaving an opening
into which four men could easily enter the
boiler. The whole upper edge of the sheet
is torn off, revealing the entire inner part ot
the boiler. The steam was followed by tons
of scalding water, which passed through the
state rooms ll9, 12l and 122, and rolling in
a torrent across the deck entered the oppo-
site staterooms, aud in few seconds the
boiling sea was at least five inches deep on
the floor and adjacent rooms.
The explosion completely demolished
No. ll9 in terrible manner, and tore up the
hurricane deck, making splinters for long
distance
AS soon as the accident happened the fer
ryboat, Norristown went to the assistance
of the 81. John, and after some delay she
was brought to her berth, pier Al, North
river.
Medical assistance was Immediately Sc
cured in the persons of Drs. Ball and White,
and up to the time Of their arrival Captain
Peck and Mr.. Colgrove, the clerk aud all
the attaches of the boat did every thing in
their power to alleviate the sufferings of the
unfortunates.
As soon as she came to the dock, the po-
lice took possession Of the entrance and kept
off the throng which had heard of the disas
ter, and eagerly sought information. The
scene on board was sad. Forward, near the
engine room bulkhead, lay the dead, first
mother and her children, next mother and
child, whose husband and father lay at the
other end of the saloon, suffering tortures
inexpressible !; next mother and wife, and
bv her head sat the husband. He was alive,
SO was their child. He had gone out of
their room just before the accident occurred.
A man lay in this group.
, The following are their names Mr.. Brooks
of New York, Mrs. WalIaber and two chill
dren, Of Albany, Mrs. Archambly and child.
of Albany, Mrs. John E. Reynolds, of Brook
lyn.
The following were badly scaIded; Mfr.
SearIe, baggage master, severely, cannot sur
vive, Mr.. Archambly, severely, F. Lyons and
wife. of Yorkville, severely, S. W. Northrup,
of Albany, x. Seaver, of Batavia, slightly,
j. f. Currdnhan, of New York, bis wife and
two daughters, all having their feet badly
scalded, G. E. Saulspaugh and wife, of Rome,
feet badly scalded, Mr.. Coyle, of Albany.
slightly, Fl. Dudley, of Brooklyn, slightly,
Mr.. Caldwell, of Albany, slightly.