Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1865-11-09
TerrilIe sseazaboaG Explosion
Shocking and Heartr,nding Scenes.

Many Of our readers will remember the
account given during the past summeg Of the
launch Of the splendid new Hudson River
steamer, "St. John" Of the !" PEOPLES
Line, the largest river steamer yet built in
America 1t is upon this boat that one OF
the most horrible accidents Of the yea2 hap
pened on Sunday morning, Oct. 29th. The
boat was just passing Twentieth street, on
the trip down from Albany to New York, the
passengers being nearly all in their berths
asleep, when, at precisely $50,
TERRIFIC EXPLOSION
wassheard, the cabins were filed with bot,
kissing steam; the floors were Hooded with
boiling water, and rush of mighty, roaring
waves shook the steamer from end TO end
Quick as thought, the loosened steam with
all its mighty power, tore down portion OF
the steamers side, broke into thousand
splinters the partitions between rooms Nos,
l21 and 1913, smashed into fragments the
furniture, scalded and burned and mutilated
the bodies of a lady and two sleeping child
rem in one room, b.oated and mangled and
slew a mother and infant IN the other;
whirled swiftly through the upper ceiling,
uprooting the flooring OF room NO. Al, selzed
the occupant OF the lower berth, envelonlng
him in its blistering folds, hlied his lungs
with its torturing heat, drove the lite from
him. and then passing with fearful violence
into the adjoining room, No. A., 1t blasted
the sleeping form Of a wife whose husband
was by her side, separating forever and in
the most marked and terrible manner, those
whom God had joined together. While the
crash Of broken glass and fractured furni-
ture above, drowned the death shrieks Of
IL, II, oni3 ronT
awakened by the noise and frightened by the
tumult, jumped hastily from their berths and
rushed recklessly and foolishly fer the sa~
loon. The majority of them were in their
night-dresses, and with uncovered feet, step
ped into
THE BOILING WATER
with which the cabins were flooded, and
opened their lungs for the inhalation Of the
scalding steam.
OF the horrible sights to be seen after the
accident, one account speaks as follows:
Led by curiosity, we walked toward the pill
lar, when our footsteps were stopped BY
dreadful sight, upon which no living man
could look unqualified. i large white cloth,
curiously outlined with elevations and de-
pressions, spotted with blood stains, darken
ed with matter and smeared with gore
suggested q more terrible revelation. just
then brother in search of o sister came
to see if she was there; the sheet was raised,
and oh, dreadful sight, the victims Of the
slaughter lay before U.S.. No battlefield
/ could exhibit such mutilation, no thicket
inhabited by wild beast could boast more
perfect disfguration The steam in its OPP
GRAFTON must have been instantaneous, and
death most likely carried off victim ere
| second agony had followed the blow Of the
assailant. No one of the adults lay straight
out, but with clenched fist, uplifted knee,
bloated countenance, disfigured features and
in most instances, with skin entirely peeled
away, they lay, hideous and repuIsiye.
More touching than pen can paint was the
lifeless forms Of three little ones, that I'M
consciously kept their mothers company to
the unknown shore beyond. One pretty
child, not more than three years Of age, with
tiny hands outstretched, alone preserved tie
semblance even of humanity: upon the rest
we gladly drop the cloth Of forgetfulness.
Turning from this tableau Of the dead,
rigid and terrible, we were attracted by the
screams and means of
THE BAGGAGE MASTER,
Mr. Addison Searle, who lay stretched upon
blood stained mattress in the further cor
ner. The poor fellows head and face was
mass Of cuts and bruises ard blisters, His
head was tied and bandaged, and his body
comfortably covered with blankets. If he
raved it was with much good sense, for his
constant utterance was prayerful. While
we stood near him, we were the unwilling
witness Of most
HEART-RENDING SCENE,
one of those normal, but hardly necessary
sequences to troubles of this character. The
friends Of Mr.. Searle, instead Of waiting
until his wounds were properly dressed, his
blood washed away and he ready for re-
mova, fastened to his wife with the tidings
of his condition. Instantly she determined
to see him, and it was of her interview with
him that we spoke. Wildly entering the
saloon she rushed with all the fervor of
affection to his couch, and throwing herself
upon him, cried in the bitterness Of her sor-
row, with utterances that were heart-rending
to the hearers and exciting to the sufferer,
who turned and tossed in helpless wretched-
ness.
One man escaped the boiling water that
was flooding the cabin, by grasping the
chandelier and raising himself on its arms
Among those who were scalded to death
was {, newly married pair, returning from
their bridal tour. They had been married
at St. Luke's Church, in New York, on the
Thursday previous by the Reverend
j. H. futile. On Tuesday following, their
funeral obsequies were solemnized in the
same place by the same clergyman. In all
some eleven persons were killed, and four
teen severely wounded.