The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-01-04

Explosion OF the Boiler OF the sseanatug
Ncptune-Two Men Killed and Five
Badly Sealded-statements or the Cap-
tafns OF the Tugs Neptune and Reso-
lutte, Sc. .....,.ts..t.
A serious accident occurred on board the stcarntug
Neptune yesterday morning, OF about halfpast three
O'Clock, while that vessel In the Lower Bay, and
which resulted fatally 70 two persons and by which i've
Others were badly injured
The Neptane left this city Tuesday morning at balf
pas, four O'Clock and proceeded down The Lower Bay
for the purpose Of towing any vessel that might want
her assistance bat vessel coming along that day that
required any help from the tug make It's way mp 10
the city the Neptune. about eight o'clock that night
made fast 70 tho stcamtug Rcsolue, which vessel was
moored to tho spit buoy where she remained all that
night. The regular watches we're kept upon the tug
during the entire night, and about halfpast three
O'Clock those board Of both the veseels were
startled by loud explosion which shook these who
aeIeep out OF their berhs tho floor, and threw
those who were on deck into the water No previous
warning n.imailoI given, and but second before
the explosion OF the boiler the deck laugh
ing md taking little thinking Of the immediate death
that oycrakc two Of thor number. Had
h not been for the prompt assistance rendcredby Captain
Thomas Riley OF the ugboat Resolue, and his crew, all
Of those board the Neptune would In all probability
have been drowned that vessel sunk in less than vc
minutes after the explosion took place At the me the
boiler Of the Neptune blow up she wss in
charge of the pilot Mr.. McCnness, Who had relieved
Peter Atkins the first eng nesr, at twelve o'clock and
nc and the second engineer John Walker, both In
the engine when the melancholy catastrophe hap
pcned The pilot, Henry McGInness has not boen heard
Of since and must have boon instantly killed and the
second engineer John Walker, lies now In hopeless
condition at the city hospital where he conveyed,
ne al he
The names OF the two mon who arc snpposed 'o have
been killed, are
Henry McGinness pilot
George Cautine (coIored) steward
Captain Samuel Williams, JE, of the tug Neptune, Was
detained IN the city where no attending to business
when the OF the dsaster reached him. ard he i'm
slstanoc that lay-in bis power The unforunate men
were brougbt 30 tho city from the Lower Bay board
Of tho steam tug Resose aud landed at tho foot Of Jay
street North river from whence they removed In
carrsges provide ior that purpose By Captain Williams
10 the CITY Hospital. As the Rcsolnte s,eamng
along with the wounded on board and just after passing
Staten Island the cylinder head of her engine blew
out, badly sealding Roger williams, young
MS haa escaped e
was sitting in the ensne rocm conversing with soIne
men when this secynd accident occurred He is the
al Captain Williams, OF the Neptune aud was employed
fireman on board OF his fathers vessel What IL
sill more singular about the amir ID that this young
ccanns % tho 70 "a =. entire @ crew Of a The Spaos
The nsms Of tboss who were conveyed ~ tb" hc-pi
tai are:--
Peter Atkins, frst engineer.
John Walker, second engineer
Roger Williams, fireman
John Cogsweli deck hand.
Bcrnsri Quinn, dcox l'rnd.
Very htic hope " entertained fur The recovery of,
The Neptune was propeev Il one HUNDRED and sis.y.
sx ons burden, and WINS built in Albany IN the spring OF
lsea She was ysl,sd at $50 600 wss ps,si-ily us,r.
York, who built her mAa hinery she was stsrnc fast
vessel and had been IN the cnplcy Of the government
until The 22d OF last August In towing forage and c,ai
vessels from washirston 70 The Chssspesko Bay Her
engine wha. IN known ~ t~enty-siy square. low
pf sssI. Dus ssd Saen in the ,as, of .,sry,ns Sot
forty snd forty Ave pouud& She vas QUE n1udsed shd
iouf fsss iess ,wsn.y fsss bsaadt Of sau, and Hs
John Cogsweli of the dect iapds On bo.ui Of The
Neptune. was In the poiiouse NJ the time the eIpo
sion took place, and sitting tc steering Wheel
with The spygass in bis hand lo1k vessels
that might want tow He has recollection % any.
thing until he found himself living ,hroagh the air. snd
thrown in the water sbout thirty feet the
The cork fender fell near him and he suect.ad In rea
ing this, and thus nsnas to Keep himself afost prti
he was picked uP by a boat from the TUG K"s9'ne
STATEMENT or ctrTAIS WILLIAMS, OF rnI rec
yErrrSE.
The Neptune ie'i New York ou Tuesday mSrnng a;
tonr o'clock nnder The chnrs. of the plot, Nj Henry
ycGihncss and pro;cedel Ear saudy Hook 90 look
after gesseis desiring tow. Captain Williams
able 70 ~ himself a. he hal ugsn, business % attend
The tag bought 20 the spt buoy" where the
Ecsplnte was already moofcd, and the p,gno was
quietly until about past ihrr, O'Clock when
posion occurred. The 1fst engineer, sr Peter Aikinf
bad charge of the vessel % Twelve O'Clock that nrht
when hc relic ad from dnty by VI. J9hn walker
the second engineer who had charge of the tut Nhn
the e!,aslsr urr-d. No reason be assigned Tor
the oceuneute.
sTATFHENr on CAPTAIN THOMAS EILEy. OF TBE
REsorrTg
Captain Thomas Riley, of the steam ting RcsnlGtc,
state- thH' hs boat went down 10 the Lover Bay on
Tuesday afternoon and Doore HE vessel night alta
buoy ~ the HOrse shoe A. eight ocork the tfg Nep.
tune down, and made fast o. HE boat. Roth
sets kept steam up during The night and both had
watches deck Nothing ~ any moment occurred unf
half part ttree O'Clock yesterday morning, ehan the
eiler % The Neptune exploded with terrible
poIt, throwing fragments OF tho boat in every
direction, and carrying 90 Ia tho ruins, ~.
body OF ,he pilot Of the Ner,nne NJ. VI.
the Reaopte immediately OF 'bo Nsrsnnc's
hswsst- the latter IN q sinking condiisn. and,
with his crew. rc.rued the surviving member " he
crew, four IN number. The Neptune sank Ia threc
rs-cuins the ost On tho dst of the Scptune hesr Ok
the cries OF help from person In the water lowered h
small boat and succeeded res.uing another ~ te IN
fortunate men u s known that bat two per-oDs were
drowned. The Survivors are more or less rea ieJ
brought up 10 this city this morning snf .,
The foot Jay street and subsequently taken 10 the Ne~
York City Hospital The plot Of ths Neptune was N
the pilohon-c vh another AZ the time " the ~
ploson The rest of the crsw we're snpposed 90 have
been below In bel.
Mr. AcGiunrs. tho plo, of the Nsp,une thirty
ave years Of age and has wife aud two children 70
SIDING At y~rplsrcks Point, n. "
Captain Riley and the of the R.solnte deserve
praise Tor tho prompt manner In which they re.tusf
the unior; There IN foub the whole crew
Of the Neptuae would have been drowned Ssrs v not
foI the opportane preseD aud prompt action of the
Captain snd crew of The R.soute
Vtoas~ = ss00 oT Tss.s.