New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-06-19
TERRIBLE EXPLOSION.
F1RE-EYGINE BLOWN TO PIECES.

Il
FOUR PERSONS KILLED AND TWENTY WOUNDED
SCENES AMONG THE DEAD AND WOUNDED
AT THE POLICE STATION AND IN THE CITY
HosPITAL-FULL PARTICULARS.
The most appalling catastrophe that was ever
known in the history of our new City Fire Depart
ment occurred between and 10 o'clock last evening"
and has sent sorrow into many families Inc facts
in the case are simply stated, that fire broke out
about 9! o'clock at No SO Bowery on the east sac,
near Grand-st. The bells sounded an alarm, anu
soon the fremen were on the ground WIN theiI APP
paratus. Among the engines thus brought 10 the
scene was the Steam Fire Engine No O. which lies in
East Broadway, near Market-st Her officers placed
her in position Immediately opposite the Old BOwery
Theater. and shortly afterward she was engaged in
throwing on the burning building heavy stream OF
water For about three-quarteTs of an hour she was
thus in action, and as usual crowd, though fortu-
pately not of large dimensions had gathered around
10 witness the working of the apparatus Suddenly
a sort of spirit was heard three times repeated and
Immediately following thereafter n heavy BOOM
similar to the report made by the discharge of can
non startled the neighborhood Instantly afterward
all the street lights in the vicinity were
extinguished, and almost total darkness pre-
vailed. For minute or two no one was aOie 10 iel
or even imagine to what the explosion was attrlDuc
table or whence it proceeded but the cessation OF
work on the part of the engine soon cd 10 the Delle
q N
ing fact that WAS very shortly made Dut 700 apparent
Sergeant Wecyms OF the Tenth Police Precinct nap
pcned To be at the time of the accident standing III
front of the building where the hIe was puIh-
iup il was confined To the interior ot the
house and not visible from the street anu anu
Immediately opposite the engine whose oonei
had exploded. With him, engaged IN ,GcohNerI
satlon was the late police Captain, now flre Mdisai
Bracket. Both these gentlemen telt me conclisslo'
and soon found themselves shroudId IN a'ihht ne
Sergeant Weeyms Immediately rushed acloSs lIle
Bowery and found number al people more or less
injured lying in all directions The engineer Oh
the engine Patrick W. Hand, was lying uhdGl
the apparatus with one Of the fore wheels
on his breast, and completely stunned irohl
the effects of the catastrophe. WIN the heip OF
few police and civilians who had now arrived on the
scene, the engine-wheel was removed IRON, MT
Hands body, and he was removed to the City lospl-
tai suffering intense agony uhutihealh lIo ehiinu
and between the fore and hind wheels was boy
writing i'm pain and piece Of heavy plaie-caStlng
lhot lying on his breast and burning INTO the hesi;
lie was speedily cNtncatcd, placed III coiSn aliI
sent 10 the City Hospital. Meantime th9sGWho nae
arrived at scene of the calamity Sero buy cngag,d
u rouOy Bsr bodies OF tue others some were Tempo
rarIy taken the nearest drug sOrc-, ohc INTO tHe
lager beer saloons in the vicinity, where physc@hs were
speedily in attendance 70 minister tto Them ana asauasG
@ ~ iiI roc amT attention. The number re
% } ,u o adu,itt,,d 70 The hospital making
alef DJIng auln''t co. f',uy ir,d i've i'm alI
The four killed outright were removed To the lehtl ire
cuct Police station Ihcy are gii Youths SNTV"S w.
about a. and the other two about is years of age Inc!
r all n, cured and present such horrible condi-
out Of the question Torn ana heelattd IN al parts
OF their bodies; in some places their burnt
grb plainly visible through the clothing scoched and
torn which, ia every instance, is saturated WIN inc
steam mat caused Their death; while withd there arises
from their burnt fc, and clothing sitting, sickeuing
odor that renders the scene IN the FoHce station nor
rble one 10 contemplate. How mere MOI bid curiosity
can. as IL did last night, bring 10 the place
whore they lay a crowd OF spectators seeking To
witness a sight 50 narrowing, /; beyond our our
lad Erl
singular. 4 SccOndaYc. car was proceeding Io"n tHc
EoWcry and was nearly hlled with women aud children
IL had arrived within about thirty feet Of The engine
when the explosion occurred, ana So hI'"t We nc
concession that IL was lifted from the track OF course
great CONSERVATION resulted 10 the passengers;
but prOvidruua!ly none OF them were H9nltu Vhc ~
the police went INTO the and assuring ai a danger
Was over succeeded qulcg the Of The innaes
The body OF one boy was lally DoNl lHo lHc "li 49,
way tie Bowcry Theatre pit aud suffered uJui5 81
most serious character lie removed 90 the io,pl'h
ANA the rumOr has since reached us tal nc ~ vi
6e e ooI 49, Tie facts became Known Intense
A general rush made for tue scene, ana
tine pOce-whO had. az usual been placed 70 suaLu w,
fre-liues-WcTc unable 10 prevent large huhpei Oh
persons from breaking through flhahy' however tno
iush WAS stopped, aud all spectators were ooiu
PEELED 10 leave the scene FOR % long ume aileI tho
accident however they hung around ~ hnuh 90 lo.vn
more, outside the lines OF police discussing the
THE CAUSE OF TIE EXPLOSION
il said 10 be Of water IN the boiler The water
had been getting low, aud while The engine Nas ySt
working and heated, cold water was introduced soon
after r hose had Let n small quantity oil H. the eAplO
sion took place. But three members OF the tllc Depart
juIcd-the engineer, the rcpdircr aud fireman. Inc
othcrs-includug the dead@erc spectators. LNtly ono
this city, get engine on occasions Vi hie anu
this accounts Tor the number OF these thit were
Tie names Of the killed it is impossible TO ascertain at
TnE WOUNDED AKE
Patrick W. Hand, engineer Of NO.v
John Conway, fireman. .-,
john CaTrish, nachlIst belonging 10 the repair !Iu'
Collins LghtbOdy,
James Mackln, No. 10 Centrc-sL
Lewis storms, No. ~ Dcidhcey-st
MUSES. hcaUug, NJ. i BOWtIy.
Frederick Roscoe, No. Is Bowery
Theodore Bates, No. JyO Gftchest
James sullivan. No. Sc Mulberry OF.
Stephen Woodbridge
Fred. ENcIu.
Thomas CTOnan
Thomas Foley.
SysOn Nlttei.
John Mcclure
Francis Clarke.
All tine above are at the City Hospital
Robert shOeer Of No tidIlhge-st ana TWO OF tnree
others seriously injured. removed 10 Their homes
The engineer says about weeks ago the engine
Witch caused ms fearful calamity was by him pro
pOunced unsafe use, and heTeupOn taken to the
Rrpair Yard To be put III order III was fepalcu tele
and had bee brought back Tor use only days since
Had the boiler properly attended ohoWeyerahd ad
there been, there should have Doen good supply Oh
in IL, the probability L. lhat we Nonu Ot hae
been called upon recount in The TRIBu NJ OF THIS morn
INK fIighu accident as, being puDhc JOufhasl IL
now becomes our painful duty 20 do. g.. 49,, ,,,o ~,
The building the fire IA winch brought the Engine No
10 the OF the accident was No 80 bOWey, Union
Hail. owned by The Astor estate Inc hIe PCho O fnr
hats The stock here was damaged 10 Tue amount ol
about 800 Insured Ia the ~ alh tb & oor
vine saloon and ms stock was damaged Dy wafer 10 he
amonnt of abont $50 The Intervening floors used
for divers PURPOSES the fourth only being without OcCu
pants; the damage therein Is tIlnlhs.
ANOTHER REPORTLR's ACCOUNT
shortly after nine O'Clock last evening an appalling
catastrophe occurred this city, killing four persons
outright, and fatally ur,ng many others me Iomv Ol
Theater The cause OF the explosion OF the boiler
df a steam fire engine A fire had broken out lew
befn nj ID 80