The sun., 1870-09-10
THE RED JACKET DISASTER.
7WO OFFICERS BLOWN TO ATOMS
AND TIM BOAT TO SPLINTERS.

| AND 1HE BOAT TO SPLIHTERS.
The Latest Particulars Of the Staten IsIs nj
Sound Explo-ion-No Trncc Of the Cap
tain and PIiot-A Pail over Perth Am-
| boy-Rigid Invcstigntion 10 be Instituted
The calamitous explosion of the steam-tug Red
Jactei near Perth Amboy, on Thursday morning.
was tue sole topic yesterday among the people Of
South Amboy, Perth Amboy, Tottenvile, and the
villages about that part OF New Jersey No such
cvent, with lis accompanying horrors, has been wit
messed in the waters Of New Jersey for more than
fortv years. II utterly devastating tnat It Is
almost impossible tor the Inhabitants, the majority
Of whom know one or all of the dead officers Of the
uckless steamer, to ernsp the full scope and lmpor,
| OF tie disaster. One OF the Officers. Capt Robert
| Brown, was resident OF Perth Amboy, where he
had lived for many Years. The Red Jacket had
been brought aud fastened to the wharf at Perth
Auhoy tho night before, awaiting q clonge OF tide
| 10 proceed TN her course to New York. snd, as IL
customary, thesclptIin had gone ashore to visit his
| wife ard family.
| The other onicers. consisting of the engineers
pilot, and mate, had also taken turn on shore to
have their customsry exchange OF yarus anl discus
| sions on steamboat matters and steamboat men
with sn occasional diversion on the sutec, OF ors.
| tiers. biyalvc that is really OF the greatest i'm.
pcrtance to the Perth Amboysrs, since they 0nJ
their riches In tie waters of Princes Bar, where
they dove and labor mo year round.
Tue senior or first engineer, David 1homts,
wns douot'e's ashore curing the evenin..
either leaving the assistant. Aaron Rid.
| die. on watch. or placing tho Charge OF
the ooilers and nreroom with arcm'n. as Is often
tie case: anil the plot. Dunn. dill not remain with
the craft as his un'eq do not require his presrrce
on board. while the vessel is not in motion. 80 II
| tapT that all
| Tus tENDiNd OFFICERS wERE ASHORE
Tie fires under tic boilers opc of rpbirL L. s.td
TO have been leaky, we're keot brightly burning ara
tYNrvthing was In readiness for the midnight s,qr'
but the water in one boiler, ms II supposed leaked
on. and ran low. leaving the tubes 20 become red
| hoi and wien the boat started with her tow. at
from the steam OF one boiler alone. Tne other was
mas. OF red.hc' iron, huze shell. to be exploded
not by powder but by the n"w Of few gallons oi
water. pumped IN rs the engine after 1t was pm, in
| mo!ion, THIS rcsuit was not SLOW In developing,
-rd 10 sueh terrific explosion would sartlo ul
Mississippi r'ealn'oat men. who are habuAlly e1.
L'c'irg To ascend ON the fragments ot the boilers
hsraco OF duty In the pro house, md the captain
anc enrinccr, Thomas were ASCENDING to ne uilo'
house; S he 'oru,r TO JON e ro. and tic latter to
AIRY higher head of steam wbile in molioL, when
THg EXPLOSION
oecurrec-ln -tpl'~ion that instantly destroyed
their lYes forever Closed their lins and prr
hers every avenue of information TO the Cause q,
the dl'ssitr Tic drSruoton o. the Red Jacket
was inNcte. The hun ant deck house were utter.
y blONn TO pieces Nhi'e toe wreck OF the pilot
houac was renrr-entcd b, mass OF spliniers-no;
IN
make dec nt ren-haid G. Such u terrible dostrrc.
tion Of woodwork wss never seen before. O1lv
the explosion nj hH magazines OF powder could in
any way cause fearful and utter a raj, The
engineer hurled. torn md bleeiinv btty feet,
~ ~ anI''n I'M on tne o. ., ONT OF we cans hoas ia
cn,,in nj n,In, hag y, ~, n ~ nc
covered Sfifr di,lccr, search I'm iIe ~,
sOuhu' ana " ls W"nho'e 'hat 'hey we're
Torn INTO NrsrrE FRAGMENTS,
and hurled a. the winds. II l. possible that they
may bc discovered, and returned TO their ia,nies tor
i.terman,; hui no ons who saw the OF match
like spliniers which foa'ed Ashore ant represented
an ttH reuaued OF the ri'ot-house and upper works
o, ,he Red Jsrtet can e'tcrain any reasopahe hope
o&i oil yer roef siain ,hr bodies ot inc capt I'm rad
nal,nNs,'.No ot az eye and without the fauiesi
'SVuuspn -, w no,l, ,.'t mle'
nnrr.. e ,,1ioss h1or SUNK on IN 10 c,S than Tor
SnJ en- H. ~, Epr,Irr Sh,,sS & on uae Ga'nl boats
nc ~ s,, .srnss ,pitci ng Mn,',ci confused
wool ,,sny "a IN al & , ,,, Nv ~ HAslnens oI
ri T. seemed o Ank aio the water ac.. Win tbc
tun a. the tt'afrr mud The tNo canal boats t1nt
torn to Gio,cs byiihc violence Of the
,,vns, y.,c.y,.
exclusion. wei, to tbr h,,trr, VIZ, ..- ~,
haLlt,nts Of tie nci ci.hDo,inr viil...' -, - ~
arrnnG rr ,'tSov IT, n.., r. I"e mile.
sboek o. ar ortsGnske and to,'s " >, 'c'!.tlo
easly Eut rot sr "',,i,s ,Ih to 'ce open air as
internal orcS, of na!nr, Are striving 10 o.eaJc.
realiaing N 4 -,n,nt tie 9 nae NJ te ale rn,tn
inf' ""e r..d hearing the shrcks OF ~onsn SJ SnJ
- ''r' "it4 Of men fnr help launched hnsts viii
great freed ard pulled out TO The tow aud took or
board beard y The fertifci hoatmen, WHO were rushing
nS.e'y gll the Of the steamer and the two c
ssI e"1s were ,cs,ncl and clrrird ashore, and the
he Iee;hc"l' apd were
,,,,,,,o ,,- .,,..-
,raiu,, cacI, o, ., " w.. trp sr',,r rmn
rtTou. TG,5t'n TOW c 'asy 'n1 - rom % ,ner
r m. nifi ly otbsr In boat. na, @ sr ,hn .neaSisu
daaster. ""'O"'" "''' '''' ''s"' VI 'n'
Al dsr vest,r,,v = a,r,. wac. ~, s...., -, a..
4. -