Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1871-08-09
TERRIBLE BOILER EXPLOSION.
Explosion of Boiler on New York
Ferryboat---FiftyP Persons Killed, and
One Hundred and Twenty Wounded.

Ferryboat---Fifty Persons Killed, and
One Hundred and Twenty Wounded.
On Sunday, July 80, at New York,
the Staten Island ferry boat Westfeld,
when crowded with passengers, explod-
ed her boiler in the slip at Whitehall
street The conclusion was terrific,
SCATTERING the forward part of the boat
and killing and acalding great num-
Der of people. The hurricane deck
was carried overheard and fell over
large number of persons in the water,
who were drowned.
THE SCENE
was berond description. Men were
struck dumb at the loss of their wives
and little ones; women were distracted
at having lost husbands and children;
while little children were crying for
their parents who were lost. The boil
er was suddenly blown out, landing in
the bow thirty feet distant. The for
ward part of the boat, the upper cabin
and all, was instantly shiyered and
split into thousand pieces. AS an
eyewitness expressed it, the forward
part of the boat was lifted fifty feet in
the air, the smoke-stack fell, and then
everything was buried in the hold.
Passengers, chairs, stools, horses,
benches and ife-preservers dropped. in
to the hold fronting the huge boiler,
which poured out a deadly vol
ume of steam. Many persons were
blown overheard A father and moth
er had their children blown from their
arms The water in an instant was
alive with men women and children
struggling for life. The after part Of
the boat, which had escaped the force
of the explosion. would have been safe
for the uninjured, but they were panic
stricken, and leaped overheard without
regard to cOnseq uences.
Many persons were drowned. The
| harbor police boat came to the rescue,
and gentlemen who were in row-boat
| The firemen also went to the rescue,
and bravely did they work. The debris
i'll the fore part of the hall was first re-
moved, The cries of the poor half broil-
ed victims were heartrending. Stimu-
lants were given them as they struggled
beneath the beams, and oils poured on
their burns. As fast as the wounded
were recovered they were borne to The
deck of another ferry boat moored
alongside, where they were tenderly
cared for by DR.. Shine, Within &c
minutes ambulances from Central ST.
Hospital were at Whitehall. The
scalded victims were placed in ambu-
lances and driven to the hospital at full
speed. Private carriages and express
wagons were also brought into requisi.
ton. The insurance patrol wagon bore
several loads OF moaning human beings
to the hospital. Some died on the way
and others were delerious with pain
One ambulance was filed with children
whose eyes were closed and their whole
faces sweiled beyond recognition. Their
little feet and legs were cooked and thei1
tender muscles laid bare.
The wounded will reach one hundred
Many of them were placed in carriage:
and driven to their homes The drug
stores in the neigh borhood were fillet
with them Among the mi ured wa.
Sheriff Madden, of Brooklyn, who was
driven to his residence Over Is, 00l
persons gathered at the battery within
an hour after the explosion.
The most reliable returns of the cas-
ulties by the disaster give a total o
: killed fifty, and wounded about on
hundred and twenty.
John Magee, the pilot, was throw
from the forward pilot house twent,
feet III the air, falling on the boat ant
escaping without a scratch.
FURTHER PARTICULARS.
Coroners Keenan, and Young visitet
the scene Of the explosion immediatelr
after the accident happened. Corone
keenan, will hold au investigation, bu
viii not begin for several days, perhap
not before next week. 1t is intended
that ii shall be searching and thorough
and the opinion of several experts witt
reference to the condition of th
boiler, the material of which
1t was made, and the amount of steam
it carried at the time, will be obtained
The jury will be composed of business
men or practical mechanics, able t.
render an Intelligent verdict accordin.
to the evidence, and place the blam,
for the appalling calamity where i
properly belongs The jury will viev
the bodies at the morgue, and permits
will then be given by Coroner Koena
for their removal by relatives OF under
takers. By order of the Coroner ne
permits for removal We're granted.
No theory is offered by the officers o
the company for the disaster. The en-
gineer Of the NOrthfield says that whel
the Westtield steamed out from the Isl
and, she had four cocks of water anC
from the fact that only slight repor
accompanied the explosion, he thinks
there could not have been but small
head of steam on.
Stevens, Secretary of the Slater
Island Ferry Company, says that there
was government safety-valve attached
to the boiler. The collector asserts
positively that there could not have
been more than $50 persons on board
the boat, the Westfield being an extra
boat, and but few persons aware that il
had been placed on the line. He holds
that it was not possible for so many tc
have been on her, as though she hao
been on q regular trip
INTERESTING STATEMENTS.
Mayor Carroll, of Syracuse, saws: 81
was standing Oh the main deck, leaning
against the rail reading a paper: Mr..
Eckel and Mr.. Sherlock were standing
Z,
Levi We're sitting in the forward cabin.
Suddenly there was terrific explosion,
the violence of which hurled me into
the air and l fell into the hold among
a confused mass of dead and
dying men, women and children. [ was
nearly covered with debris, and almost
blinded by dust and dirt Recovery in
a moment L CROPPED my way through
the darkness, and clambered out with,
out assistance. It seemed as though
everything L took hold Of was red hot.
My hands were dreadfully burned A
jet of steam struck me on
the forehead, and some falling
wood OF iron bruised my ankles, as l
was cropping my way out. The scene
was frightful; the groans of the wound
ed appalling. With the explosion the
ar seemed rent with shreks. [ finally
made my way through the debris, and
| as the cloud of dust cleared away, [