Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-08-01
i
NEW Y0RK IL MOURNING.
Terrific Explosion on a Ferry
Boat.
Some $50 Persons Aboard.
81 Killed Outright and Over
100 Injured.
Scenes of Horror SurpassiDg the
Ia Late Riot.
The Government Inspector OF
RniIarS blamed.
The Government Inspector OF
Boilers Blamed.
A Negro Engineer in Charge of
the Fatal Boat

INV 1ORkj July OOs- Int Dto'oH
Island ferryboat Westfeld, while in the
slip ct Whitehall, AID crowded with pass.
eugers, exploded her boilers at leo P. NJ.
The ctncussicn was terrific, SCATTERING
the forward part of the boat and killing
and scalding q great number of people.
The hurricane deck was carried over
board, and fell over 8 large number of
persons in the water, who were drowned.
The scere was beyond description.
Men were struck dumb with their loss of
wives and little ones, ard women were
distracted at having lost their husbands
and little children, while the little chill
dren are crying for their parents who are
lost.
Tire front end of the boiler was sud
denly blown cut, lodging on the bow,
thirty feet distant The forward part of
the boat, upper cabin and all, was in
SANITY shiYered and split into thousand
pieces.
Account of al Eye W Witness.
AS an eyewitness expressed it, "The
forward part of Inc 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 life preserveTs dropped into the hold
fronting the huge boiler, which poured
ou. s deadly volume of steam. Many
persons were blown overheard. a father
ami mother had their children bl;wn
frrm their arms. The water in an in
slant was alive with men, women and
children struggling for life"
Freuzied with Fright.
The after part of the boat, which had
escaped the force of the explosion, would
have been safe for the uGipjured, but
they were psnic-siricken, and leaped
overheard without regard to cons equeL ces.
Measures of Relief.
Capt. Ullmap, of the New-street po-
lice. hearing The explosion, was promptly
On hand. The fire alarm was sounded.
d.. Shine was al the scene OF the dis
astcr within len minutes, well provided
with medicine sDd bsndsges, cool and
calculating He saved several lives by
his prudence.
Within twenty minutes Inspector Jami-
son was on the ground, directing the
efforts of the police and keeping back
The multitude.
Many peTs lBs were drowned. The
ilarbor police boat came 20 the rescue,
auG gentlemen who w,Te in a row beat
rear the Battery saved seveIdl lives. The
tircuen al-o went 10 the rescu9, and right
bIavely did they work.
HaIS.BOucd victims.
Tie debris in the fore part of the hold
was first removed. The cries of the poor,
half boiled victims were heard rerding
the air, S imUlant was given them ss
they struggle beneath The beams, AID OIL
was poured upon their wounds. As fast
as The wounded recover they were
borne 10 TIE deck of another ferry boat
monred alongside, where they were ten,
deIly cared fos by D.. Slire.
AmSalGDces.
Within twenty minutes ambulance
from the Centre Street Hospital were at
Whitehall. The sCslded victims were
placed IL Tue ambClalCcs and driven to
the hospital at fun speed. Private car
Tiagcs and express wagons were also
brought j, to TequisItiOn. The insurance
patel WAGON bare sCvera, lOsds of moan
log humsn beings to Ihe hospital.
: wagon Load OF MuIiInIed Chill
drsns
Some died on the way; Others became
Gehrious with pain. One ambulance wa
filed win children whose eyes wer'
clsed sil their whole faces swelled be
vond al recognition. Their little fee
aud l.rs were cooked, aud their tender
muscles laid bare.
The Dead and wounded.
BY four o'clock over seventy wound {
pcrsons bad been rec lived in tbe Cen II
Street Hospital. Eve Of them Iii d W to
N an hour. Ire scenes here were heart
ronding. Twelve deed brdies were re
moved from the jst. Gr have sine
feen found in The va er, snd five hav'
died, max !Dg, 80 far AS known, 81 persons
killed nee ly outright Many of those il
the water clung to the piles until they
were rescued, but Others ssnk b-fore aiC
could reacn them. At least thirty five
persurS NJ list have been killed and drown
Il. Thi is basing il On the lowest esti
mate. TIE wound d will reach one hun
did. Many of them we placed in car
RACES end driven TO their homes. Tn
drug stores in the neighb 1rhocd WEI
Sheriff N -ddsn, Of BRO, klyn, who wa
Griven to his residence.
Crowds o. Spectators
Over 5000 pjTsCns gathered at ih
battery within an hour after the explc
sion.
Tbe of GERS Of the Boat A Negr
Engineer.
John n ger, the p lot, was thrown fro
the forws.d plothouse twenty feet in Ii
ar, falling on the bUal and escaping wit
vi a scra CHI. John F.eelsEd was csp'a
Of the boat and Harry Robinson englnee
The latter ia a coleied man, and the indl
nation of the passengers against him
Tremendous, though his friends claim
is not to blame The boiler was inspec
by John II. Mathews, United States boil
Inspector, On nc 18th Of June, and PR
lounCed ssfe.
statement OF the Engineer.
Robinson, the engineer, makes the fC