Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1871-08-04
The Ferry Boat Horror

The New York papers come filed With &C
counts Of the dreadful ferry boat catastrophe
one Of the most terrible that has occurred in that
city in many years. On Sunday the tide of
seekers for relaxation and pleasure sets strongly
to the islands in the hsrbor, and " extra ferry
boats are put on by the ferry companies. 1t was
the extra boat of the Staten Island ferry whose
boiler exploded, hurting to dreadful death by
scalding or mutilation, at least ffty-f7e
persons, and Hounding some seventy more ofthe
two hundred on board. OF the dead bodies found,
twenty-seven were recovered from the water in
the slip by graphing but the rising tide msde
swift current and it is not doubted that other
bodies were swept away The condition of the
corpses told of the horrible nature Of their death
An account says:
There on the slabs Of the Morgue, with lights
around them, and the jets of pure water sprink-
ling their mangled and scalded bodies. lay IL
corpses. There was no room for more. Nearest
the entrance was highly respectable young
woman, - or % years of age, with clear cut,
handsome features, dressed in black, who had
been drowned. But for the pallor on her face,
the might have been thought asleep. brswny,
pocked-marked Irish woman lay next to her.
This poor woman was SO near her confinement
that, when her body was brought in, her child
was half horn. Lying half between and half
upon these two women was little child about
eighteen months old, fesrfully scslded. and with
her body distended with sea water. On the
next slab were two men, one Of whom had the
letters L. N. on his pocket handkerchief and S35
and letter addressed to him in his pocket
though the word Brooklyn WAS alone legbe.
Then, two more women, with little girl-not
more than year old. without scratch and
very beautiful, resting her head on the shoul-
ders Of her supposed mother. Then two men,
one of them Rfterwtrd recognized as Prof. Marc
Chenneviere, a teacher Of French and modern
languages at No. 27l Degraw street. Brooklyn;
and more men and women, none of whom had
yet been identified. They were Is in number.
Ia the dead-house adjoining and in the court
yard were rows and rows OF rough pine collins
some containing those drowned or killed on the
spot, others those who had died in the hospitals
and who, when stripped Of their clothes, pre-
scented sickening spectacle. In this court
yard a man appeared with a small bundle in
his arms, and said, - Here's another poor little
baby" A man sprang forward, crying, " Let
me look at it ;" he groaned as though his heart
would burst, and turning to the hospital man,
said " May take her away? When did she
diel' "About five minutes ago." replied the
man I'm very sorry, but you can't take her
away tonight" The poor fellow turned away,
saying, perhaps I'd better not. II might kill
hoT mother in her present state" The mother,
too, was terribly scslded.
And go the scene went on till thirty nine
corpses were collected in that narrow building
and courtyard Many had the skin almost en-
tirely tcalled from their faces, necks, and
breasts others had Loaf portions of their hair.
the scalp literally psrbOed and the hair falling
out in punches, while the raw, red hesh Of their
faces snd breasts, where the skin had peeled of,
presented CHASTITY sight, such as few could look
at without shuddering. All were begrimed
with SCOT and dust. and occasionally a jagged
wound appeared through the rent clothing. 1t
Was a sight TO appal one possessed Of the strong
sst nerves Death and suffering were present in
their most terrible forms All ages and sexes
were represented among the victims. Infants
and children, ranging from three TO ten years,
were shockingy mutilated and scaled -
Persons who witnessed the explosion
say that for moment the air shove the
boat was filed with human beings and flying
masses Of timber, to a height Of over City feet,
and that then followed cloud CT steam and
smoke Then came the shrieks and groAns Of
the victims The water around the boat, aud
particularly on the east side, Was thickly sirewn
with persons struggling for life
The pilot house, with the pilot in it. who es-
capel little hurt, vas blown up 80 feet and fell
on the deck Of the boat The boat was left a
wreck The upper half of the smell Of the
boiler, 20 feet in length, and weighing two
tuns or more, wss torn eff, and hurled
a distance Of . feet or more into the bow Of the
boat The iron sheet is torn as clearly as
though it had been composed Of cloth Instead Of
metal. Other portions of the boiler were blown
on to he docks, 100 feet away.
The excitement in New York over the cstas-
trophe has Of course been very great, and the
pspers call for searching investigation. while
admitting that it is quite likely that the cause
Of the explosion will never be known.
PoRTLAxD AND OGDExsBuRG RAILWAY BoSDs
We are pleased to learn from the Messrs Fair
banks s. Co. the fiscal agents Of the Vermont or
Middle Diviiion Of this road, thSt, although
these bonds have but recently been offered TO
the public. the sales hSye far exceeded their ex-
expectations Among the purchasers
are a number Of the leading anu most con-
servative Of the New England capitalists, who
were induced to invest in these bonds by the
certain paying prospects Of the road, their con-
fdence in the integrity and ability which Is
being exhibited in It's construction snd manage
ment, and in the general importance Of the en-
terprise to the country, particularly to the sec
tons which it will drain. pass through, and
supply.