The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-07-31
DREADFUL ACCIDENT AT
NEW YORK.
A FERRY BOAT BLOWN UP.
Great Numbers Blown Over
board, Drowned and
Scalded.
Thirty or Forty Lives Lost.
A HUNDRED PERSONS
WOUNDED.
HEART-RENDING SCENES OF
AGONY.
NEW YoRK, July 20-7:3O p. \

NEW YORK, July 20-7:3O p. NJ.
The Staten Island ferry hOat WcstfIel
while in the slip at Whitehall and Grove
ed with passengers, exploded her boiler
l20P, NJ, to-day. Tho conclusion WI
terrific, shAttering the forward part of Ill
boat and killing and sCalding a great nun
her Of people. The hurricane deck wa
carried overheard and tell over larg
number of persons IN the water, who wCT
drowned.
The scene is beyond description. Tn
men were struck dumb at the loss Of thei
wives and little ones, and the women dis
iracted at having lost their husbands an
children, while the little children wer
crying Tor their parents who are lost
The front OF the boiler was suddcnl
blown out, lodging in the bow thirty fec
distant, and the forward part Of the boat
upper cabin, and all was Instantly shiver
ed and split into n thousand fragments
An eye witness expressed II "Thc for
ward part OF the boat was lifted fifty fee
in the air. The smokestaCk fell, aud
then everything was buried in the hold
passengers, chairs, stools, horses, benches
and life preservers, dropped into the hold
at tlcpnd OF the boiler, which poured out
adcadly volume. Many persons were
blown overheard. Fathers and mothers
had children blown from their arms into
the water, which IN an instant was alive
with men, women and children, struggling
for lie.
The ancrpart of the boat, which had
escaped the force Ofthe explosion, would
have been safe for the uninlure but they
were panic stricken, and leapcd overheard
without regard OF consequences. Capt.
lllman Of the new street police, hearing
the explosion, was promptly. on hand
The fire alarm was sounded. Dr. Shine
was at the scene within ten minutes, well
provided with medicine and bandagGs,
cool and collected. lie saved several
lives by prudence within twenty minutes.
Inspector JamisOn was on the gronnd di.
rCCtng the efforts of tho police, and keep.
ing back the crowd. Many persons were
drowned. The harbor police boat came
0thc rescue, and gentlemen who was
ina row boat near by, saved several lives.
The iremcn also went To tho rescue, and
right bravcly did work.
The debris in the fore part of the hold
was first removed. The cries Of the poor
Mlfboiled victims were heartrending.
SmuIcnls were given them as they
struggled beneath the beams, and oil was
poured upon their burns AS fast Ns the
wounded recovered they were borne to
!hc deck OF another ferry boat mOOred
alongside, where they were tenderly cared
lor by DR.. Shine.
Within twenty minutes ambulances
from the Centre Street Hospital were at
The wharf. The scNlded victims were
placed in the ambulances and driven TO
the hospital at full speed. Private car.
rlagCs and express wagons were also
brought into reQuisition. The insurance.
patrol wagon bore several loads of man.
9ed human beings to the hospital Some
oed on the way, and Others were dc.
rolls with pain One ambulance was
filled with children, whose eyes were
closed and their whole faces swollen be.
yOnd all recognition. Their feet and legs
were cooked, and their tender muscles
laid bare.
I'y4 o'clock over seventy wounded had
been recovered. In the Centre Street
Hospital five Of them died within nm
hour The scenes here are lieNrtrending.
Twelve dead bodies were recovered from
ihchoAl, iour have since been found In
the water and died, making so far as is
known, twcnty.one persons killed nearly
outright. Many OF those in the water
rIOng to the piers till they were rescued,
Int others sank before aid could
reach them. AT least 10 persons must
nave been killed and drowned This IL
The lowest estimate. The wounded will
reach 100. Many Of them were placed In
carriages and driven to their homes. The
lIlg stores in the ncighborhood were fill.
ea with them. Among the injured was
sheriff Madden, 0l Brooklyn, who was
lfyen to his house.
Over $4,000 persons gathered at the
@Itery within an hour after the explosion.
John Mayer, pilot, was blown from the
Onward pilot house twenty feet into the
Alt laIIing on the boat, and escaping
Without II scratch. John FrGeland was
capt, of the boat, and Harry Robinson
engineer. The latter Is COlOred man.
anu the Indignation of the passengers
aigAInst him Is tremendous, though his
trends claim that he is not to blame.
the boiler was inspected by J. II. Math.
e@, United States Boiler inspector, on
TUG Ilth OF June, and pronounced safe
KoNnson, the engineer, makes the fol-
owing statement; n live in Stapleton !
andam about 4j years OF age have been \
fnsaged by the Company sixteen years; !
. s9' certificate and passed an exami. !
~ IA10h did not bring my certificate to y
,ae Company, for they did not require U
,ge on This terry had the entire charge
~ lLc Westfield the boat is n half hour Q
m,aNrun on Sundays between regular 3
IIls was on the boat when the eXplO.
,OO ,E took place; | Ind Just come off s
n.., ,"v Uock; i was then fifteen minutes 8
IsI N one o'clock; went down into .
.iDl g,y H1r,e'room. One Of the engineers, Pat. r
tpA u ~ flnnigan, was in the room. ! said,
.MaIrlck, how Is the water ?" and he re-. i
P,ga P "All right l approached the y
y'I,ef y, and tried the third cock found '
Fa' ", the water touched the third cock v
n me boiler has only three cocks. then v
I Csu' 70 the engine.room and passing the
nDt, o.,, went in. found that the boiler Il
" MIied twenty.seven pounds Of steam. | 81
.uet went on deck. Two minutes after h
nen' again on the boat and into the pilot p
MoSe The captain was In there at the +
,.E H'.e Just as was going down stairs IN. 1
w SAG enginerOom the explosion occur.
ItU, From Whnrn I sto,1 t,n,-,, I ,,,,1I =,