The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-07-31

board the Westfield and anxious and
fearful inquiries were made on every
side to ascertain their fate. Immense
crowds also assembled around the hos
pitals and beseiged officials with in
quiries as 10 those within.
Coroners keenan, and Young were a,
the Battery within few minutes after
the explosion, and the latter took charge
OF the steamer and gave orders that
she should not be removed until an in.
vestigation had been made. The sur.
geons at the various hospitals Assem-.
bled' all their available force at the
Park Hospital. The first intimation
received ofthe explosion was the arrival
of a carriage at P. NJ. with four per
sons seriously injured. From that time
the arrivals commenced pouring in
every minute, and scenes OF the most
heartrending description were witness
ed. Many of the sufferers had their
faces completely stripped of skin and
almost roasted; others were burned or
tscalded about the body, and large
proportion dead, some being 90 horribly
disfgured as to be unacceptable. The
beds and wards were soon full, and ex-
ira beds were improvised by. placing
straw and blankets on the floors To
add to the horror of the scene inflam-
nation in many cases set in shortly
after arrival, and the shrieks and groans
of the sufferers were terrible in the ex-
treme. AS it was found that many Of
the patients must inevitably die sooh,
the chief surgeon despatched messen-
gers to procure clergymen to administer
spiritual consolation to the sufferers,
which they did amid the groans and
yells Of those lying in torture around
them.
The engineer of the boat, Henry
Robinson, is an intelligent colored man.
He has made statement regarding the
affair. He said he was on the boat
when the explosion occurred; had just
came off the dock, and the time would
be about lbs P. NJ; he descended to
the fire room and inquired of one Of the
engineers, Patrick Finnegan, how the
water was in the boiler, and was an
swered that it was all right; he ap-
preached the boiler, and found that the
water touched the third cock; the
boiler had only three cocks; he then
went to the engine room and found the
boiler carried twenty-seven pounds OF
steam; shortly afterwards he went on
deck and went into the pilot house he
was descending the stairs to 90 again
into the engine room when the explo-
sion occurred as he stood, he could not
get out through the door, so he opened
a trap door, and saw Robert Crosson
coming up the trap. He also stated
that the boiler had been in use for nine
years and was considered good; could
not say what caused the explosion
the boiler had patch on the cylinder
part where the explosion occurred it
was overhauled last winter he exam.
med said patch on Thursday last, and
it then seemed to be in good and sale
condition.
1t has been asserted that the acci-
dent occurred through Robinson care
lessness, while under the influence OF
liquor, but this appears untounded, as
his statement was given while perfectly
sober, only short time after the explo-
sion
A curious feature Of the explosion was
the remarkable escape OF John Mace,
pilot, who was thrown from forward OF
the pilot house to heigth Of twenty
feet in the air and alighted on the rear
part of the boat, escaping without a
scratch. One man, said to he one OF
the tiremen, was found among the dead
with the back part Of his head abso-
lutely blown off. Michael Reagan,
who was a passenger on the Westtield
at the time of the explosion, states that
the boat was crowded with excursion
lists, numerous groups Of men, women
and children, many leaning out OF the
windows watching the tow boats, &c,
in the vicinity; suddenly a. the boat
was about to start terrible shock of an
explosion was felt and he heard loud
noise and became unconscious for
time; when consciousness returned he
was struggling for life in the water
little distance from the Westtield and
MANY were around him; must have
again become unconscious for all was
blank until he found himself on land
and was carried into a liquor store and
attended to along with about thirty
others.
DR.. George Willard, of Boston, who
was present at the time Of the explo,
sion, saws that when the boiler exp oded
the passengers rushed forward and many
iumped overheard. While dozens were
struggling in the water, some OF the
passengers and deck hands began
throwing overheard the loose timberS
torn away by the explosion. These
blanks struck many Of those struggling
IN the water, and were the cause OF
many fatalities. He saw two heads, to
which no bodies were attached, and
women ran around the ferry house with
the skin scalded from their bodies.
At about four o'clock the bodies Of
those who were killed outright, to the
number of twelve, and the wounded,
had been removed from the boat and
the wreck was then towed up the East
river to the Novelty Iron Works. In
mediately after3the vessel left the slip,
the grapping for the dead bodies was
commenced, and in short time seven
teen bodies were broushtto the surface.
There are, as far as can be ascer-
tanned, thirty-eight dead, thirteen Of
whom have been recognized. The fol-
lowing are the names Of those recog-
pized: Mark Cheunavlerre, Brooklyn;
Jas Keller, Brooklyn; Mary {. West,
BROOKLYN; McDonough, Broadway
clerk; Mary Casey, New York; ). Il.
Gilman, Brooklyn; August Studyman'
New York; Fanny Rapdell, New 1ork:
Chas. Houch, New y orki Christ houch'
New York; Sarah Phillips, four years
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