The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1871-08-01

NEW YORK, July 3l.--Tbe Staten Is
land ferry boat Westfeld, while in the
slip at Whitehall, and crowded with pas
sengers, exploded her boiler at twenty
minutes past one yesterday afternoon.
The conclusion was terrific, shattering the
forward part of the boat and killing and
| scalding a great number Of people. The
| hurricane deck was carried overheard and
fell on large number OF persons in the
water, causing them TO drown.
The scene beggared description. Men
| were struck dumb at the loss OF their wives
and little ones, women we're distracted at
having lost their husbands, aud children
were crying for their parents who were
| lost. ... ........" .trr
The front of the boiler was suddenly
blown out lodging in the bow, thirty feet
distant. The forward part of the boat,
upper cabin and all, was Instantly shivered
and split into thousands of pieces; as an
eye witness expresses it: The forward
part OF the boat was lifted fifty feet in the
air the smoke stack fell and everything,
was buried in the hold" t-
Passengers, chairs, stools, benches and
life-preservers dropped into the held front
ing the huge boiler, which poured out q
steady volume Of steam. Many persons
were blown overheard. A father and
mother had three 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 escap-
ed the force Of the explosion, would have
been safe for the uninjurcd, but they were
| panic-stricken, and leaped overheard with
out regard to the consequences.
Capt Uiiman, Of the new street police
hearing the explosion, was promptly on
hand. A ire-alarm was sounded.
| DR.. Shine was at the scene Of the disaster
| within 10 minutes, well provided with
medicines and bandages, and cool and COL
lected he saved several lives by his pru-
| dence.
Within 20 minutes Inspector Jamison
was on the ground directing the efforts Of
the police and keeping back the multitude.
Many persons we're drowned. The harbor
police came TO the rescue, and some gen.
tleman who were in row-boats near the
| battery saved several lives.
AS fast - the wounded were recovered
| they were borne TO the deck Of another fer
ry-boat moored alongside, where they
were tenderly cared for by DR. Shine.
| By4 o'clock over ninety wounded per-
sons had been received in the Centre street
1
| hour. The scenes here were heartrending.
| Twelve dead bodies were removed from
the boat; four have since been found in
the water, and five have died, making so
far as known twenty-one persons killed,
nearly outright.
Many Of those in the water clung to the
| piles until thoy were rescued, but others
| sunk before aid could reach them.
At least thirty-fve persons must have
been killed and drowned. This is basing
it on the lowest estimate. The wounded
| will reach 100.
Many Of them were placed in carriages
| and driven TO their homes. The drug
stores in the neighborhood we're filled with
them. Among the injured was Sheriff
Madden, of Brooklyn, who was driven to
his residence.
| Over $4,000 persons gathered at the bat
terry within an hour after the explosion.
John Mayer, pilot, was thrown from for
ward of the pilot-house 20 feet in the air,
falling on the boat and escaping without
o scratch. John Freeland was captain of
the boat, and Harry Robinson, engineer;
| the latter is q colored man, and the indig-
| nation Of the passengers against him was
tremedous, though his friends claim that
he is not to blame.
The boiler was inspected by John II.
| Matthews, United States boiler inspector,
on the 10Th of June, and pronounced safe
The excitement in the lower wards of
the city, in Brooklyn and Staten Island, is
intense, and the streets are thronged with
anxious crowds. -.-.r.... ....
Extras from the Sun and Times offices,
with full details of the affair, were pub
lished about dark. .OHLtJ
| One of the two fremen on board the
Westfeld, named Robert Crawson, was in
the frcroom at the time of the explosion.
He says that fifteen minutes before the ac-
cident he was on the head Of the cylinder
wiping it of, and then went into one Of
the cabins tor drink Of water, and thence
| into the freroon. While there he heard
q Kissing noise proceeding from the rear
| of the boiler, and went to see the cause.
He had gone but about half way the length
Of the boiler when he found the steam so
and turned and came back, when he was
struck in the face by flying splinters and
knocked down, He made his way to the
deck Is fast as possible.
This Kissing noise which Crawson heard
must have heen caused by the starting of
plate patching Of the boiler, and tho first
premonition Of the impending disaster.
A cursory examination of the boiler, as
it rested in the bottom of tho boat, re-
vsaled the fact that the explosion occurred
at the rear, and that a piece about four
feet long and two wide was torn out and
thrown distance Of about one hundred
and twenty feet on to tho dock, at the
barge office. Another and larger por-
ton OF the boiler was thrown directly for.
ward into the bow Of the boat
Another victim Of the catastrophy Il
Antonio Miacci, partner Of Garibaldi IL
his candle factory at Clifton, Staten Island
The poor fellow Is shockingly bruised, ant