Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1871-08-02
FRIGHTFUL CATASTROPHE
EXPLOSION On BoARD 4 sTKAnDoAT.

FRIGHTFUL CATASTROPHE.
EXPLOSION on BoARD 4 srRAnseAr.
Sad Fate 70 Sunday 1xssrsisaists.
One Hundred and seventy Victims.
AN APPALLING SCENE or MISERY.
NEW YoRK. July 30.-As the Staten
Island boat Westfield" was starting
from her dock at the foot of Whitehall
street, next to the Battery, at balf-past
one, today. with heavy load Of com
pany, mainly of the usual class of Sum-
day excursionists. to the number Of about
three hundred. her boiler burst with a
tremendous explosion, shivering the
whole upper works Of the boat into a
thousand pieces. and laying open the
whole forward part Of the hull from the
very keel The spectacle on the ill-fated
vessel, Subsequent to the explosion. is
beyond description. A great yawning
abyss stretched from abaft the engine
room close to the stern, and the deck
seemed to have opened like . sepulchre.
to swallow it's load of precious human
freight in the dark hold beneath. The
dead and dying were lying about in
every direction among the debris of bro.
ken timbers, splinters and heavy ma
chinery. -.d ..a.
LATER ACCOUNT.
The following is late account of the
ferry boat disaster The first bell had
just rung when the explosion was heard.
and the scene Of confusion and terror
which resulted battles description. The
boiler. bursting, carried away the whole
of the boat in front of the steam pipe
and scattering the debris on all sides -
Men, women, children, horses, wagons,
boards and chairs were hurled in the air.
Nothing escaped that was on the forward
portion Of the boat. The passengers in
the rear rushed for the entrance en- masse,
but very few escaped without severe in
juries. 4.
The scene was frightful, and many
tainted from fear. Bodies, debris and
portions Of the wreck fell among the pas.
sengers and increased the confusion.
Many fell into the river, and, being
unable to help themselves, were d,owned
Boiling water was scattered in all direc-
tions, scalding those who were unable to
get out of its reach. The wind was
blowing inward at the time, and forced
water on that part of the boat near the
dock, whence the greater portion of her
had fed.
The bodies of the Injured were taken
to the Park Hospital. to the First Pre-
cinct Station House. and to Bellevue. A
large number were taken to the Hospital
in the rark, which was soon filled, and
hey were forced to send the remainder
10 Bellevue. The screams of the woun.
led were heart-rending, and the scenes at
he hospital were terrible.
One of the two iremen on the "West.
ield." named Robert Craweon, was in
lis fire. room at the time of the explosion.
md says that fifteen minutes before the
lccident he was on the cylinder wiping
off. He then went into one of the
abins for drink of water. and thence
nto the fire-room, where he heard a his
ing noise proceeding from the rear boiler
nd went to see the cause
He had gone but about half the length
f the boiler when he found the steam
q dense that he could proceed no further.
nd turned to come back, when he was
truck in the face by flying splinter
nd knocked down. He made his way
0 the deck as fast as possible. This his
ing noise which Crawson heard must
ave been the starting Of a plate-patch
ng Of the boiler; and was the first pre-.
nonition of the impending disaster.
An examination of the boiler, as it
ow lies at the bottom of the boat, re.
eals the fact that the explosion occurred
t the rear, and that piece about four
let long and two wide, was torn out of
be lacked, and thrown one hundred feet
n to the dock, at the barge Office, An
tber and larger portion Of the boiler
as thrown directly forward into the
ow of the boat.
In Bellevue Hospital at midnight there
ere twenty four bodies in cofins and
n on slabs. all frigbtfully scalded. large
alches of skin being torn of in many
laces. .......
July 3l-1 A. NJ The most reliable
turns Of the casualties by the explo- {
on gives a total of SO killed. and of a
ounded about l2O.