The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-08-29
MORE THAN MURDBRl'
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Explosion Of a Steamboat In
Mobile Bay.
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Over Sixty Persons Killed and
Wounded.
Most of the Victims Women and
Children.
Only Three of the Boats Officers
Left Alive.
An Unsafe Boat and Rot
ten Boilers.

ten nOIleISe
MOBILE, August %, 1871.
Tire ow-pressure steamer Ocean Wave exploded
her boiler at hafpast five O'Clock on Sunday after
noon at the wharf at Point Clear down the river.
There were about two hundred excursionists on
board about seventy Of whom were killed and
wounded.
portion of the bodies were brought TO this city
by the steamers Fountain and Annie last night.
The others will be brought here to-day. Efforts
are being made for the recovery OF the bodies OF the
drowned
The cause OF the disaster has not been ascertained
and an investigation Will be made Out of seven per-
sons composing Creole family six were killed.
The captain, engineer and pilot were killed. Only
three Of the officers escaped.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
The Mobile Register has the following account of
the disaster:-
The steamer Ocean Wave (ow pressure) left the
city on Sunday morning with about two hundred
persons on board, for an excursion to Fish River,
about twenty miles from the city. On the return trip
the boat reached Point Clear at five p. NJ. and was
made fast. The band and part OF the passengers
went ashore, and. after the lapse of half an hour,
the whistle blown, and oil returned to the boat.
they had just got on board when
THE BOILER EXPLODED WITH GREAT FORCE,
followed by rumbling Kissing sound, and frag-
ments of the timbers of the boat ana metal OF the
boiler were blown In every direction. The forward
part Of the cabin was carried away, and the CHM
ney fell upon the after cabin and crushed 1t. The
boat almost Immediately sunk, and her bow is now
submerged. About
SIXTY OR SEVENTY PERSONS WE'RE KILLED
or injured by the explosion. SO far the bodies of
nineteen dead, eight OF whom are ladies, have been
recovered. Twentyeight wounded persons have
been brought to the city, and one of them, girl,
has since died. The scene was
APPALLING, TERRIFIC AND HEARTRENDING.
Wilder scenes OF grief were seldom witnessed.
The frantic cries Of the in lamentation for
! their lost wives, children parents brothers and
sisters were agonzing TO all who had human SYM
pathies Many of the passengers were little
children, and little hats and bonnets came
ashore to tell Of the little victims be-
| meath the waves. The Captain, william Eaton
swan for some time with both legs broken.
boat reached him just too late and he went down.
The two pilots were killed. the fremen were all
killed. and the engineer ana his wife severely in
jured. 1t Is impossible to correctly estimate the
loss Of lives. BY some it Is supposed that at least
thirty or forty persons are still buried In the debris
of the wreck or
AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BAY.
diver has gone to the scene OF the disaster. The
accident has cast gloom over the whole city and
universal sadness prevails. Streets are crowded
with people, and the excitement and feeling are in
tense. The Ocean Wave has been for some time
considered an unsafe boat and has always been an
unlucky one.
CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY
rests somewhere and 1t should be visited upon those
to whose reckessness and incapacity NE disaster is
attributable. The appearance o. che boiler indicated
that 1t had yielded through rottenness, as 1t had
| been torn apart in a long seam. Had 1t exploded
with greater violence the destruction would have
been more general. The force Of the explosion was
directed upward and forward.
DESCRIPTION OF THE OCEAN WAVE.
| The Nautical Gazette furnishes the following In.
| formation:-
| The steamboat Ocean Wave was built at Hoboken,
N. j., in 1854, and was low.pressure steamer Of
1888 7G-lOo tons register, ana was employed as
freight boat In Mobile Bay, and was also frequently
used as an excursion steamer She was seventeen
years DID, and not in very good condition. The
United States Local Inspectors of the Tenth Super.
vslng district have had occasion several times to
| compel her owners more fully to comply with the
Steamboat laws The first complaint made against
this boat last year for not having board the
required number Of life preservers, and subse.
quenty the Local Inspectors John W. Youman (of
hulls) and Edward p. sprague Tor boilers, ordered
extensive repairs both hull and boilers. 1t is not
known that the ocean Waves boiler has been
changed since she was built In 1854.