Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1871-09-05
Explosion of Steamer Near Mohile-Sev-
enty Men, Women and Children Killed
Terrible Scenes of Suffering and Death.

|
Explosion of Steamer Near Mohile-sev-
enty Men, Women and Children Killed
Terrible Scenes of Suffering and Death.
MOBILE, Aug. 20.-The Mobile Register
gives the following account of deplorabe ac-
cident which occurred on yesterday: se'as
The steamer Ocean Wave, low pressure
boat, left this city on Sunday morning with
about 200 persons on board for an excursion
to Fish Klver, about 20 miles from the city,
On her return trip she stopped at Point Clear,
reaching there about P. M. The boat was
made fast, and the band and part of the pas
sengers went ashore. After remaining there
for halt an hour the whistle was blown. and
the passengers had just got aboard when the
boiler exploded with great force. Following
the rumbling, kissing sound, fragments Of
metal and timber flew in every direcfien. The
| forward part OF the boat, with the cabin. was
carried completely away, the chimney falling
backwards toward the rear of the boat, crush.
| Ing the upper cabin, and the boat Immediately
| sunk, with her bows submerged.
THE KILLED AND INJURED.
About sixty or seventy persons were killed
and injured by the explosion. So far the be.
dles OF l9 dead teight ladies among the num-
per- nave been recovered, and % wounded
have been brought to the city, and one of the
number, little girl, has since died. The scene
was appalling, terrific, heart-rendng, and Wild
er scenes OF grief have seldom been witnessed.
The frantic cries of the survivors and the Ia
| mentations for lost wives, children. parents.
| sisters and brothers were agonizing to all who
had human sympathy. Many of the passen-
| gers were
LITTLE CHILDREN,
and little hats and bonnets came ashore to tell
| OF the little victims beneath the waves The
captain, VIM. Eaton, swan for some time with
both legs broken. A boat reached him Just too
late, and he went down. The two pilots were
killed, the engineer and wife severely injured.
and all the iremen killed. Only three officers
escaped. 1t is impossible to give correct es-
innate OF the total loss of life. By some it is
| supposed that 80 or 40 persons are still buried
In the debris Of the wreck OR at the bottom of
the bay. a diver has gone to the scene of the
disaster. The accident has casta
| GLOOM OVER THE WHOLE CITY
and universal sadness prevails. The streets
are crowded with people, and there is intense
excitement. The Ocean Wave has for some
time been considered an unsafe boat. has al.
ways been an unlucky one. criminal re-
sponslbillty rests somewhere, and it should be
visited upon those to whose recklessness and
lncapaclty Is attributed the catastrophe.
ROTTEN BOILER.
The system of inspections everywhere is
loose, careless and reckless. The boiler was
not so much exploded as it was torn open with
long seam. 1t was so rotten as to literally
tear open. Had 1t been stronger, so as to ex.
piode with greater violence, the destruction
would have been greater. The force of the
explosion was upward and forward.
RECOVERY OF BODIES.
A portion of the bodies were brought to tn.
b-,SI
night, and others were brought to-day Ef
forts are being made to recover the drowned
Of one Creole family, consisting of seven per-
sons, six we're drowned
Recently, in England, an action was brough
in the city of London county court, By Mr.
Walter, a solicitor, to recover damages from
, the Echo newspaper for having detained tn,
, manuscript of letter on Legal Reforma
tion, which he had sent to that journal fo
insertion, but which was not accepted, and haC
the Echo stated that in accordance to his rul
, In regard to rejected communications, he ha,
destroyed the manuscript Immediately after b
, had glanced over it. The judge said if tn
: manuscript had been In existence at the tim
the plaintiff applied for it, he would have beel
entitled to recover but as the communication
was destroyed, he had no remedy. The plain
tin then cOntended that he had property Il
the rags of the paper containing his essay, an
: also right In an action OF trover to recove
= = the value of the material. The judge in repl
said the am unit would be very small as
! would take very large manuscript to be wort
= = a farthing as waste paper. The Judge ais
" said the fact of writer sending article to a
> editor implied that he was to have sole contrt
: over it, as it could not be expected that an &c
. tor could pigeon hole and docket every mani
. = script for the purpose of returning if it shoul
/. De asked Tor 1t that was to be done, doze
! editors, the judge said, would not be suficier
Il for daily newspaper. Under this ruling tt
+ case was dismissed, and the costs allowed I
y - the defendants.
= The widow Of man who died in Ironto
,t Ohio, of delirium tremens, has recovert
J. $4,000 damages from the man who furnishe
1t the whiskey.