Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-08-02
THE ExPLoSIoN.
NIaety-SeVeass ssKIilsd-. One Hundred
and Fifty WOuHded.
The esroHsr's Inquest---TlIere will be a
Thorough investigation OF the eatas-
trophe by al! the Authorities.


The coroner's lnquest---TlIeFe Will be a
Thorough investigation OF the eatss-
trophe BY all the Authorities.
NEW YORK, August 1.-Up to one
O'Clock this morning the dead num-
bered seventy-tWO, and a dozen
wounded were not expected TO live
from one moment to another. All
the bodies have been recognized but
two. A chubby baby, about nine
months, Old awaits claimant Il is not
seriously injUed. Over eighty wound
ed yet remain at Bellevue, and prOba-
bly, fifty more are scattered about in
private houses in this city and Brook
lyn. Up to late hour last evening
the battery grounds and sll the neigh
boring streets were
THRoNGED WITH MEN, WOMEN
and children. The arrival of the
Staten Island boat, sister boat OF the
Westield, was watched with much
interest. She was loaded with passen-
gers who eagerly crowded to the side
Of the boat to catch glimpse Of the
scene Of the late catastrophe. Boats
crossing to Hamilton ferry were also
crowded, and sad faces Of the passen-
gers plainly eyineed the anxiety OF
ali. Some OF the friends Of those who
have not yet been found 'sOngregated
On the wharf snXiOusly
WATCHING THE DRlEDGEs
until the gun from Besdle's land had
announced sundOWn, when several
boatmen cOngregated around on the
end Of the pier, and eyes were strain
cd, all anXiOusly watching men IN
boats steadily pulling at ropes, which
after all proved to be caught in q mass
OF old rope. As darkness set in, the
crowd gradually diminished, and the
divers ceased to make their journeys,
bat dredgers worked MP to a late
hour.
CORONER KEENAN,
will, in performing his duty, adopt
the following procedure, in order 10
save unnecessary trouble snd waste of
time: A separate inquest will not be
held in each case as bodies are identi-
fed. Certificate and burial permits viii
be granted 10 relatives or friends who
identify the remains, and then in
about a weeks time q grand inquest
will be held on all the victims. At
this investigation Coroner Keener will
make 4 most
SEARCHING INQUIRY
into the cause Of the explosion. Ex-
pert machinists will be examined re.
gardiug the condition Of the boiler,
and the probable cause Of its eXplo-
sion. The engineer of the Westfield
will also be examined at length, and
no effort will be spared 10 place the
responsibility OF the disaster to " here
il really belongs.
THE NUMBER OF KILLED.
The World publishes the names OF
seventy-one killed by the explosion,
and says there are eighr bodies un-
known. The Herald gives the num-
Der Of killed as even greater. The
names OF II injured are also pub
ished. The majority of the killed
and wounded are from this city,
Brooklyn and Staten Island. 1t is
believed that many more bodies will
be taken out of the water, and, of
course, Others viii never be found.
The most painful after-feature of the
tragedy was the appearance Of hun
dreds Of anxious and
HALF CRAZED PEOPLE
at the hospitals and station-houses,
inquiring after missing friends and
relatives. One poor fellow, Michael
Finlsy, who lost his wife and child by
the explosion, has gone mad, and
yesterday attempted to commit sui
eide by throwing himself into East
river.
Inspectors Mathews and BOala will
commence the examination to-day at
their Office, % Pine street, by order of
the Secretary Of the Treasury.
Captain Belknap, United States Su-
pervising lnspeC General OF Steam
bOats, has received a telegram from
Secretary Boutwell,, directing him 10
make the most searching investigation
into the cause Of the explosion and to
report the result OF his Investigations
60 HIM.
A TERRIBLE CONVICTION
is settling upon the p0pulace that the
holocaust is yet more awful than has
ever been suspected. Several bodies
have been taken cut OF the water this
morning, making a tCtal of ninety
seven already recovered. Ii is now
said by those best informed that the
number Of the injured will exceed
Two hundred. The secretary OF the
staten Island FerrybOat Company
stated yesterday that it was, as yet,
impossible to account Tor the accident.
The Inspector OF the company has
rigidly erOss-eXamined the engineer,
1remen, captain and pilot, and he
cannot attach the slightest blame to
any OF these officers. This statement,
however, may be taken for what il is
worth as regards the engineer. The
allowance Of
STEAM PRESSURE,
according to the Government certifi-
cate, was twenty-five pounds tO the
square inch. To prevent accidents,
the Government c0mDels the use of
what IS termed locked s4fety.ValYe,
which Is only acceptable 10 the Gov
ernment inspectors at pressure of
tWenty-seven pounds to the square
inch. When danger is supposed to
begin, the valve automatically opens.
The engineer admits that steam had
Just begun to escape through this
valve at the time Of the explosion,
thus incidentally admitting that he
did not previously know the amount
OF pressure OF steam, and that he had
neglected his engine. Had the boiler
been q sound one, ii would doubtless /
have resisted the pressure till the
safety valve relieved it, bur the boiler !
was a patched one, and close to the
WEAK SPOT
was the man-hole, through which the
engineer goes into the boiler to clean
il out. That the boiler was Unsound
at the break there can be little doubt,
for Il was on a representation to that
effect by several gentlemen at the
barge office, with reference to 3 piece |
thai was blown into the dock, that
made Inspector Jamis0n seize the /
piece and carry 1t on to police head
quarters.
THoMAs y. POWERS,
A Brooklyn boiler inspector yester-
day examined the boiler Of the West |
held, and says: The explosion, in |
my opinion, occurred from over pres |
sure Of steam, as there is no appear |
ance of low water, but, on the con
trary, there is every evidence Of there |
having been plenty of water in the
boiler"
DRAGGING FOR BODIES
st the scene of the explosion was re-
sumed at daybreak, but up to this i