The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1871-08-10
THE NEW YORK EXPLOSION
FULL PARTICULARS OF THE: AW-
Full CATASTROPHE.
The Scene on the Inflated Steamer
The mails bring us the following de-
tailed account of the fearful boiler ex-
plosion in New York on Sunday:
New YORK, July 30.

New YORK, July 30.
AS the Staten Island ferry-boat West
field was starting from her dock, at the
foot of Whitehall street, next to the
Battery, at 1.30 this afternoon, with a
heavy load, composed mainly of the
usual class of Sunday excursionists, to
the number of about 800, the boiler
burst with a tremendous explosion,
shivering the entire upper works of the
boat into 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 ex-
plosion 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 sepul-
chre to swallow it's load of precious hui
man freight in the dark hold beneath.
The dead and dying were lying about
in every direction among the debris of
broken timbers, splinters and heavy ma
chinery. From amidships to the cutwater,
the boat presents ? vast hole filled with
fragments of spars, beams and bulwarks
and fragments of iron. How many bodies
still beneath the ruins in that fearful
hold it is impossible as yet to tell. They
are bringing them out every hour. Many
persons, as in the case of Professor March
Ceneviere, of Brooklyn, were blown
bodily into the air, falling into the water.
Some have been hauled out by boatmen
with hooks, and otherwise, and large
party are now engaged in dragging the
bottom, and are constantly finding bodies.
Men, women and children, still alive, arc
brought in scorched and bruised and
mutilated to such degree that it seemed
almost impossible that life could remain.
Among the dead lay the body Of a man
with the back of his head absolutely
blown off. 1t is said by some to be the
fireman. One man, John Major, the
pilot, was thrown from the pilot house
twenty feet in the air, falling on the boat
and escaped without scratch. John
Freeland was captain of the boat and
Harry Robinson engineer. The boilers
were inspected by John K. Mathews,
United States boiler inspector, on the
18th of June, and pronounced safe
Henry Robinson, engineer of Westfeld,
stated that he tried the cocks in the boil
er a few moments before the. explosion
and found water in the upper cock. He
states further that at that time he looked
at the steam guage and noticed that there
were twenty-seven poundSof steam on
her boilers, also that steam was blowing
off at the safety valve, showing the boiler
was carrying the full extent allowed by
the certificate. He further. states that
the boiler was repaired last winter. The
cause of the explosion was probably the
breaking of the joints of the plate with
which the boiler had been patched on
the rear end. 1t is impossible as yet to
give the names or number of the dead.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
The following is a later account of
the ferry-boat disaster: The first bell
had just rung when the explosion was
heard, The scene of confusion and hor-
ror which resulted battles description
The boiler burst, carrying away the whole
part of the boat in front of the steampipe,
and scattering the debris on all sides.
Men, women and children, horses, wagons,
boards, and chairs, were hurled in the
air. Nothing escaped that was on the
forward part Of the boat.
Thepassengers in therear rushedfor the
entrance en- masse, but very few escaped
without some injuries. The scene was
frirhtfll. and many tainted from fear.