Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1871-08-02
Nous nflhe Neek.
NEw YORK,-July 80.

The Staten Island ferry boat Mes'neio
crowded With passengers. exploded her
boiler at I 90 to-day in her slip. The
conclusion was terrific, SCATTERING the for
ward par, Of the boat and killing aud
scalding great number of people. The
hurricane deck was carried overheard
and large number Of persons tell into the
water aud we're drowned. The entire
number lost is supposed to be one hun
dred and City.
John Freclun was Captain and Harvey
Robinson the Engineer. The latte 7 is a
solored man. The indignation of the pas
seugers against him is tremendous though
his friends say he is not to blame Inc
boiler was inspected by John X. Mathews
limited States Boiler Inspector, on the
18Th Of June, aud pronounced safe, Rob
ipson, Engineer of the Westfeld' states
that he tried the boiler cocks a few min
utes before the explosion, and found wat
er at the upper cock. He stated further
that at that time he looked at the steam
gocue, aud there we're twenty-seven lbs
of steam on her boiler, also that steam
was blowing off at the safety valve, show
inc that the boiler was carrying the full
extent allowed by her certificate The
cause of the explosion was probably the
breaking of the joints of the plate with
which the boiler had been patched on the
roar end. The huge black smeke stack
Of the steamer lay, like a monster serpent
over an entire family, whom it had strick-
on in the face. A number Of victims were
past any chance of recovery and their
death was only a question of minutes or
faw bours Mt the most One of the sad
dcst and most effecting sights in the search
for the injured, was the discovery OF sew
eral little children and infants, whose ten
der limbs and bodies were bruised IN the
most horril manner. OF course these were
nearly all dead, The excitement on Sta
ten Island is beyond belief AT every
ferry are crowds of women and children
looking out for the missing among whom
are many of TIE most prominent Staten
Islanders. Col. Much, well-known man.
was fearfully scalded about the arms and
body. Muohi was partner OF Garaoald
while the latter was in this country. Capt
Jake Vanderbilt says that the Westhel1
was one of the most stauncf
steamers of the company, and had new
boiler put in her within the last twelve
months. Sixteen persons are now believed
to have been instantly killed. Twenty
one are already dead and more than fit
teen severely wounded. All the the low
or wards of the city are filled with excite
ment. The Times and San have ISSUED
a full extra containing full details of thu
casualties.
The total number number Of death
from the explosion of the boiler on tn
Staten Island ferry boat, is thus far fifty
seven. Seventeen of the killed and TWEEN
ty-four of the wounded were residents
Brooklyn. Thomas P. Powers, inspecto
of boilers in Brooklyn, and an examlnln
engineer, inspected the boiler ofthe "es
field to-day and stated that the exploslo
occurred from an over pressure OF, steal
as there is no appearance of low water;
the contrary, there is every sign that the
was plenty of water in the boiler
The afternoon papers are filled with al
ditional details of the scenes at the hosp
tails and battery, though they add little
Importance to the facts already publlshe
The leading editorials are also all devote
to the great disaster of the day, and a
agree in claiming thorough investigate
into the causes aud circumstances of Il
disaster. The evening Post answers
own question Can the responsibility f
the disaster be fixed ?" and says :>"TI
boiler Of the Wesfeld this morning W
carefully examined for us by an expo
engineer. lie discovers no Indicate
whatever that there was low water IN Il
boiler or that the iron of it was burnt.
had at one time been patched to strengt
en- it, and the break began just at t
patch. so that this must have been prob
bly, the weakest point of the structul
Either it was too weak at this .1oiut thel
fore to bear the proper pressure, or e.
the pressure actually applied at the til
of the explosion was unusual and unsafe
LONDON, July 2S.
Full particulars have been received
the famine in Persia. The drouth !
wear in the central and southern provin
and the consequent partial failure OF
crops caused great destruction and mist
all winter. AT the same time the ia!
were increased on the people Of the pr
ince of Faistan, which brought on 70
inc People left their homes, and