Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-08-02
The New York Disaster.

We give the following particulars Of the
terrible explosion at New York on Sunday,
which we take from q special dispatch to
the COUrier-JOur1ldL. .-......-
The conclusion was terrific, shattering
the forward part of the boat and killing
and scalding a great number of people.
The hurricane deck was carried overheard,
and fell over large number of persons in
the water who were drowned.
The scene was beyond description. Men
were struck dumb with their loss of wives
and little ones, and women were distracted
at having lost their husbands and children,
while the little children are crying for their
parents who are lost. . +. .-
The front end of the boiler was suddenly
blown out, lodging on the bow, thirty feet
distant. The forward part of the boat,
upper cabin and all, was instantly shivered
and split into thousand pieces.
AS an eyewitness expressed it, 1.-The
forward part of the boat was lifted fifty
feet into the air, the smoke-stack fell, and
then everything was buried in the hold.
Passengers. chairs, stools, horses, benches
and life preservers dropped into the hold
fronting the huge boiler, which poured out
a deadly volume of steam. Many persons
were blown overheard. a father and
mother had their children blown from
their arms. The water i'll an instant was
alive with men, women and children
struggling for life"
The after part of the boat, which had
escaped the force of the explosion, would
have been safe for the uninjured, but they
were papic-stricken and leaped overheard
without regard to consequences.
Capt. Ullman, of the New-stFeet police,
hearing the explosion, was promptly OH
hand. The fire alarm was sounded.
Il i
ter within ten minutes, well provided with
medicines and bandages, cool and calcula-
ting. He saved several lives by his pru-
dence. ID
Within twenty minutes Inspector jam
isOn was on the ground, directing the eff
forts of the police and keeping back the
multitude.
Many persons were drowned. The har-
Dor police boat came to the rescue, and
gentlemen who were in a row-boat near
the Battery saved several lives. The fire.
men also went to the rescue, and right
bravely did they work.
The debris in the fore part of the hold
was first removed. The cries of the poor,
half-boiled victims were heard rendlng the
air. Stimulant was given them as they
struggled beneath the beams, and oil was
poured upon their burns. AS fast as the
deck of another ferry boat moored along
side, where they were tenderly cared for
by DR.. Shine.
Within twenty minutes ambulances from
the Centre street Hospital were at White
hall. The sealded victims were placed in
the ambulances and driven to the hospital
at full speed. Private carriages and ex-
press wagons were also brought into requi-
sition. The insurance patrol wagon bore
several loads of moaning human beings to
the hospital.
Some died on the way; others became
delirious with pain. One ambulance was
filled with children whose eyes were closed
and their whole face .swelled beyond all
recognition. Their little feet and legs were
cooked, and their tender muscles laid bare.
By o'clock over seventy wounded per-
sons had been received in the Centre street
Hospital. Five of them died within an
hour. The scenes were heart-rendlng.
Twelve dead bodies were removed from
the boat
Over 10 900 persons gathered at the bat
terry within an hour after the explosion.
John Mager, the pilot, was thrown from
the forward pilot house twenty feet in the
air, falling on the boat and escaping with
out scratch. John Freeland was captain
of the boat and Harry Robinson engineer.
The latter is colored man, and the indig-
nation of the passengers aSainst him is
tremendous, though his friends claim he
is not to blame. The boiler was inspected
by John H. Mathews, United States boiler
inspector, on the 18th of June, and pro-
nounced safe.