New-York tribune., 1871-08-01
THE WESTFIELD DISASTER.
oa DEAD AND rag INJURED.

WRITER DETAILS AND INCIDENTS oF 1iE 'h''-
niBLE ACCIDENr-ADDTIONAL NNht' OF
vICTIMs-rnE RESPONSIBILITY FOX iIIE pl2-
ASTER-sUEtICIENT WATER IN TIE bolLh''
But TOO MUCH STEAM CARRIED
The excitement over the Staten Island catastrophe
was at its hight Yesterday. At the hospitals tho
horrible Morguc, the police-stations and the Terry
house. there were hundreds Of eager anxious IN
ourcrs after missing relatives and friends Every
now and then word would be given ont that anOtner
body had been found, another death bech reporter
from Bellevue, or another unfortunate oeeup'ht vi
the Morgue had been recognized; andthc iinIHodiaIo
surging Of the crowds in these places tho lai'a
gathering into groups and the increased chatterlng
would tell how quickly the news had spread
But the plain story "a yesterday recorded, told the
tale. Some two or three hundred men, women, and
children had left their close attic lodgings or Their
fevercd tenement-houses, to catch breath OF the
fresh air of the Bay, and know for few hours the
ploosnrcs of green fields and shady lanes. In mo-
mant tho dread agencies Of nature, controlled but
NOT snbdrcd hv man. burst the bonds Of its would
he ruler. and mutilated corpsos, writhng suffering
men aud women and little children too much hurt
70 cry were all that were left of the happy laughing
tlrong Of n minute ago. At half past tho boiler of
the ferry-boat Wcstield exploded, she lay in her
flip at the foot of Wichdll-st. just she was on
the point Of starting fos Staten Island, her passeu-
gers numbering about 80. Unfortunately, the de-
tire to catch the breeze from tho Bay, and at the
same time to avoid the glare of the sun,
bad collected all Immediately over the fatal boiler
When the explosion took place all were blown into
the air some falling into the river others into the
debris in the hold to be scadcd and sulocated by
the boiling steam. In a moment the boats from the
surrounding docks crowded round rescuing the
living and recovering the dead. The ambulances
IL.
hurried observation-disclosures and AS fast possible
the wounded the dead, and dying were transferred
to the Park Hospital till IL was illedto overowing
Soon the alnbulancos from Bellevue arrived to re-
lieye the Park Hospital of part of its terrible and
arduous duty. Rapidly the bodies Of those already
dead were transferred to the Morgue for recognition
md those who could be moved were carried after
having their wounds temporarily cared for, ard
beiug strengthened with stmul9nts or soothed with
morphine to the more caplcOus wards Of Bellevue
Hospital. All night long thousands were searching
f0I wife, brother, a sister or a chld. The doc
tors worked with all the enthusiasm an2 nerve Of
tlcr profession aud long before midnight those stu
alive had received all the medical care that pos
si5le
The scenes ut the Morgue told only too truly Of
the awful sorrow of hundreds; aud despite the care
of Warden Brennan, his sympathy, and gentle treat
ment of the mourneTs, the spectacle of their grief
was most narrowing. But thousands did not
ceed in gaining any satisfactory reply to their in
quiIies. 1t was impossible to admit them all into
the Hospital, and half the dead and wounded were
unknown. TIE TRIBUNE, therefore, took great
care TO publish as correct st of the sufferers and
their number rs could possibly be obtained The
names and addresses Of all those identified wero pub
lishcd, and although the sad list was longer ard
more numerous than that of the other leading jour
nals il appears unfortunately, TO be more correct
The numbers given in TIE Herald were: 45 killed,
OF whom % unknown, aHd 70 wOupded, all known
total, 1ls. TIC Times: 80 killed. I3 unknown, and 1O3
wounded unkrOyu-total 136. The World: 81 Killed,
% unknown, and iO9 wounded, unlnown-total, 1879.
TIE TRIBUNE: 81 killed, % unknown, and 121 wounded
unkuown-tota 1cs. II sad TO have 10 record That
even these last numbers have been largely added 20
II 4