Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-04-25
From tho New York Sun. Anril 70

known, were on board. Capt. Jaycox
was on the canal boat G. c.. Geer. The
tugs boiler had been inspected only a
few months ago, and was thought to be
in excellent condition. 1t exploded
with great force, shattering the tug so
badly that it Immediately sank with all
on board.
Capt. Monroe Earls, with his son
Isaac, a young man of 20 years, and
the young man known as English Joe.
were on the VIM. Lord. Joe. who was
blown into the water, instantly sank,
and was not seen again. Young Earls
was struck by some of the flying tim
bers, and dashed upon the deck insen-
sible, his legs dangling over the side Of
the boat. Hie father, who was unin-
jured, seized the boy in his arms. and
carried hin to the barge alongside Just
as the canal boat sunk.
Capt. Oscar Rockwell and his three
children, Henry, aged five years, 1della,
aged eight years, and Freddie, aged
seven years. were the only persons on
board the Rachel King. Freddie was
BLOWN FROM THE DECK
into the river by the violent concus.
sion, and rescued unharmed by his
father with a graphing hook: Two
men, names unknown, on board the A.
A. Potter, had narrow escape from
drowning as the boat went down.
| The young man, Isaac Earls, whose
injuries about the head and neck are
very serious, was taken upon the dock
! and attended by DR.. II. Gregory. None
| Of Tie victims had been recovered up to
late hour last night. The engineer.
fireman, deck hand and cook Of the
Davenport were married men and in
poor circumstances. Capt. Jaycox
could give no statement last night as to
the condition of the boiler.
A remarkable fact in connection with
the explosion is that nothing was seen
hoating on the surface of the water
after the boat was shattered. With the
fragments of the wreck, the bodies of
the unfortunate men sank INSTANTLY
and within few minutes the surface
was calm and free of all evidence of the
disaster.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
About $50 yesterday afternoon the
Inhabitants of the neighborhood of the
Cunard docks were startled by loud
explosion, and everybody apprehended
terrible calamity. It was soon ascer-
tanned that the steam tow boat G. Y.
Davenport, having four canal boats in
tow, had burst her boiler near the Gu
nard steamship docks, and that a num-
Der OF lives had been lost. Hurryinp
to the foot of the dock, next south Of
the steamship docks, a Sun reporter
saw the upper works of the
tow boat shattered to fraoments
floating down with the ebb tide. and
two canal boats sunk to the water
edge: The canal boats were taken TO
the Communipaw flats. Thence the re-
porter went around to the foot of the
Cunard wharf, where he found Oscar
Rockwell, captain of the canal boat
Rachel King. His boat was moored to
the pier, and at the bow was a bull-doo
chained. and lying covering and trem.
bling on the deck, amid debris of coal.
ashes, splinters of wool, and bits of
broken iron and spinters.
ALL FROM DOG FIGHT.
The captain said to q bystander.
"Ihat dog-fght was all the cause of
Rockwell said: "The towboat had
Just taken us in tow, two boats on each
side, and my boat was on the outside.
The bull dog, which belonged. to the
towboat, broke loose and came over and
attacked my dog, when the engineer,
hreman, deck hand, and cook came
over to see the fight, and there was no
one left on the tug-boat except the
pilot, who was in the pilot-house,
After while I got the dogs separated,
and took my dog down into the after
cabin. and the men went back to the
tug-boat. I had just got into the cabin.
when my wife exclaimed, MY God
what is that Z rushed ont and saw that
the boiler of the tug had exploded, and,
missing my little boy, I looked, and
saw him sinking in the water for the
last time. I seized o boat-hook and
rescued him. When I went into the
cabin my hoy and an English boy
named Joseph, who worked for me.
were standing together; but I could
see nothing of Joseph, and think he
must have been knocked overheard and
SINK at once. don't know what be-
came of the men in the other canal
boats, and was not acquainted with any
OF them. One Of the canal beats sunk
with the tow-boat.
THE PILOT BLOWN UP.
An English sailor belonging to one of
the Cunard steamers, said that he w.t.
messed the explosion, and saw the pilot
thrown up into the air some fifteen or
twenty feet, and when he struck the
water it was crimsoned with blood.
From all the facts that could he
gathered, there is no doubt that six
persons lost their lives. all of them
were residents of Jersey City.
The tow boat was owned by Eastman
McCann, of 2 Coenties slip, New York.
She was built in Buffalo, had double
engine with 15-inch cylinders, and had
been used for towing in New York har-
Dor about ten years, having changed
owners several times, and was not