Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-10-30
The Explosion Of the Steamer Brook
IVn

THE propeller Brooklyn, Capt. Harvey
| Brown, of the Northern Transportation
| Companys line, bound from Ogdensburg
to Chicago, exploded her boiler yester-
day afternoon, about two o'clock, just
after passing Fighting Island, complete
| ly shattering the vessel and causing the
death of thirteen persons ON board, be-
sides manning and wounditg eleven
others. She sunk in about two or three
minutes in twenty-five or thirty feet of
water, only about six or eight inches of
her pilot-house remaining out of water,
to which nine persons clung for safety,
and were soon released by the propeller
| Cuba, while eight others who were
thrown into the water were picked up by
| fishing yawls from the shore. All but
six were injured, and were brought to
the city and taken to the Marine, Harper
and st. Mary's Hospitals.
The Captain states that he was on deck
at the time, and that several men were
wit hin distance of few feet from him.
At the first shock of the explosion he says
1t felt as though the boat had struck u
| rock. He was thrown to the deck and
partially stunncd. lie jumped up as soon
as he could, and began to realize the fact
of the explosion. He saw the boat sinking
rapidly at the center, and jumped into
the rigging and hauled out the cabin boy,
Albert Gibbons, from a cabin window.
He also assisted the first mate, Daniel
| Ryder, who had an arm broken by being
struck with flying missile, to the top of
the pilothouse, TO which place all on
deck FASTENED, as the boat was completely
under water in less than five minutes.
| There were nine persons on the pilot
house aud they remained there about tit-
| ttrtt hu ha
peller Cuba, when he came with them TO
| this city. He subsequently started back
at four O'clock with the tug Oswego to
| look after the remains of the wrecked
vessel, and also to see if he could find
any of the bodies of the lost or pick up
any who were supposed to be left on
the island. He, hswever, only found the
body of a woman, which was tied to the
island, and, Coroner having been sent
for to hold an inquest, he determined TO
| leave the body there. The Captain said
the Brooklyn was going at rate of
speed of about ten miles an hour, which
! is not an unusual speed for the boat, and
! That he was not racing
| Our reporter had conversation with
Fred. w. Stevens, Riley Franklin and
John rMullane, passengers of the boat.
| They say that the steamer Cuba was
several hundred yards ahead of the boat
and both were going at apparently the
same speed Two of the men heard
Capt. Boardman, who was on the deck,
say to Capt. Brown, of the Brooklyn
that the Cuba would Keep ahead, and
Capt. Brown replied: She will read
the name of our boat on our stern before
we reach Detroit"
Missing and supposed lost Mrs. Peter
Rabbin and child, four years old, of Og-
densburg, passengers; one lady pas
senger, name unknown, from Cleveland;
two Frenchmen, passengers, names un-
known, travelling from Ogdensburg to St
Louis; John Morley, first cook, Ogdens
burg; second cook, name unknown
shipped at Oswego; James Romaine
wheeIman, Cape Vincent, N. Y; William
Hilliard, second engineer, Ogdensburg
Michael Huck and James Phillips, fire
men; Mike Hanley, deck hand Samuel
Anderson, porter, Rensselaer, Falls, N
" Total, thirteen. %
The propeller Brooklyn was built a
Cleveland in 1866, and was therefore
eight. years old. She was considered {
first-class vessel, of good speed, and il
one of her trips has, it is stated, averaged
between ten and twelve miles per houl
from port to port. She was valued a
$45,00O and was insured for half tina
amount, She had on board full cargo
of general merchandise, sixty tons of i
being for this city, and the balance fo
Milwaukee and Chicago.-DetTOH Trio
lne, Oct. %.