Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-08-19
Inspectors Jones and Harrison to In
Testigate the Causes.

Col. Edward s. Jones, Steamboat In
spector for this district, and Capt. Samuel
N. Harrison, Steamboat Boiler Inspector,
! leave this evening for East Tennessee, Uu-
i der instructions from headquarters 70 make
a thorough investigation Of the causes lead
ing To The explosion Of the Hugh Martins
boilers and 20 take such action Is the case
may require. The disaster caused great
excitement at Chattanooga, Knoxville and
all along the Tennessee River. It was the
first. accident Of the kind that ever occurred
on that part Of the Tennessee. The
Chattanooga Times gives the following in
teresting incidents Of the explosion:
Capt. Fritz has been married a little
over a ye u and leaves 4 wife and infant
child.
sThe Hugh Martin was built in 1872,
but Der machinery was over ten years old.
She was owned by Capt. Fritz.
"Mr. w. II. Maxwell Of this city, was q
passenger on the Hugh Martin. de says
the accident must have happened between
> and 8 r. NJ, Saturday. About O'Clock
he had taken of his boots, coat and vest,
and laid down in his state room for a nap.
The first thing he knew be found himself
in the water about twenty feet from the
boat, covered with a pile Of debris from the
upper works Of the boat, from which he
was vigorously trying to eNtricate himself.
ain answer to a query about the depth Of
the water, he said that he was not trying
at that time 10 find the bottom, but that &c
he had known how often he was going lo
be asked about it he would have made
sUundings.
''He had in his YES pocket a gold watch
and about 500 in greenbacks, which nat
urally made him sol.citOus TO know where
his vest was. So he swan 10 the boat and
hunted through the debris Of the cabin
which was hanging OyeTthe side, and there
was so fortunate as to hud among II bis
cuat, vest and contents, and one Of his
boots. lie did not hear the explosion, and
says he was unable 10 lind a single person
on the boat who had heard il, although
parties five miles away in the county
heard il distinctly. This we understand %
be a common experience among the vic
Tins Of a steamboat explosion. The boiler
was burst into a hundred pieces, some Of
which were thrown into the fields four
hundred yards away from the boat. All
the upper works we're entirely demolished
back 10 the bulk head which sepaTted the
engine room from the boilers.
1.-TWO ladies, the wife and sister Of a Mr..
Graves, who had been employed on the
Cincinnati railroad and was returning
home TO Iowa, occupied a staterOOm above
the engine room and were only very sli ghtly
injured by spiinters. Their staterOOm was
not blown away SD tina. they escaped the
perils Of the river.
"Mr. Edward Mead, one Of the engineers
Of the Cincinnati Southern railroad, who
las been stationed in and near this city for
the past two years, was sitting on the for
ward deck reading when the explosion
tOOK place. He was blown some twenty or
thirty feet into the air, and fell upon the
shore, striking on his head in the mud.
His face was badly bruised and his system
seriously shocked. Immediately upon
landing he jumped up, mounted horse
and rode TO Washington, where he was at
last accounts confined 10 his bed, bat not
considered dangerously injured Mr.. Mead
has many friends in this city who will
greatly regret his misfOrtunes, and hope
soon TO see him and hear from bis own lips
such an account Of his adventures as be
alone can give.
aAr. Sullivan, who is connected with
the Cincinnati Southern railroad, and vas
also a passenger on the Martin, informs Us
that be was buried in The debris within the
boat, but not blown overheard. 10 took
him some twenty minutes, be thinks, 10
extricste himself He thinks the cause Of
the explosion was the defective working Of