The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-06-21

a. street cleaning dump.
Y, grain elevator.
the Inc s sss BOAT vi T sai,s Sheppard
9, tho canal boat Earl Forreste.
On board tho Workman were Knecland Wright, tho
cook; Cornelius Fcrdon visitor, and Alexander Reid
the fireman, who acting As engineer.
AT about ten minutes O'Clock . terrific explo
sion occurred and tho huge iron boiler separated
dozen different pieces which were sent flying through
tho air in every direction A cloud OF steam swept
upward envelopng Tor moment tho huge pieces o.
flying metal, and then revealed what left OF the
Workman total wreck. Tho crashing OF the pieces
they fell heard Tor blocks around, and the
was covered with the floating debris OF tho wreck.
Pieces Of wood fragments OF bottles and chairs tat
tered mattresses, clothing, cooking utensils and guam
titles OF articles numerous to mention lay tossing
in the tide which swecd and lashed against the pier
To enhance the dramatic vivdncss Of the
tho late occupants OF tho Julia Sheppard Captain
Charles Hopkins and wife, bravely struggling for their
lives while their boat sinking. Their efforts were
last successful, for, with the timely assistance OF
0Glcer Lyman, Of the steamboat squad, they werc
saved.
TIE FATE THE THREE UXFoRTUNATEs
on board tho Workman beyond doubt, but no ono
saw trace Of any OF them. Wright, the cook, who
weighed 200 pounds, was, however, afterward found
horrible mangcd sight, lying on the roof Of pier 49,
distance of about 400 feet the the expo-
sion The recognizable, but tho lower part OF
the body torn and crushed in a sickenng manner.
The bones broken and the left sido open
from hip to shoulder As yet no traces have been OBJ
tanned OF his compan although the river has been
dragged ana tho debris to largo extent removed.
Doubtless they hurled scaward distance Of sew
e.al hundred fcct.
Strange say the vest Of the unfortunate cook
torn from his body and aferward found floating in the
dock In OF tho pockets his watch, which had
escaped injury.
The head piece OF the boiler hurled the roof
OF tho Ave story tenement No ~ Beach street, and
another portion, weighing 400 pounds, sunk through
the roof of No 37S Washington street, two
blocks away, making an aperture OF ten
feet square Another piece, weighing 800 pounds.
was sent flying across the street, distance OF
$50 feet, 10 the OF West and Laght streets,
striking the curbstono. 1t bent into shapeless
mass and remained red hot Tor minutes it
alghed little to the north, opposite the Albany day
line pier, were scattered portions Of tho smoke stack
and near No IS ght street was another piece OF the
boiler weighing about 800 pounds large bowlder OF
iron shot the air at angle OF lorty 1--WE de-
grees struck the cornice OF the story brick
storehouse, No 254 West street. Another piece aghtcd
| on tho roof OF pier No. 81, occupied by tho Old
Centennial steamer Isaac Bell, ono penetrating
cabin No Is, the Stern. Another piece, weighing
500 hounds crashed through the root Of No. 50 Laeht
street three story tenement. owned by Moclcr and
OdelL tho top floor being occupied by John Campbell
ana wife, both oil whom fortunately escaped unnIured.
An oil belonging to tEo tug was blown through the
window OF shop directly opposite the
| OF the explosion, tho night Waterman having removed
tho shutters lew moments before. A por ion oil the
boiler was thrown oyer the sugar refinery, nine
stories In height, the corner OF West and vcstry
streets and crashed through the awning OF tho liquor
shop the OF Washington and vcstry streets.
An end oil the bocr lay where It fell In front Of the
| tinsmith's shop above mentioned
| FRAGMENTS OF THE sNoKEsTACK
were lying In different places on West street, while
another portion fell upon the deck OF ono OF the Old
| Domn line OF steamers lying At pier 81 and did
| some damage to the joiner work.
The Julia Sheppard, which was sunk, had on board
a.5oo bushels Of oats, valued a. some ~ 900 They
| ana were insured Tor 81 200
Captain G. II. corson and family. Of the Julia Shep-
hard lost their personal effects. Workmen busy
IN very damaged condnon Tho tug came in about
i've r. NJ. on Monday and blew on her steam, but did
not all up her boiler that night.
An engineer named Louis IL Andersen, residing at
Of the explosion and narrowly escaped sharing the
| fac OF the tugs He states that bio
passed by the tug ut forty minutes past four A. NJ.
and heard the noise OF the steam ct At nifty minutes
past nvc he again passed the Workman and, hearing
that tho ct still turned on, he concluded that the
fireman had fallen usleep after spreading the fire, and
was about board the boat and lind out, whom the
| poson took place. Tho debris flew in all directions,
20 see the tug sink and the canal boat settling 4
steam jet consists OF coil OF Pipe pierced with small
holes, through which steam from the boiler passes
with much force IL placed in the interior of the
smokcstack and when turned on, as In the present
| instance, increases tho draft materially and thus
quickens the generation Of steam.
Mr. Peltis Of tho street Department, was present
tho wharf close which the tug moored His
clothes were torn IN several places and he was
him struck by some OF the dcbrs and killed.
Mr.. II. W. Workman, the engineer OF tho craft, 70
sides Jersey City and his way the boat
when the explosion happened. he boiler and engines
were left IN charge OF Alexander Reed, the fireman,
whom Mr.. Workman considered a competent man.
The only attribute the accident
that Reed fell asleep and that tho boiler exploded
from pressure Of slcam
POLICE CORONER.
But short time elapsed alter the happening OF the
accident to the arrival OF squad Of police under com
mand Of CAPTAIN Canrey, Of the Fifth precinct Hun
drcds Of spectators already the scene viewing
tho wreck and sxau ing the pieces OF iron lying
around through the bots shorty before twelve sn
smith arrived and dO(kmcnced the work Of finding
witnesses giving tho necessary orders for the
movai OF Wrghts body TO the M0rguc
Hut few persons could be found eye witnesses
OF tho disaster. Among thcm was William Thomas, tho
% psr s aSo ~ss en
did not inJure him. lie described the noise AZ re-
sembling sharp thunderciap He Quickly ran across
pieces Of iron were dying thick around him.
Kneeland Wright tho cook, was single man, an
market with basket OF provisions tor the breakfast OF
the crew. HIS backcncd aud bruised body hurled
| 10 the top OF the she'd OF the adjoining per
The fireman Reed was single man. and a native OF
| Buttcrmik Falls. N Y.
| cornelius Ferdon the deck hand, resided IN Pough-
| kecpsic, unmarried
| The stcamtug H. W. Workman belonged In Brooklyn.
\ A. X Chapman owner and Charles Drake mas
ter al the lime o. the last Inspection l5h Of scpem-
| Der ls.5 She was built IN Philadelphia in 1851
length 63 feet, beam IL ect; depth, ~ feet; ~ 10
tons burden She had on-condensing engine, is
She hat suouar boiler, IS 23 feet long and
feet diameter OF shell built N 1859 by Louis Osborn
pressure Of 100 pounds 10 the ssuse ueh
and was allowed = steam pressure OF 80 pounds Al