The daily gazette., 1877-05-23
The Chester Accident.
ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS
PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE
ACCIDENT.

accident at Chester. aud the names
OF the seven men Billed and the
wounded. The following additional
particulars are given:
CHESTER Pa, May 22.-John Foun-
tain who had entire charge OF the
launch, makes the following statement
found the ship was ready TO move
and dtcalled to all hands to get out from
under before | commenced cutting
loose, The men who were down by
the after blocking evidently did not
hear the order or did not obey, as they
had fully five minutes to get out from
the time the order was given u1til.the
ship started. Some of the men remain
ed under, which is frequently the case,
to attend to the for ward block. -
The vessel was christeBel by Miss
Fountain, who was, of course all un-
aware at the moment of the horrible
fate of the men beHeath her.-After
he vessel passed into the water the
killed and wounded were all lying in
a space not more than 30 feet in length.
No injury whatever was done to the
SaragOta.
PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE AccIDEN
Statements of parties present say
that the very warn weather melted the
grease sooner than was expected, and
the ship began to pull. Fhe order was
then given to saw the two planks that
held the cradle to the frame, or else
the whole thing would have fallen,
killing all underneath. II was loudly
called for every one to get from under
but the order could not have been
heard, or else the men must have been
bewildered as they we're caught in
with the chain that passes under the,
vessel holding the cradle together, and
this dragged the blocks along, rolling
them over aad mangling them fear
fully. Their heads, legs and arms
were torn of and presented horrible
spectacle.
Wright, one of the victims, owned
the house he lived in and was in fair
circumstances, but the rest were all
poor men.
I One the men was doubled up In
small bundle In the passage of the
ship over him and entirely torn to
pieces. The entire back portion Of
his head was torn away and lost, ex-
posing the inner portion of his skull.
A similar accident happened at
Newcastle-on-T Trent several years ago.
by which the blocks and all canted
aud the ship was let down on men,
killing about forty.
DESCRIPTION OF THE VESSEL.
The Sartoga is large iron steamship
Is intended for the New York and
10 AZ
der Of Messrs. James E. Ward g. Co.,
of New York. She is sister ship to
the Niagara, which was launched on
the 26th of April, and is of exactly
similar build. Her dimensions are 272
feet length on water line, or 292 feet
length over all, 98 feet / inch beam
smidships; depth of hold "a feet.
THE VICTIMS OF THE DISASTER.
Edward Burke, SO years of age. Burke
was fearfully mangled, his legs being
crushed to pieces and his head badly
bruised. He leaves wife and four chill
dren. He had been working in the yard
for many years, and was much respected.
Charles Wright, Sr so years of age.
de had been working in the yard since
Mr.. Roach commenced operations, and
previously worked at League Island.
Wright leaves wife and three children,
and must have been instantly killed.
Bernard Cannon, aged 30 years, had |
one of his legs crushed of, and his body |
was terribly mutilated. He was good |
workman, and highly respected. A wife |
and ole child are left to mourn his loss. |
j. ]. Crew, aged 45, was shockinely |
mutilated about the head and body. he |
had worked in the yard for number of |
years. and leaves a wife and three chill
dren.
Edward Foley, aged 26, native of
Chester, and a universally-liked young
mechanic, leaves widowed mother, who |
was dependent on him for support. He |
was president of the Franklin Fire Com
pany. Poor Foley was fearfully mutila-
ted.
John Nilsson, a Swede, was compar- !
ative stranger in the place. OF him but |
little is known. He appeared to have |
been man about 80 years of age, and is |
said to have been reserved as to his past |
history. He had only been working a |
few days in the yard.
George o. Wool, comparatively |
young man, leaves wife and two chill
dren. Woof was an Englishman, and
was formerly employed as draughtsman
in the office, but, in consequence of dull
times, was compelled to take work in the
yard The father, who will be met with
such dreadful intelligence on his arrival,
was coming here with view of setting
his son up in business or else taking him
back to England.
THE WOUNDED MEN AND THEIR STORY.
James Casson, who was lacerated
about the head, was on the port side of
the vessel, and notes as fact that all
the men killed were on the opposite or
starboard side. This statement is cor.
roborAted by George Thompson, who
was slightly hurt on the foot, and is fur
ther substantiated by Walter Parkinson,
whose ear was so badly torn that it will
have to be amputated. Casson, who
talks like at intelligent man, says that he
several times shouie u O. more men be
n down, in order that they might get
thu ough before the vessel moved, and
that this request was not complied with,
probably, he thinks, because it was not
heard on account of the noise prevailing
at the time, From the statement of
these menit would appear that the blocks
in the centre of the groundways were