The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-05-23
Terrible Accident at Ship Launch
at Chester, Pa.
Ten Hen Ground to Jelly Under Steamer
Gliding Into the Water.
'FESTIVITY AND DEATH.
Horrible Denouement to O.
Scene of Gladness.
CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT.


OAORGS OE 41G x1SS40G4v j
icy TELxonAPH TO THE HERALpl
4 CHESTER, Pa, May -, 1871
This town has been to-day the scene Of appalling
calamity. by which ten crushed beneath tho
enormous weight tho new iron steamer Saratoga In
her launch into tho Delaware Seven wcro killed and
three others very seriously injured perhaps Of
them fatally Possibly others still may swell the list
OF the dead. These victims ship carpenters q;
work. with some thirty others, beneath tho huh,
moving the blocks which the vessel rested, pro-
All about Thorn gay and festive throng hundreds
Of men and women gay and happy Tho mon them
Bclves stawart mechanics in robust health,
proud OF their skill and prowcss In twnKiipg, with
no word sign OF warning which reached them, tho
vast mass Of metal above them moved, the remaining
props broke like pipe stems. the vessel slid toward
tho river. and tho ten were wrthing and
Ing beneath hsr keel agouies ofdeath and mortal
maiming. By miracl their associates in
the work escaped with their lives, many
Others who stood BY to witness the iestvo compile
lion Of great work, their follows crushed under
the death dealing like modern Juggernaut
and were powsress to help or save thsm They could
only calculate prayer "God help thcm''
The shattered remains Of three dead bodies were Ill
that found. Four others died almost bsforo thcy
could BE- taken the oics and three others
fed away less seriously wounded. II feared that
others may have been carried into the water, and
the river is to be dragged
The following are the names Of tho killed and tho
wounded:-- a s@i
KILLED.
EDWARD BuRK, carpenter. killed instantly body ter
riby manged; aged thirty-dve; leaves vito and six
children Twins In Chester
Joux NELsox carpenter, killed instantly and badly
manSlsa; aged thirty stranger Who had recently
gone 70 work ia the yard.
J. G. Ckxw, carpenter. killed INSTANTLY, head taken
OF; aged thrsy.nss; married
GEORGE O. woos. carpenter, died almost mms-
diaeIy, legs broken or below the knes aged twenty
SIX; leaves vie and two children.
CnAxLss wRlonr, sr.. carpenter. died Immediately,
badly cruahed, aged torty.nve; leaves wife and two
EDwARD FAwLEY, carpenter, crushed, aged twenty.
eight; single
BARNEY CANNON, carpenter leg torn on, died immc.
diately, aged thirty -four; vile and ono child.
WOUNDED.
WILliAn PARKINSON, breast and side OF tho head
will probably recover
WILLIAM KAssoS, cut in face; will recover.
GEORGE THOMPSON, slightly bruised
PERpARISG LAUNCH.
At eight o'clock the iron steamship Saratoga, built
for James E. Ward Co., of New York. to trade be-
tween that port and the West Indies was to have been
launched from the ways. merry company had as
sembed; Miss Emma Fountain, daughter OF the master
carpenter OF the yard, stood with party OF friends
laughing and talking the deck ready to break the
bottle OF wine over tho bows and TO christcn the vessel
she gracefully gded into the water; number Of
gentlemen and ladies from New York and Philadelphia
present tho pier to view the sccnc and every
surrounding indicated occasion OF festivty and
joicing
FIRST MOVEMENT HULL.
Shortly before the hour appointed about fifty ship
carpenters all picked workmen selected for their
experience and SKILL underneath the ship break
lng the blocks upon which the immense hull rcsted
TO lower her upon the cradles creased ways
upon which sho was to glide into the water. Every
alternate block had been knocked away when Mr.
iohn Fountain, tho master carpenter OF tho yard,
who has superintendent the forty launches that have
taken place there within five years without the
slightest accident, mounted to the platform near
the bows TO examine the "tell-taes," which are
several lttlc lines drawn with lead pencil across
the string pieces, and indicate the instant The ship
moves, If Il is only by the breadth Of hair. The
string pieces broad pieces of rhreench plank
ing. each side of the ways at the bow in
shore end Of the ship bolted at end to the ways
the other to the cradle attached TO tho
sides Of tho SHIP which slides down the creased ways
and guides the ship on keel into the water.
If the weight OF the ship pressing the inclined
plane OF the ways latter It has been deprived Of
the support Of tho blocks under tho keeh
causes 1t move tho slightest degree the
straight lines drawn across the string pieces are
broken anu the movement detected When the blocks
are all or nearly all removed the string pieces are
sawed through by men stationed there for the pur-
pose, and, there beng nothing to hold the ship
on tho ways, tho great mass moves down into the
wafer, gathering momentum as It gees
pREMArUEELY UNDER WAY.
When Mr. Fountain mounted the platform question
sho men who were watching the teli-tacs he was
tonshed to nnd that the ship had already begun TO
draw that Is, 10 slightly, and there was break
IN the tcaIe lines OF threeQuartcrs oil an inch, show
ne that tho ship had moved downward that distance.
Mr. Fountain said, HAS she gone that much ~ and
tho man replied, eyes, sir; and she Is pulling very
hard"
Mr. Fountain then said .Cut the tic al once. Make
NO nome TO raise an alarm, and pass tho word for
men 10 come out from under'' He himself stopped
down aud called out--'Come out; clear the way"
and his father, vi the stern end OF the ship which
was uearcst the water, took up the cal. There
then some forty men under the ship working at the
blocks, aud as he some OF them coming out no