Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-06-02
AN'ACCIDENT AT A LAUNCH.
Seven Men Torn 10 Pieces-A Horrible
Death undcr the New steamship sara.


Seven Men Torn 10 Pieces-A Horrible
Death Under the New steamship sara.
tosa.
From Chester, Pa, comes the follow
ing account OF the heartrending accident
which occurred at the launching of the
vessel Saratoga in the ship.yard of John
Roach, by which seven lives were lost;
About forty men were under the vessel
when II went of. Not hearing the order
TO come out, seven Of them met with n
sudden and frightful death, and three
were seriously injured. A chain which
passed around the bow Of the ship
caught some OF the upper blocks sup
porting the ways as the ship was enter
ing the water. The blocks and workmen
were picked up by the chain and rolled
over and over, and crushed with irresisti-
BILE force.
The bodies OF the dead were horribly
mangled, one being literally cut in
halves and Others having legs and arms
torn of. The scene during the time the
ship was going Off was heartrending.
The men were seen struggling to escape,
while the huge blocks rolled by the ship
crushed them to n jelly. No assistance
could possibly be rendered by those who
were standing by, and instead OF the
cheering which usually greets launch n
wall of anguish went up from the crowd
OF spectators and workmen, and shrieks
of pain rent the air. As soon rs possible
the dead and wounded were carried to
the yard Office and physicians summoned.
About 1900 men are employed at the
yard, and the friends of nearly all of
them rushed to the spot to inquire for
them. Flags were lowered to half-mast
throughout the town, and work at the
yard was stopped. John Roach ordered
money to be furnished to the families of
the killed and wounded. This is the
first accident that has ever happened at
n launch since Mr.. Roach took the yard.
He has launched forty vessels, come of
them of the largest class of merchant
steamships, and they have all been set
ahoat without disaster.
Mr.. j. F. McElwell, who has been con-
nected with the yard ever since Mr., Roach
has been in business at Chester, made the
following statement
The launch was q perfect success
The advertised time of starting was eight
o'clock. There was full tide running,
and the work of launching the vessel
was under the charge Of Mr.. Fountain,
who gave the men under the vessel full
five minutes warning to get out of the
way. There were 200 men in the yard
-workmen-and the witnesses to the
launch numbered Mt least 5000. On
board there was n large assemblage.
When the vessel was cut loose she glided
swiftly down the ways, and as her bow
dipped in the water she was christened
"Saratoga," by Miss Emma Fountain,
the daughter of the superintendent.
This was exactly at eight o'clock. The
impetus with which she went off sent
her about 400 yards into the river, where
she was caught by tug and towed to
the wharf.
1t was when the bow of the Saratoga
had cleared the ways that the discovery
was first made of the frightful accident
that had overtaken the men who had
been attending to the blocking which
supports the stern of the vessel. The
dead, the dying and the injured were
found lying in the middle of the ways
just where the bow of the vessel had
come down with its crushing force upon
them. There were about fifteen men, it
was estimated, who were attending to
the blocking of the ship at this point,
and if the order had been obeyed there
were large openings in the way through
which they might have escaped. When
the vessel went sternmost ont into the
river, her sharp bow, like knife fitting
in groove, cut down into the ways,
striking the men, who were evidently
huddled in there unable to escape,