The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-08-16
A BRID1L PdRTY's ESCAPE.
Explosion OF n TuRbonrs Hoiier-Tho Terri
bile Frenzy of Two scnided Men.

On Wednesday morning last the tugboat |
L. Henderson Capt. Patrick Murphy. started
from Brooklyn for Perth Amboy. ut tho lower
mouth of the Kill Won kull. Her crrand was to
tow spar to the schooner LOWS. Having ac-
complishcd this Capt Murphy returned to West
Brighton wharf which he reached about
o'clock IN tho evening. There were then ON
board the tug in addition to the Captain John
Gillcn. engineer John Day. William Nolan and
Frank j. Ternicr. All Of these except Gillcn
were residents Of wythc avenue Williams
burgh. There was also on board a bridal party.
consisting " Joseph Mcdonald OF 1G4 First
street Brooklyn and Miss Kate Gillen. Of Bond
and First streets. Elizbcthport. They were
going to New York to be married. Miss Gillen
was n sister Of the engineer, and the others
were friends Of Can't. Murphy. who had come
down the bay on pleasure trip. At the wharf
at West Brighton tho tug took on board supply
Of water md steering of. headed for New
York.
She had hardly gonc twenty yards from the
pier before the boiler blow up with terrible
explosion tearing up the deck and surround
ing woodwork. and blowing the Captain into
the water He was aiterward found floating
on n portion OF the wreck. When taken out Of
tho water, he was more dead than alive the
whole. Of his body being scalded IN the most
dreadful manner. The engineer. John Gilcn
wns IL possible still more badly scalded. his
flesh being burned to crisp he was also
steam. Both men had been standing by the
engine room ut the time. and consequently SUI
fcrcd the full force q the explosion.
Miss Gillcn and MIR. Fizgcratd were aban,
! near the wheel. and thus escaped all INJURY; "
he other nPssenGeT 4ay was Ssd S1edeG aeo n
piiSt house with Nolan, steering the boat, de-
| scrihcs the sccne M follows:
| 80 We were about nfty fee, from the wharf, and
| was talking with Nolan about the wedding.
| We heard the Captain so down to the engine
room There had been something the matter
! with the boiler and he said he would go down
and fix t. lie had been gone Only few mn,
small earthquake. The first thing TINT knew.
Nolan and were lying on the deck. with, the
| engine house smashed about us. We heard the
Captain in the water crying for help Thestenm
| was pouring up terribly from the bursted boiler.
and poor Gllen was suffering horribly. twas
Fortunately the tug Edna u. King Can't. viii
liam Peat. happened TO be passing ana cam n 10
ashore Mt the wharf md carried to Johnson's
drug store, DR.. f. +; Arnoux was summoned
sufIerings. which were intense. Twenty pounds
Of bicarbonatc Of soda and II gallon OF linsecd
oil were used on the wounds. SO that blythe time
n Conveyance was ready the chief sufferers had
been bandaGed from head to foot. rms gave
them some slight relief. Mr. johnson and his
worked hard to relieve the burned and diving
men. Two Of the sufferers. Gillcn and Dol9n.
were offered brandy rs "a stimulnnt. but they de
clinei 1t saying that they were cold water
men"
A truck was finally procured and the men
placed in II and driven to the Marine Hospital
at Siapleton. On the way u terrible scene oc-
cured Gillian ana MHrH YSrc ar ySa, rr"ss ny
NAtnd by the lo-tng Of the cart. came 10 blows.
and struck and beat each other Desperately. Az
the Scamcn's Hospital the medical officer. DR..
King at frs, refused to take them, on the
ground that they had no order OF admi,tancc
Indignation both on the part Of the wounded
men and the citizens who were with them. Cart
Murphy swore that he had paid his forty cents
head toward the support OF the hospital for
every man in his boat. and. after much parley-
ing. the poor fellows were ADMITTED Murphy
and walked all tho way from the gate 10 the
hos initial to tho nstonishment OF everybody.
why, You people don't know what nerve ls'
on reachIng the building the burns Of Muir
ply mud Gillcn were rcdrcs-ed with carron oil
and the patients We're given opintcs They
sank rapidly. Gillcn dying at "a. and Murphy
| at S'a in the morning.
: Mcdonald and lis intended bride were taker
care Of by the police authorities. -,
wrnppei aim in mystery. McDoneid says That Will,
] he, was sitting with Capt Murphy and MIS-,
b Gillen in the storm OF the boat the englnoel
1 | wrong with the safety valve. Murphy replied
d" An right. will ~ !own and look At II" Thu
y was no light. and Murphy asked tho engineer e
e hold pan of live Goals for him to see by. Ih
+ Captain then began haInl9' a
U the explosion took place. Mcdonald though
: | that tho machinery cuunected with the holl"
/ was out Il order After the explosion the crown
| sheet was found 10 Doe entirely blown out. tn
h plates furthermore appeared TO Ice OF UNUSUAL
!, thin iron. practical engineer who examined
: il was OF this opinion. BY the crew the boile
n was said to have been constructed IN 1873
i | although in appearance 1t WIS much older.
was made by Gould Garrison Of Williams
l. | burgh. o..
Yesterday afternoon Can't Murphy's wifi
called 1T the hospital. having been summoned
= by telegram from her home in Wythe avenue
t When She was told that her husband had dic'
o | at o'clock that morning the poor woman faint
cd. She has one child. and is left in compare
lively comfortable circumstances. Her HUSBAND
r owned half Of the tug. 49,
G Tho Henderson lS,s at the wharf In Yves
n Brighton. with tho upper portion OF her decl
n torn OF and the open boiler exposed to view
q Experts say that had II exploded laterally AL OF
4 board would have been killed; Coroner Gaiine
e has fixed the induest for O'Clock this evening
at the scamen's Hospital. and has held seyera
OF the crew as witnesses