The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-08-02
STEAMBOAT EXPLOSION.
uHrH HENRY TErE EXPLORES HE n
poNKEY BOILER AT TsEE WHARF,"
MO one Killed, hut several Persons HIN"
jurea.


jured.
AT ten minutes to o'clock yesterday re-
merit that sounded like the discharge OF o
twelve pound Napoleon gun gave warning to
MID crowd of human bees that frequent the
levea in the day time that the steamboat
Henry Tete, lying at the head Of Custom
house street. had exploded her donkey boiler
THOSE who had been noticing the boat just
before the accident, and who at the time dld
not have their eyes fixed upon the steamer
upon looking at her afterwards, at hrs1
thought would have been led to believe that a
tornado had swept through her cabin and
hurled her into splinters.
Upon going through the cabin 1t was 1ound
that the starboard side OF the boat, as iar
back AS the third cabin going aft, had been
completely demolished. Her smock-stacks
were torn from their strong base and thrown
endwavs across the bow of the boat being
merely supported by the rod supporters,
The starboard side Of the stairs leading to the
boiler deck was also slightly damaged.
ALI soon as the explosion occurred the oper-
ator turned in an alarm Of fire from box r..
head Of Canal street, which brought the three
departments promptly on the scene but there
being no fire, they were ordered back TO their
A search was then instituted to see If any
one had been killed by the accident and Tor
fa,nataIy 1t was discovered that although the
accident had proved fatal to no one, several
parties had been
SLIGHTLY INJURED.
The mate. J. Landry, who was standing on
fha lower deck was cut in the face and right
arm. His injuries were 50 slight that ne did
not take the trouble to have them dressed.
Charles Bouro, who happened to be on the
a,nn4 1uac a,1t sIirhtlv in tha RIGHT
Mr.. Joe Ingr01e the clerk of the Assump-
ton, stated that he was standing on the
wharf when he was struck in the rear by a
brick. which horizoutalized his perpendicular
and as he was falling the piece of the boiler
about the length OF the barrel which was
thrown on the wharf by the explosion, passed
over his head.
pened to be in the bar-room at the time Of the
explosion received the full force OF the explo-
sion and what Is singular, received only q
slight cut over the nose and one on the arm;
He was taken aboard OF the Assumption, and
afterwards sent to his residence, corner OF
Derbigny and st. Bernard streets.
Joe Stevenson tcoOred), who was working
lin the hold near the forward hatch, received q
severe cut on the right leg and one on the
right arm.
a negro man by the name of Randolph, who
was standing on the stage of the Gov. Allen,
had The ankle of his left leg cut by a piece of
flying timber. He was taken to the drug
store at the head Of Canal street, where his
wounds were dressed.
Chas. Gagean, the bar-keeper, received a
slight wound about the head.
An investigation as to the cause Of the &C.
cident was then set on feet, but the engineer,
Andrew Simpson, who was on watch at
THE TIME WAS NON EST;
some said that as soon as the explosion oc-
CURED he was seen running
ACROSS THE IBvEE
at the speed of quarter horse, while others
said that he had been blown to smithereens.
It is said that the ngger-engine was be-
ing run to force water through the hose for
the purpose of cleaning out the hold and while
being worked for this purpose the donkey
boiler exploded
AID the engineer could not be found, 1t was
impossible TO ascertain how much steam was
being carried at the time,
Mr. A. j, Albert, a gentleman who formerly
yyfs EMPLOYED on the Tete, stated that he saw
ihe engineer A. few minutes before the acct
dent try his water cocks, and there was plenty
An old coored woman, who was about
boarding the boat at the time OF the expo
sion, was questioned by the reporter, and she
said: "Bless de Lord, child | don't no nut1lf
about 1t; was gwine on de boat when here
do noise, and dot moment looked TO Header
and said, Bless de Lord judgment, days dom
come at last: and frought dat it had
The Tete arrived at this port on Wednes
day, and having discharged her cargo wal
being cleaned out preparatory to laying up,
The damage to her is estimated at S25oo e
$4,000. ,ooo $500.
She was built at Louisville, Ky, in 1862 an
is owned by J. T. Aucon, who commands
her, and 2. A. Chariot. ....-
Previous to the accident she had been run
ming in the coast.and bayou. Lafourche trad'
She is insured in the Hibernia Insurance Com
nany and E, A. Bankers company.
Tie police are deserving Of praise for tn
manner In which they kept the crowd fror
boarding the Inflated steamer.
Upon an examination of the explode
boiler one of the fusible plugs was foun
Intact, proving that there was water in tt
boiler and the explosion was caused throug
an over-pressure of steam. This boiler We
about eight years old; was inspected in d.
cember last and allowed a pressure OF sevent
pounds of steam and had 1t been under tt
control of the proper officer this accldel
might have been averted. The damage to tt
boat will not amount to more than $1,000.
A. FIRE ON CANAL STREET