The sun., 1878-09-29
4 ROTTEN BOILERS VICTIMS.
rrrrEv PERSONS KILLED By THE
ptoUJNG TP OF THE .iDELPHL
r.-.or. Thrown High In Air md Dropped
into the wnter-Panic Among zoo r'v.en-
- shouting Ncn and Screaming Women
Mat Terrible Scene. ut South Norwnik.


u,.t Terrible Scenes at South Norwnik.
The steamboat Adelphi started from her
.ts, st South Norwalk at 8 o'clock yesterday
,.orning TO make her regular trip to New York.
:, csnno, be told how many passengers she
h.d on hoard because they had not yet bought /
,heir tickets. but her Captain George I. Ho,on. /
IS he thinks there must have been about 200. |
o,hsrs think there we're more. Her engineer. /
lanes A. Rowland had livened up his banked |
a,os and made steam at o'clock At the time |
,hs Adephi left her pier he says her gauge /
showed she was carrying thirty pounds. She |
vas licensed to carry forty pounds. and Mr.. |
uorland was of opinion that she could carry |
,o,,v.ave or fifty pounds. She had return |
,uhular boiler. This was supplied at Norwalk
.rd New York with fresh water. but when water
ras needed In her passage through the Sound
,at water was pumped into it. Saltwater grad
ually eats away boiler iron. Two months ago
leak was discovered on the port side OF tho
boiler. lust below the water level Examination
showed that the iron had grown thin in IA hori-
zontal. struggling line about three inches below
row Of rivots which united two sections of the
iron. The top of the boiler was about four feet
above the main deck and the thin place was
about MIDWAY between the top and the dock.
When tho leak was discovered a patch was put
on at the Quintard Iron Works. in this city.
The entire boiler was covered with felt During
the trip down the harbor Yesterday Harry W.
Totten. a boy Is years old. found ii a good place
on which TO lounge in the cool breeze from the
Sound.
The boiler was situated well forward. The
engine room was Just abaft and adjoining It,
In Il we're the engineer and his brother Edward
w. Rowland. 90 years old. assistant engineer
To the left and little in rear Of the boiler. was
81. ..rl
leaning on the bar. and his son. Benny. was
behind it. nearest to the boiler. 70 the right
Of the boiler was tied Harry Tottcn's pony. and
to the loft another horse. The morning was
cool and most Of the passengers were up stairs
in the saloon. hut few were tempted by the
beauty of the scene to remain on the promenade
deck while the steamboat was pushing her way
to the broad Sound. about two miles distant
The channel at first lay for a mile close along
he western shore OF the river or harbor. Then
The steamboat was steered directly over 10 the
EASTERN shore through the cross chanpel to
Within 300 or 300 feet OF Fitch's Point There
sno landing hcre. Tut Mt Dorlon's. or. rs II was
formerly called Gregorys Point, there is a
hotel and pavilion. The steamboat. however.
does not stop at the hotel pier unless 1t is sig
nalled. As il was turning out OF the cross chan
mel. and pointing it, PROV to the hotel. yet half
mile distant Mr.. Gabriel p. b. Hoyt. lumber
merchant in Jefferson and Cherry streets. and
who lived in 12ith street near Madison avenue.
was walking along the main dock to the left Of
the boiler. between il and the horse. He and
his wife had been boarding at the house Of Mr..
B. Gilbert in Wilton near South Norwalk. and
we're returning. with Harry Totten. another
boarder. to New York. He had left his wife in
the saloon. in order to visit the main deck.
few minutes before. Harry had heard friend
nj fo1l o.
upper deck and had leaped down from
his perch on the boiler. and had run up stairs
Steward Ackert was turning 10 leave the bar.
Just above them on the prone made deck am IA
gneer Rowland noticed that his gauge showed
Ssspounds Of steam He rang ne PEI To & SIG
nal his fireman below decks 10 open the furnace
door in order 10 deaden the ire
Those who were near the boiler heard the
sound Of the bell. Then. almost simultaneously
with IT, came an explOs ION.
A rip, beginning with the original leak on the
left side. ran the whole length oi thn boiler
along Joint or row o. riveis. and aaseciion three
ieet wide and sii feet long was lifted up and
thrown back over on the top Of the boiler Ike
lid The iron was bent SHARPLY along the line
where the hinges should have heen. but IL was
not broken. The sound of the eNp.osion Is
likened by some who heard II 10 the report OF
cannon. while others say il WAS dull thud.
Mr. HOyt WIS blown out over the SIDE oi the
boat nearly 80 feet before he struck the sur
face OF the water II was 40 near the shore that
the water was only three inches deep. His
bones were broken IN many ph paGh,S. an MAJ
although ne Tell lace down, II II lNouEnl lie WIS
Instantly killed rather than drowned. The
horse was also blown overheard, but not so lar
On the edge Of the upper deck we're sarah
Henry Allen Of Norwalk.
The force Of the explosion was outward, and
upward. The saloon deck and the roof above
itwere blown to splinters for space Of over
fifteen feet fore and ait OF the boiler on the leit
side Of the b2a The dead bodies h no OF Mss
over 100 feet from the position the boat oc'u;
pied at the time OF the explosion. They had
been projected toward the eastern shore in
tho same direction in which the body OF Mr.
How was found These. so far as was known
q 4 late hour last night. were all that were
4 scene Of widest confusion followed the
explosion Volumes Of escaping steam en-
veloDed the boat preventing the passengers
from forming any notion Of the extent Ot the
damage or comprehending the nature Of the
disaster. Those IN one part Of the boat could
not see beyond the cloud OF steam, and the
cries of those thus hidden from the others
sSogted % ha e W., st vsn dn and he
panic was greatly Increased. The crowd rushed
70 one side Of the boat, causing her 10 keel over
until the water came rushing into the gap made
When The cry Of fire was raised there was a
general rush for the life prcservers and many
seemed about "a throw themselves into the water
without life preservers thinking that they
would soon be driven overheard by the names
In the midst OF this confusion CaDt, Holton
nseertained thAt the steambO WAS not burning
and that she was not leaking. The danger was
past. unless the excited passengers should
crowd each other over the rail or trnmple the
weaker ones under foot. The Efforts Of the
Captain 10 checl, the panic were well directed.
ana many Of the passengers spoke ol the self
possession which he maluta ned IN his trying
position. II the steamboat had sunk where she
WAS tho loss Of life would not necessarily have
Deen greater. since there was not more thdn
three or four feet Of water Under her keel.
Little Mabel Wood. 6 years Old. was with her
mother and father on the promenade deck.
nearly over the DoIler. Her father is NJ ,Snm-
nel Wood, Wall street lawyer living IN W "st-
port Conn. In front Of her.leaning overlhe rail.
was hor little sister As the yOlum" OF s,n.ln
iore away the le"E. her father Rrasp"d h"r
sister and saved her. He and his VIE were
thrown one slde 10y the upheival Of the pari 4
the deck adjoining that which was torn away.
Mabei was aiterwlrd found IN the h4d u' e
vessel, 80 badly scalded thnt u is sH. sh" y
surely dic. IL is supposed that sue WIS li.l'l
~ the air 10y the explosion. and allrWdri Z. IT
directly back through the great gaps IN tie
two de- ks.
Steward Ackert was painfully hut moi Ian,
gorous.y snld-d. and his son Benny. h"A ind
thc bar. Wac scnldrd AMI bruised so much tnli
NJ O'Clock Yesterday afternoon H." ID YrlD ans
Hlpouno.d 'hrt ho could not posS by g. over
Young llew and wns blown ont NJ The engine
room at lhr relr end OF tho boiler He mHJr
Nh WAY ha'o MO the engine room, Nnt ln'l rs
uroihrr, Wl.p WIS "s'upluE. Both W'r' slightly
hrused, hut NOT Sraidrd. SO isrge Hn aperture
hai me st-am - rs 'a ps through auI $50 easily
af ftN l.t . .-fs. Ia. al