The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-07-20
A STARTLING EXPLOSION.
A Stataroom on the Albany Steamer
Drew Blown Up.
A l. NJ O S Il A z A N l G..
Curious Career of the Man Charged
with the Crime.
LUNATIC AND IMPOSTOR.


BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD.
ALBANY, July 49, 1879.
When the steamboat Drew. OF the Peoples line.
nearing Rondout last evening a terrific explosion
heard in No. 24s OH the boat. breaking
the glass in the door. putting the lights in that
part of the boat and creating most intense excite
ment among the passengers. hundreds of
whom fastened from their rooms in their
night robes and sought life preservers thinking that
one of tho boilers had exploded. Captain Roe and
the officers of the boat FASTENED the spot at once
and. after quieting the passengers. proceeded to
learn the cause of the explosion. Mr.. j. H. Wilson,
OF New York. who near the door of the room.
knocked in the door and. amid the thick smoke
MAIDS by the gunpowder succeeded i'll extinguishing
the fire.
WHAT WAS FOUND IN THE sTATERooM.
When the flames were subdued two empty powder
cans one of a half pound and one of one pound.
were found in an empty soap box in the room. in
which also copies of New York papers and also
a fuse about three feet long. A Waterman Of the
boat remembered seeing man bring box on board
the boat in the evening. and search was at
made for this When the boat reached the
wharf here man giving the name of Henry Evans.
OF Easton. Pa, arrested and brought before JUS
tice Clute for examination.
EVANS POLICE COURT.
Captain Roe testified follows Am captain
of the Drew; 1 left New York last night with
large number of passengers; at half-past eleven p
NJ. my attention called to explosion in one of
the staterooms; sitting in my stateroom at
the forward end of the upper saloon;
hearing the explosion went below to
the deck my way down smelled pow
der; Of the lights extinguished by
the explosion; then went to the galley of the main
saloon deck and discovered that the explosion had
occurred in stateroom No. 24s; went below by the
crank room, found no fire there and ordered the
mate to get the hose ready in case fire should be
discovered; l then returned to 24S and
found the wood scorched. thu room evacuated and
the glass in the stateroom on the opposite side of
the hall shattered, the lights in the hall ex tin
guished.
BOOKED UNDER THE NAME OF CAMPBELL.
did not the defendant board before the
ploson. but found him just before arrival; he
then the main deck ready to go ashore; the
name of "Campbell' down in the books for that
stateroom don't know to whom the keys were de-
nvered. but know that the key delivered before
the boat left New York.
BROUGHT oNsBoARD.
Charles Marley testifed-1 reside at No. 34S West
Twenty-second street, New York: a barber;
worked last in Buffalo; arrived in New York from
Albany on Monday last; came up the Drew last
night worked my way up by keeping watch saw
prisoner enter the boat ABOUT uat-paSt nve r.. II.
he was carrying box; two persons had hold Of it;
one defendant; it was covered with wrapping
paper; did not him at the time of the explosion;
went up to the head of the stairs; nothing but
smoke; am positive he is the same man.
TESTIMONY BY A wArcHMAN.
Caleb j. Brown estifed:-Am employed on-the
Drew was duty last night; am q watchmanc in
the stateroom hall; defendant in the stateroom
hall between haf-past three and four p. NJ: he
going forward with . parcel in his hands; his
coat pocket full Of newspapers; next saw
him returning aft: he then minus the
parcel, but had the newspapers; he then
sat deck; next saw him between one and
two A. N. this day; he standing looking on. Of
a window and asked me what place 1t were
passing; unable to tell him; he then went
upon the gallery aft deck; recognized him
having been the who had the parcel that. came
| out of room 24S.
EVANS JAIL.
The prisoner then committed to Jail for. fur
Their examination for attempting burn the
Drew until next Tuesday morning at ten O'Clock.
| Representative of the HERALD visited the prs-
oner in the Jail this evening. He denies having any
| connection with the explosion the Drew. and
wrote the following account of himself especially
! for the HERALD
THE PRISONERS STATEMENT
left Easton. Pa. last Tuesday. where had been
in jail three months for board bill, and went to
New York. where remained until Friday night.
when secured cabin passage on the Drew. We
| Erarvth;ro wont on aneix. the evening WAS
| lovely and cool and the decks crowded with
| 3 W ewhen year Tarrvtown C.ntaip Roc Of the
n ana son,s iadias ma can ,ian,sn ,et az opita
display OF fireworks. which was promptly answered
from of the numerous residences that crown the
hill in that neighborhood l sat smoking the
aft hurricane deck till We had passed West
Point. and went into the main saloon and sat
| l
nnnrt ,le the axniosion ~ = G'nounier c,rr;J.e
coming from the forward paat of the boat The ex-
posioh was looweu " ornsn III sass. rose anu
proceeueu ,o"arc 'he Vi 'he report, anu on
reasoning .i.e Pass"Ee .n1' ."Is oe,~ sno me r
chinery compartment ana staronsra stateroons !
couid Proceeu 10 Iur'ner ow.ne W rusn y! ,no