The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-08-11
BLOWN UP.

Three Persons Killed nnu tue hotat ucs
atFOyed. N7s
on.saturday night about 8 o'clock In
tense excitement was created in this city
by the announcement that the towboat
rIronvGlley, belonging here, had blown up,
killing several Of her crew and also Capt.
Prince. Later kilograms, however, an.
nounced the fact that shortly after I
O'Clock the boilers oithe boat had explod.
ed ut a point q short distance above New
Cumberland, aud that three persons were
instantly killed, viz: Thos. Prince, j.,
clerk, Wallace Wise, pilot, and q man
named Prossor, living at New Cumber'
land, WHO had come aboard to pay a tow.
ing bill. Nothing further could be gather
ed Saturday night, MOI oil day Sunday.
The Nail City, also Of this city, was fired
up by Capt John Armstrong and
left for the scene Of the disaster on Sat
urday night, taking with her John Prince,
brother Of Capt. VIM. Prince, Of the Iron
Valley. Nothing further was heard OF the
affair, although pieces Of the wreck foated
past the city all day, until the return Of
the Nail City last night about 8 o'clock,
bringing with her Capt. VIM. Prince and
Others Of the crew OF the Valley. We
called upon him at his residence on the
Island, and learned the following particu-
lars OF the explosion: az had gone of
watch shortly before I o'clock 10 eat my
supper and 10 90 to bed, as / was very
tired. We had Just finished supper, and |
had o out upon the tow among the
barges TO hold the skill Of the man Pros,
sor, who had come aboard at New Gum.
berland to pay a towing bill, and was
waiting for him to come out. He bad
gone into the cabin TO get o receipt from
my son Tom. Asnearly as ] can tell, this
was Z o'clock, when suddenly there was
a terrific explosion, followed almost
Immediately by n OF less force, and
the air was 6lled with pieces Of the wreck
and a perfect shower OF splinters nearly
binding me. The boat sunk almost i'm.
mediately. We saw Prosser go down and
| attempted to pull his from among the
debris, but was not able myself, and had
TO summon assistance. He died as soon
as we got him into the barge, breathing
but once or twice afterwards. We made
Immediate search for the bodies OF my son
and Wise but 1t was Intellectual. | think,
maybe, that they are in the hold Of the
sunken boat, ond will make immediate
search for them in it." We then asked
him as to the cause OF the explosion and
his theory Of it. He said he was unable
to account for it. The boilers, he
said, had been tested and inspect
ed in May, and were sound as
far as he was aware of. He had
not been below for several hours preced'
ing the occurrence, but things had been
going on as usual. He had a very heavy
tow in charge; had left this city on satur'
day morning with three empties and one
loaded barge OF limestone. This barge
had been left at Steubenville, and another
one OF pig iron taken on"
"Was there too little water in the boil
ers?" we asked.
persons on shore told me that a few
minutes before the explosion occurred
they had heard the gauge-cocks tried, and
that they indicated the presence Of abun'
danCeof water"
eve have heard the efficiency Of the
engineer questioned. Was there anything
in it?"
ale is one OF the most efficient on the
river" was the reply.
Two or three possibilities were sug'
gested as explanatory Of the affair, but moi
adopted by him as the actual cause; bu'
he admitted that they could have pro
duced IL.
John Prince was present during the con
versation with his brother, and walkeC
over the bridge with us. From him w
learned that the beat lay in about nine
feet Of water, with portion Of the upper
deck exposed. She will be q total loss
unless perhaps some OF her machinery
may be saved. He is a steamboatman
and We asked him US to his theory OF the
affair. swell, about the only explanation
l can offer OF it is this: fthere was plenty
OF water in the boilers, and there appears
to have been, l think It must have result
ed from this fact, q day or two ago one o
the boilers had a patch put in It Of new
boiler iron, and ! apprehend that the ole
metal was not strong enough to hold it.
I good boat, and the boilers had been pro
perly tested while he yet owned her. III
had recently sold her to his brother.
Capt. Hiram Young, us. Inspector o
Boilers, was at home, and said he had bu'
one theory Of the matter, "too little water
: in the boilers" This was in his expert
!, ence the only cause Of explosions. HI
had seen the results Of many, and moth
ing else ever caused them. Gross neglec
on the part Of an engineer can produce
them, and nothing else. He had inspect
cd her in May, and she at that time wa
in q lawful condition.
At the time OF the explosion q younger
son of Captain VIM. Prince was standing
! near the engine and had looked at thu
, steam gauge but a moment or two before
it then indicated l42 or l43 pounds o
steam, which is not q heavy pressure
The firemen Wickhan and Gillespie wert
sitting forward when the explosion occur
red, and the body OF Prossor was throw
against the head of Gillespie and fell int
tho river. 1t is supposed that young Prince
and Wise were blown to pieces by the ter
rible force OF the explosion, as no vestigt
r Of either; has been found. Of the mel
killed, Wallace Wise has been a pilot ioi
many years on this river, and was con
sidered q careful and Trustworthy man
He lives in West Wheeling, and leaves 6
, wife and five children in the most desti
tute circumstances. Thomas Prince, ir.
, was about eighteen years OF age, and hal
been employed about this and other boat
for along time; at the time Of his dealt
he was acting as clerk OF the boat.
The Iron Valley was built in this city
at the yards OF Wilson 4 Dunlevy, Ii
1873. She was licensed the second day o
! May in that year. Her owner was Capt
; Thos. Prince until some three weeks ago
; when he sold out to VIM. Prince ant
/; Sam Kuglen for about $1,000. Sne origin
! ally cost $4,000. There was no insurance
on her, and she will be a total loss to heI
owners. Capt. VIM. Prince will take i'm
mediate steps to raise her and pull her W
!, on the bar near by where she is sunk.
, PERSONAL MENTioN.-Ed. Brown, OF thu
steamer Thompson Dean, will leave foi
the South this week.
Miss Sheets, of Clarksbnro Ia ~vIait;r,