The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-12-28

About II o'clock Monday an explosion
occurred on board the steamship Wes
Point, dscharging and receiving cargo al
the town Of West Point, which resulted ir
the killing Of nineteen men-two white and
seventeen colored-and the painful injury
Of several others.
The steamship West Point was the pro
perty Of the Baltimore, Chesapeake and
Richmond Steamboat Company, in which
corporation the York River Railroad Com,
pany holds large interest recently passed
into the hands OF the Richmond and Dan
VILE by the terms Of the lease. The West
Point was new ship; that is TO say about
S3,750 worth oi the plates OF the old Shir.
ley were used in her. All the rest OF heI
material was new. Her hull was OF TOn
and her upper works Of wood. She was
built for freight traffic; was what is some
times called a " steam-Schooner," and was
OF about 600 tons burden, and cost SCI, 900.
BAD LUCK OF THE SHIRLEY.
The Shirley was what sailors call an i'll
starred vessel, and bad luck went with her
belongings. On December 22, 1877, her
upper works were damaged by fire in Bal
timore to the amount OF $1,000. November
%, 1880, while lying at her wharf at West
Point, mysterious fire broke out in her,
burning her to the waters edge and COM
municatng the flames 10 the wharf pro-
perty, with great loss 10 the railroad COM
pany, shippers, and others. When they
came to overhaul her it was found that IT
was easier 10 construct a new ship than to
rebuild her, and accordingly that was re-
solved upon. Such OF the plates as were
found TO be serviccable were utilized; all
the other material was discarded. The
customs authorities recognized her as q
new ship and allowed her new register
under the name Of West Point.
FROM WORK TO DEATH.
! The West Point arrived from Baltimore
/ at the town of West Point on Sunday.
1 That day her cargo was not touched. II
consisted Of general merchandise and 800
! barrels of oil. Monday the steyedOrcs-re-
| signing the delights OF the holiday-under
| the direction OF Mr.. Lemucl S. Bradford,
were put aboard the ship and the work Of
| discharging commenced. The men were
cheerfullv working away while nearly the
whole town was in full enjoyment OF the
| idleness and hlarity OF the Christmas sea-
| season. The motion OF the dOnkey-engne
and The rattling Of pulley and cordage, and
| the SONGS OF the negroes trucking cotton
/ on and oil OF, mingled with the sound Of
| fre-crackers and the screech OF tin horns in
/ the town. Without a sign, with sudden
ness perfectly appalling, there was an eX-
/ DlOSion--nOt very loud, il seemed, and yet
/ il was heard four miles off-and large part
/ OF the starbOard side Of the ship was blown
out clear into the water, followed by a
great body Of flame springing from the
| hold to the rigging.
THE WOUNDED OFF, THEN CUT LOOSE.
There was a brief period OF consterna-
/ ton and inactivity. Then the tire-bell on
/ the wharf was rlmg; men who had jumped
/ into or been thrown into the water began
appealing for help, and afew on board who
could do so rushed off the doomed vessel.
/ Those on shore got of all the wounded
| they could find on TIE ship, beSet as they
were with flame and smoke. Then seeing
/ that their help could not avail those in the
hold, they cut loose the ship to save the
wharyes from destruction.
FLOATING OFF-A BOY IN DANGER.
The ship was pointed down stream, but
under She influence OF "a full food tide and
a wind from the +. s. i. she began floating
ND the Pammkey. As she got out fairly
! from the wharf a little cOlored boy named
/ Garlick was seen cingng to the propeller.
/ Already they were preparing to send a boat
after The burning vessel, but not being
ready. they shouted 10 Garlick TO leave the
propeller and get on a hatch which wa,
/ 1oating near. and he did so, and was soon
afterwards picked up by the boat. This
boy was an amateur stevedOrc. For
/ fun " he had been allowed to carry q bale
of cotton i'm on a truck. and he stepped on
/ board lust in time TO meet the explosion.
| He Jumped overheard, swan around the
vessel, and clung to the propeller until he
/ got on the hatch.
SLAUGHTERED IN TIE HOLD.
There were eleven or twelve colorcd men
at work i'm the hold. Without a doubt they
met with instant death The hold had been
open fifteen or twenty minutes before the
Gang went in 10 discharge the oil. They
/ had been in there an hour and forty min
utcs before the explosion occurred. There
was no lamp on board save one which the
colored fireman Jarvis had with him in the
/ boiler. where he was at work cleaning II
l y
FOUR DROWNED.
/ There were four others between decks
who jumped overheard and were drowned.
Two of them could swim and two could
not The two latter chung to the Others
and weighed them down, and in the dire
/ ful fright and confusion OF the moment all
/ four went down in bunch.
Mr.. Bradford, the chief steved0re, was
standing on the starboard side OF the FOR
ward hatch watching the workmen, ana
/ there met his death.
/ Mr.. Edward Kerse, Of Richmond, who
was employed as truckman and cooper,
/ and was by all regarded rs ga handy man,
was killed on the port side of the hatch.
The old colored fireman Jarvis probably
met his death in or near the boiler. \ mess
boy. name not given, was also Killed.
The Killed.
The following is afull list OF the killed:
WHITES.
LemuelS s. Bradford, OF West Point, chiel
stevedore. Married man; no children.l
Eddie KerSe. OF Richmond, young un-
married man.
COLORED.
John Jarvis, fireman, and a mess-boy,
both OF Baltimore.
James Staples,
Alexander Wilson,
Joe johnson, Rjcbmond.
. Lee Jennings,
Ben. Smith,
Love Land,
Samuel Watkins,
fshepherd Taylor, West Point.
Nelson Baylord,
Horace Bibbs,
Albert Jackson,
Jackson Parker, City Point.
Adolphus Babbitt,)
+Nelson Starke, New Kent.
'Charles Tyler, Sweet Han.