The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-12-28
STEAMER BLOWN UP
AT WEST POINT HARaoa, VIRGINIA,
Caused BY an R1plOsIOu Of Esrs,sns-Ou' Sid, Ol
tbs Vessel BlOWa OSt and Aft,rWardl
BuraSd- -SIlsts'H PsrsOnS Killed, Eigk.
teen Of Who's Were AsgrO Lab0r,rI.

huEAea NAtteeh FeEHohA AilleaI kRA'
teen Of Who's Were NsgrO LabOrSn,
NEw YoRK, December 27,-A Richmond
! special says; News was received here thi
forenoon from West Point, on York river
Of a terrible disaster to the steamer Yves
Point Of tho Clyde line, plying between
that point and Baltimore. The West Poin
arrived at West Point early yesterday morn
ing and the gang began discharging hel
cargo. They cleared out all freight between
decks and had gone below, into the hold
to take outa quantity of kerosene oil, when
at ten minutes past l2 o'clock p, NJ, an ex,
plosiOn occurred which blew OFF the side OIL
the vessel into the river, and set fire to the
ship. Nineteen persons, including four oi
the crew and nearly all OF the stevedore
bands, perished, The first and second oiIi-
GERS escaped, one Of them being badly
injured. Capt, Berry, who was on shore,
was saved. The crew were mostly from
Baltimore, and the laborers from Rich
mOnd and West Point. The West Point
was u new ship, having only made few
trips. She was valued ut 1000, and was
insured.
RICHMOND, Va, December 27.-An ex-
plosiOn occurred yesterday at West Point
Virginia, on the steamer West Point, ply
ing between that place and Baltimore,
which resulted in tile total destruction oil
| ihn hnnk a nj a INua nf al lt,,,u
following particulars were received; The
West Point arrived at her wharf Sunday
afternoon, hut the discharging OF her cargo
was not begun until yesterday ut noon, and
after the hands had been engaged nearly
two hours terrific, but as yet unacCounted
for, explosion took place near the forward
hatch, blowing out tho starboard side Of
he steamer and almost instantly envelop
ing the forward part Of the vessel in fumes.
There were twelve Col0red men in the for.
ward hold, all OF whom were either killed
by the explosion or burned to death. Five
other men jumped overheard and four were
drowned. When 1t was found there was
no hope OF saving the steamer she was cut
loose and the tide drifted her two miles up
Pamunkey river, where she continued to
burn until everything COmbustible was
destroyed and her iron hull broken in two
amidships, Among tile killed were l.. s.
Bradford, Chief Stevedore. The first officer,
Peter Groghegan, Of Baltimore, was blown
overheard, but was saved badly burned.
The Quarter.master, Wm. BOhannan, OF
Baltimore, was seriously burned. OF tho
nineteen lives lost, eighteen were colored,
and three others injured.
Tim hnuflu pnFtFn tunu F1N11a ,,t, ~ iu
cellaneOus freight, among which were sev.
rrAl hundred barrels Of Oil, sixty Of which
were glsOllnr. The oil becoming ignitrd
the flames spread with such frghtlul rapid.
ity that there were no chances OF saving
the vessel nor any one on board even II
there WIS one not killed by the explosion
The forward portion Of the deck aud 4
great part Of the starbOar,l side were thrown
out, and there Is no doubt that all In the
hold or near the forward hatcn were in.
stHnily killed. The four men drowned
formed fOnr.tifths Ut the men slowing cot
ton IN tile ut hold. AS soon as this gang
heard the explosion and saw the rapid
spread Of tirr, they gathered together with
tie boy assisting them, aud made for the
starbOard port and plunged into the
river. Just then large hatch slid off
lhe deck, and falling upon them dis.
Nbled four 10 they sunk ut once, The
ilfth saved himself by swimming back to
the wharf, while the boy succeeded in yet.
ting on u floating hHtCll Und wis recovered
by II bout FROM the shore. Tie names Of
tile four drowned men were Jennings, THy-
lar, Statke Nnd Filler. These names are In.
cluded In the list previously sent The
cause OF the explosion Is ns yet II mystery.
Officers Of the Richmond & Danville Rnil-
road Company, which runs It's West Point
line In connection with the Baltimore
steamer, arrived to-day from West Point
AMI stNte that they were utterly unable to
account for the disaster. They say the
only fire on board was under the boiler
which rims the hOisting engine. md the
engineer running 1t remained at his post
and was unhurt. The hold had been
opened nearly two hours when tho explO.
sion occurred, so theories Of the boiler or
confined gas explosion are done away with.
John Jarvis, the COlOred fireman, was In
the main boiler cleaning 1t out. He, Of
course, had light and this was the only
light known TO have been on board.
The steamer West Point was built at
Baltimore and cost $70,000 This was her
second trip. She took tho place Of the
steamer Sliirly, which, together with the
wharves at West Point, were destroyed By
fire on the 2Sth OF November, 1880, and
portion Of the Shirly's iron plating was
used In the West Points construction. All
the upper works Of the Shirly were burned
In Baltimore OH the 22d Of December, 1877.