Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-12-30
Disastrous Explosion.
STEAMER WEST POINT BLOWN UP AND Is
OF THE CREW PERISH.

STEAMER WEST FOlNT BLOWN u AND 1S
OF THE GREW PERISH.
New YORK, Dec. "a Richmond
special says: News was received here
this morning from West Point, on the
York river, of terrible disaster to the
steamer West Point, of the Clyde line
between that point and Baltimore
The West Point arrived at West Point
early Saturday morning and gang of
men began the discharge of her cargo.
They cleared out all the freight between
decks and had gone below into the
hold to take out a quantity of
kerosene oil, when at ten minutes
past II, midday, an explosion
occurred. which blew of the side of the
vessel into the river and set fire to the
ship. Nineteen persons, including four
of the crew and nearly all of the stew
arts hands persisted. The 1st and end
officers escaped, one of them being bad
ly injured; the captain, being on shore,
was saved. The crew were mostly from
Baltimore, and the laborers from Rich
mond and West Point. The West Point
was new ship, having only made
few trips. She vas valued at S60, 1000,
and was insured.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
RICHMOND, Va, Dec. 27.-An explo-
sion occurred yesterday at West Point,
Va, on the steamer West Point, plying
between that place and Baltimore,
which resulted in the total destruction
of the boat and loss of nineteen lives.
The following are the particulars re-
ceived The West Point arrived at her
wharf Sunday afternoon, but the dis
charging Of her cargo was not begun
until yesterday afternoon. After the
hands had been engaged nearly two
hours, a terrific, but yet unaccounted
for, explosion occurred near the for
ward hatch, blowing out the starboard
side of the steamer and almost instant
ly enveloping the forward part OF
the vessel in flames. There were
twelve colored men in the forward
hold, all of whom the explosion killed
or burned to death. Five men Jump
ed ovetboard and were drowned When
it was found that there was no hope of
saving the boat, she was cut loose and
the tide drifted her two miles up the
Pamunky river, where she continued
to burn until everything that was com
bustible was destroyed and her iron
hull broken in two amid ship. Among
the killed were l.. S. Bradford, chief
stevedore; first officer, Peter Geoghe-
gan, of Baltimore, was blown over
board but saved, badly burned; Quar-
termaster VIM. Bohanon. of Baltimore,
seriously burned. OF the 10 lives lost,
eighteen were colored and three others
injured.
RICHMOND, Va, Dec. 27.-The boats
cago was made up of miscellaneous
freight, among which were several hun
dred barrels of oil, six of which, gasoline
oil, became ignited. The flames spread
with such frightful rapidity that there
were no chance of saving the vessel, and
not any one on board, even if there was
one not killed by the explosion. The
forward port decks and the great port
starboard side, were thrown out, and
there is no doubt all in the hold or near
the forward hatchways were instantly
killed. Four men were drowped. The
cause Of the explosion has not
yet been solved. The officers
of the Richmond & Danville railway,
to which runs its West Point line in
connection with the Baltimore steamer,
who arrived to-day, state they were
utterly unable to account for the
disaster. They say the only fire on
the hoisting engine, and the engineer
runniEg it stayed at his post and was
unhurt The hold had been opened
nearly two hours when the explosion
occurred. So the theory of the boiler
or confined gas explosion is done away
with. John Jarvis, colored fireman,
was l. the boiler cleaning it
out. He had light, and this
was the only light known TO he on
board the steamer The West Point
was built at Baltimore, at cost of $70,-
600. This was her second trip. She
took the place of the steamer Shirley,
which, together with the wharves at
West Point, were destroyed by fire on
the 2Sth of November, 1880, and por-
ton of the Shirley's iron plating was
used in the construction of the West
Point. All the upper works Of the
Shlrley was burned IN Baltimore, Dec.
p. 1877, this making the third time
that this vessel or portion thereof,
has undergone the ordeal of fire. The
West Point was owned by the b. G. &
r. Steamboat Co., and was well in
sured. The value of the cargo cannot
now be ascertained.
BALTIMORE, Dec. 27.-The steamer
West Point, destroyed by an explosion
to-day at West Point, Va, was insured
for $4,000. George Needham. general
freight agent here, says all Of the cargo
between the decks have been dis
charged, and the greater part of the
freight in the lower hold, which CON
sisted of a car load Of compressed hay,
20 tons of fertilized oil and gasoline
The freight in the hold is separated
from the boiler room by iron bulk
heads.