New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-08-18
PANIC ON THE PLYMOUTH ROCK.
STEAM PIPE BROKEN BY A HEAVY SEA.
THE CABINS FILLED WITH sTEAM-GREAr ALARM
AMONG THE PAssFNGERs-.N tNpYscRusr~.yg

| :" Sii-Ah IlfE BhOhEN BY A HEAVY SEA.
THE CABINS FILLED WITH sTEAm-GREAr ALARM
| AMONG THE PAssENGERs-AN uDIscRIAfrNarg
| RUSH FOR LIFE Observation-Disclosures on
| OFFICERS AND PASSENGERS
- me steamer Plymouth Rock left Pier No g.
North River, yesterday morning for Long Branch.
mere were about 500 passengers aboard inst og
o',noy HOOK report was heard in the engine roo,,
No"eu " oy "hat seemed to be an explosion. The
escaping steam rose IN volumes and filed the cabins
ana panic ensued among the nasscngers Men
women and children rushed to the forward part Of
,ie vessel and screams, prayers and curses filed
.he ar. Women and children were trampled upon
Ia one struggle for safety; their clothing was
I'll n ana thelr cries for help were disre-
gaoed The Italian musicians became fren,iaa
from fright and some of them cried like habies rba
Ae preservers were not easy TO get at and as they
were packed away behind wooden Stats considor.
aoie aiihculty was experienced in getting them ort
'ien tugged at them in vain and then tore of tha
stats 10 get them ont -
number OF men each put on several life pre-
servers and one of the musicians eouipned b;,osolf
WIN 1onr and refused to give one "a n yVom.,
whose husband asked for it, Evervhodv thonoh.
the vessel would 90 to the bottom and according IN
the passengers, the deckhands lost their baass in
the general excitement Many believed that the
boat was ON fire and would probably have inrnnat
! overheard had the panic continued mnch loncer
Than 1t did. Children became separated from their
round harvest and many articles of clothing aad
Jewelry were missed when the excitement had heen
partially aliayed by the officers Ono woman
hid satchel and SO snatched
from her hand It was reported that one chiIds
arm was broken and that two other children w.ra
oadly injured in the crush, but their names conld
not be ascertainc6 Philip Hodnct of the Domestic
Company, had his leg injured Chief Engineer John
Sherman had his hands scalded.
The cause OF the escape OF stAayn was If o,ca a.
certained IL WAS found Chat lurch of the vess,I
caused Icy the heavy sea- had cracked the steam nine
Just above the steam chest. The steam was chen
blown on as soon ne possible. The force of the sea
was feIt under tho guard beneath the starboart
boiler, and the lifting power exered by il against
lhe careenmg vessel had the effect of throwing the
top of the boiler toward the centre OF the boat ba
steam pipe running from the top OF the boiler 30 tbe
upper part OF the engine-room hal 10 Withstand tbo
lateral pressure from the boiler and 70 il t DO
soft has sbp-yalve," Notwithstanding The vcldipg
oi tins valve enough force exerted 10 wrench the
steam pipe apart. The break was circular and oc-
cnrred below the main valve and Just above tho
steam chest where the automatic cylinder valves
work. As it broke below the steam valve the en-
gineer VAS able on arriving at the eng ne-room TO
shat on the steam and cOnine IT i'm the boilers
Inc tugboat Germania just ahead of the
Plymouth Rock and came to her assistance haw-
ser was passed to the steamboat and she was swung
around lie steamer City OF Richmond oppor-
tunely WAS coming from the Long Branch Iron pier
and an attempt made to run alongside The
sea- however, wa too rough and the Germania
towed the Plymouth Rock into calm water ooposite
Bay lNdge, where nearly all the passengers wene
transferred TO the CRY OF Richmond A few re-
mained on the Plymouth Rock. Meanwhile the land
ing-place of the Plymouth Rock Pier No 3. Norsh
River. was tbrongcd with anxious friends Of tas
passengers, who hailed it's approach up the Day with
a lipf b..a
turned away from the per by the announcements
that no tickets would be sold either on the plr
mouth Rock or the City of Richmond becanse Che
rough sea prevented the landing of the vessels az
the Iron Pier. The wife of Captain Curtis Of the
former vessel was at the pier with her two children
and wore an anxious look The City Of Richmond
arrived at hali-past ,. and the passengers enpfied
the boat very quickly. The Plymouth Rock con-
tinued on her way, towed by the Germania. TO tho
pier AT the foot Of East Twenty thrj-st
sThlEMfNTs OF THE OFFICERS.
captain Curtis said that the sea heavy when
the accident occurred, but that he had gone e. Long
Branch in heavier weather. The vessel was in the
trough of the at the time and the boat was roll
ing. The Plymouth Rock" he said. is in a bet-
ter condition to-day than she has been in ten yeav
Engineer Sherman SAID there was no load
report like an explosion. He heard first a little
noise like the leakage Of steam and the noise Of the
pipe cracking. The steam was then blown oa.
he said, and when the accident occurred most Of
them were ii The cabin near quartet club in
front OF the s'eain-pipe that broke. The shock
broke loose some OF the heavy glass plates through
which The machinery can be seen and let in "a,
steam. The Passengers were greatly frightened A
woman jumped n ghi top of my head as I ,rcr,t
down stairs through the crowd. / found that lie
main steam pipe had been broken in two between
the throttle valve aud the steam chest The nina
carries tine steam from the boilers Ia the engine b
Is made OF copper and Is without flaw. The brcax
occutr~i IN the castIng conncctine az with the
ste33ln NEST. his6lng mio the engine Room / was
scalded about the face .nd hands,"
The broken stcanl-mpe is 22 inches in diaueser
and the cost of repairing the vessel viii be shrut
5000 ] he steam pressure WAS not over - bounds:
the limit allowed being 35 pounds. The Ply mouth
Rock was built by jeremiah Sinonsou iu 1864 ortha
StOnlngtOn route. Two wears ago On at.,.ulps vas
made TO condemn her, and she pat IN dry do-iC
ana pollhSS were maze IN every tar bcr. The Ves-
sci was inspected year last spring. The nres-
ent onwer Is {. w. Scoield. She VIII be ready 70
run TO Long Branch again or Saturday.
TALKS WITH PAssENGKRs
The Rev. J. J. White pastor of the Fourth Street
Methodist Protestant Church, OF Brooklyn, F. d.,
said that he was in the main saloon where there
were many Others, listening to the music Of tho
piano and the Italian band. There was a fearful
crash, and the Immediately filed with steam.
81 afraid of being scalded" he contianed.
" and went TO the stern of the boat thinking that
the safest place The prayers aud cries of the vo-
men were fearful. Many tainted aud were ran over
A number of the men acted like hogs and raid
no attention to anl one in their way. I had no
trouble in getting n life preserver, myself hpt I
heard others complain that they were shut un at az
the wheel-hOuSe and a Young told mo he had
TO get pole and smash the box TO get at them. /
think there was considerable stealing done uldar
cover OF the excitement. l lost my umbrella and
valise, anu heard of many who had lost various
articles. expected when l heard the noise that
the steamboat would go down. but I kent caimo
James Clark of Albany said The nine that
tkw.l tNs.a . 80 HNa faM ~