Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-09-06
A FEARFUL EXPLOSION.

The Boiler of the steamer BiverdaIe FIX
pIOdes in the North River-The Vessel
Shattered to Pieces and Passengers and
Crew Hurled Into the Stream-The-
Killed and Injured.
NEW YORK, Aug. %.
At about $3.50 this afternoon people who
were in the neighborhood of the foot of
Fourteenth street and North River were
startled by the sound of an explosion
coming from the direction of the river
Looking out in midstream they saw the
Hudson steamer RiverdaIe enveioped in
steam. Less than six minutes afterward
she kee1ed TO the side and capSized opposite
Sixteenth street, having foated that far.
Instantly about fifteen different tugs
steamed from this city and Hoboken to
where the sunken vessel lay. There were
over 100 passengers on board the Riverdale
when she left the foot of Harrison street
for Haverstraw. Some of these were.
hurled into the air and then fell back into
the water. Others were compelled to jump
into the river to escape the kissing, scald-
ing steam that had filled ali parts of the,
vessel, or to avoid going Down with her..
The cause of the disaster the explosion
OF the boiler amidships. When the boiler
barst the air filed with flying debris.
a Id broken woodwork, and the pilot-house4
=
into the water.
The firemen Of the several engine and
hook and ladder companies stationed near
est to the scene of disaster were called out.
without their apparatus, however, and did
good service, as did also members of the
Steamboat squad. Policeman Michael Kill.
lilea, of the Charles Street Station, was the
first to help the wounded fireman, George
A. Dimes, on shore from boat at the foot
of Twelfth street.
81 never saw man in such suffering,'S
said the officer, "and hope l may not wit
ness another such sight again. The poor
fellow Squirmed and his flesh was peeling
| off in bliSterS. l called at once on the am
| bulance driver nearest me and had the un--
| fortunate man sent to st. Vincent'S Hospi-
| tai. then went in search of other injured
| persons, and when [ came to the foot of
! Fourteenth street [ saw a man pulling rap
! idly to the wharf. His boat contained the
! body OF woman whose legs were evidently
| broken. She must have been crushed by
! falling timbers while sitting on the deck
! and then blown overheard.
OF the passengers aboard the Riverdale,
some were blown up with the explosion.
but from the best accounts obtainable the
| number was SMALL Jas there were few III the
cabins at the time. No exact idea can at
! present be gained as to the number of pas
| SengerS on board or the number of lives
! lost. Accounts of the number of passengers
vary from fifty to 200, and of the killed
| from ten to fifty. The most trustworthy ac-
counts place the number killed at from
nearly all had a chance for escape. The
engineer was about to enter the engine
room to slow up, as another steamboat was.
at their landing, when an Ominous rumble
was heard proceeding from the boiler, and
in a moment a terrible explosion occurred,
blowing out the entire inside of the vessel
and leaving only the helpless, sinking hull.
The force OF the explosion was
| tv with which the Vessel sunk
showing the bottom was blown out. Hard
! ly a minute elapsed between the explosion
! and the sinking of the shattered hull in a
whirlpool into which the struggling SWIM
! mers were drawn. The river was Strewn.
with wreckage, the cabin doors, beams,.
! boards and furniture floating about and
! proving the force of the explosion. Tugs
| and small boats put out in swarns from the
! New Y DIRK and Jersey shores, and began,
! the work of reScu1ng the drowning paSSen-r
| gers and crew. The number saved shows
how efficient their work was. Accounts of
| the manner of the explosion differ. Those
| on the boat agree that it sudden and
| without warning. A policeman, who has
! been a boiler-maker, standing at the
foot of Bloomfield street, and states that
| his attention was attracted by the sound of
| escaping steam. Looking out on the river
he saw the Riverdale going up stream,r
| partly enveloped in steam that escaped
with q loud roar from her side. He saw
! people rush from the lower to the upper
deck and make ready to throw themselves.
| into the river. The next moment an eXpIO--
sion came. The Reliance coal tar boat was
near the Riverdale when she blew up and
! Immediately began the work of rescuing
! the drowning people. Her crew drew near
| ly forty from the water. Other steamers
! and tugs haStened to the scene, and So.
| quickly did they reach it that it is thought.
none Of those who escaped injury by the
! explosion had time TO drown.
The steam yachts Of Jay Gould and e. S.
| Jaffray were lying. at the foot of West
| Twenty-third street at the time. Both Could
| and Jaffray had just gone ashore when the
! accident occurred. Upon hearing the ex-
! ploson they Immediately turned about
| and, putting out to the scene of the wreck
! in their gigs, ordered their yachts to follow
| without delay. Both engaged i'll the work of
! giving aid wherever needed with great.
| zeal. When their yachts appeared all who
| were in sight in the water had been picked
| up. The rescued were taken ashore and
sent to their homes in this city, or pat on
! board the steamer Christenah for their des-
| tinatiOn up the river. The injured and
! dead were taken to the foot OF West ThIr-
! teenth street, where the entire ambulance
| force of the city had been summoned. An
| unsuccessful effort made by tugs to
! tow the wrecked hull to the Jersey shOre,s
! but it was finally abandoned. The follow
| ing is list of those known to be killed:
| Mrs. Julia Sisson, aged sixty eight, of
| Tarrytown, n. Y, body recovered.
| Thomas Gregg, aged eighty-two, COG
| Water street, N. y, body recovered.
| John Crevat, fireman, is missing, and is
| believed to have been killed. 1t is feared
there others, who have not yet been re-
! ported who were also lost, but their num-
| Der is not believed To be large.
TIE INJURED.
George A. Dimes, age -, fireman. He was
rescued, but was SO learIully scalded that
! he can not live.
Orville Gardner, the evangelist, aged &c.
| $40 South Second street, Brooklyn. He was
| scalded over Che body. He was on his way
to join his family at Yonkers. His injuries
| are not believed TO be fatal.
Thomas J. Sauls, aged SO, 202 Summit,
STR Rg-Cf1A IN lrl0 liar tzT
| scalded on the head and arms.
Nicholas Saclair, aged -, mate Of the
Riverdale, of Haverstraw, right thigh
| broken.
William P. Henry, aged IL, oiler on the
| steamer, 127 Varick street, this city, hands.
! nd foot burned