The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-08-30
a HoKRIB, x DISASTER.
The steamer RiserdaIe E1pIotiss ON II
Hndsnn Rirer

(
he steamer RisertIaie ExpIotie.- ON The
Hudson River.
New YORK, Aug - AT about ten
minutes TO O'Clock Tins afternoon. PEG.
pie who were in the neigbborhood of
the foot of Fourteenth street and North
River we're startled by the ssund of an
coming from lie direction of
the river Looking out. in nid-slream
they saw the Hudson Steamer RiverdaIe
enveloped ia steam In less than six
minutes afterwards she rolled ON her
street, she having ioated that far H.
siantiY about fiiteen different tugs
steamed from this city and Hoboken 10
where the sunken vessel lay. There |
were over one hundred passengers on /
board the RIverdaie when She left the |
foot of Harrison street for HaVersiraW |
Same of these were hurled into the air |
and then fell back into the water. Duh |
tFs were compelled 10 jump into The |
river to escape the kissing, scaltilng |
steam that had filled all parts Of the
vessel, or Ia avoid going down with iier. |
The cause of the disaster was the ex-
plosion OF the boiler, which was amid
ships. When the boiler burst the air
was filed with flying detSris and broken
wood work and the pilot house snapped
like pipesten; and toppleti over into
the water. About fifty people lost their
lives, some being blown into eternity snd
others met their deaths by iJeing drawn
down With the whirlpool caused by the
shaking oi the vessel Those who were
fi,Riins or SWIMMING about ia the river
were picked up by The tugs and row
D Iais that came To tile rescue
| The dead hOtiiaS ware alSn hronnhI m
| by the boats. Mrs SisseB, of Tarry-
town, N. " an unknown man, whose
body WAS taken into the mOrgue, aud q
| boy whose identity has not been ascer
tanned, were falso taken to the m0rgue.
The Injured are Howard Gardner, the
evangelist. of iOnkerS. N Y; Iakea Ia
the New York hospital
l0Ln Kelley, deck hSn.i. of EngIe
wood, n. !. arms bFnken; taken To The
| New York hospital
IOhR Moran, deck hand, Of Williams.
burg, N. Y, legs and side crushed TAX
Tn tn the New York hospital.
1 Thomas j. Saul. passenger. nf ga
SOmers street, BToOklyR. scaliied taken
IN the New York hospital.
John Salier. mate of the vessel, left
thigh badly crushed taken to the New
York hospital.
John Gifts. of this city. aged "a, badly
Gcalded and Ia an extremely critical con-
! ditiOn taken to the New York hospital
George Adams, fireman of the boat,
badly scalieti; taken tO st. Vincent's
hospital.
The fireuien and several engines and
hook and ladder companies stationed
nearest 10 the scene of the disaster vert
called out without their apparatus. how
ever, and did good service, rs did also
the members of the steamboat squad al
2 policemen. Michael Killala. OG
8 Charles street station, was the frs
to help the wounded fireman, George
> Adams, on shore from boat at the foo
E of Twelfth street. 81 never saw maj
: in such suffering" said the officer, "anC
l hope may not witness another sucl
sight. The poor fellow squIrme,i
+ and his flesh was falling off in blIsters
| called at once an ambulance driver
7 nearest me and had the unfortunate mar
I sent to St. VIncent's hospital. l then
8 went in search of other injured persons
and when / came to the loot of Four
teenth street saw man pulling rapid
ly to the wharf. HIS boat contained thu
e body of woman whose legs were evi
! IDENTITY broken. She must have beer
= crushed by the falling timbers while sit
ting on deck and then blown over
. ! board"
g. OF the passengers aboard the River
J. dale some we're blown up with the ex
a plosiou, but from the best accounts OBJ
:. taInable ths number was small, as Their
were few in the cabins at the time. NJ
y exact idea can at present be gained as u
e the number of passengers on board o.
the number OF lives lost. Accounts o
the number of passengers vary iron
( fifty to two hundred, and of the kille,
J from ten TO fifty. The most trustWorth,
accounts place the number of killed a
! from threetto six There is reason tG
believe that nearly all had a chance 4
escape, The engineer was about enter
ing the engine room to slow up. as an
j | other steamboat was At their landing
t when an ominoIs rumble Waa heard pro
ceeding FROM the boiler, and in mQmen
= the terrible explosion occurred, blow
. ing out the entire inside OF the Vesse
10 and leaving only a helpless sinking
i hull. Tugs and small boats put out II
q swarms from the New York and Jerse,
shores and began the work Of rescuinl
the drowning passengers ami crew
b The number saved shows how efficien
a their work was. The Reliance, coal
;, tar boat, was near the kiverdale whel
she was blown up and Immediately be
gan the work of
REsCuTN,f TIE ERoGsIKg FEoPLE.