Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-08-29
FIFTY LIVES LOST.


NEW YORK, August 2S.-Of the pas
sengers aboard the Riverdale, some were
blown up with the explosion, but from the
best accounts obtainable the number was
small, as there were few in the cabins at
the time. No exact statement can at
present be made as to the number Of
passengers on board or number of lives
lost. Accounts Of the number of pas
sengers vary from fifty to 200, and of the
killed from ten to fifty. The most trust
worthy accounts place the number of
killed at from three to six. There is
reason to believe nearly all had chance
to escape. At the hour at which the eX-
plosiOn occurred, between 80 and 3:45
O'Clock, the engineer was about to enter
the engine-roOm to slow, as another steam
boat was at her landing, when an ominous
rumbling was heard from the boiler, and
i'll moment terrible explosion occurred.
blowing out the entire side of the vessel,
and leaving only helpless sinking hull.
The force OF the explosion was down
ward apparently, the rapidity with
which the vessel sank showing
that the bottom was blown out Hardly
minute elapsed between the explosion
and the sinking of the shattered hull in
the whirlpool, into which the struggling
swimmers were drawn. The river was
strewn with wreckage, cabin doors, beams,
boards and furniture floating about, PROV
ing the force of the explosion. Tugs and
small boats put out i'll swarns from the
New York and jersey shores and began
the work OF rescuing the drowning passen-
gers and crew. The number of saved shows
how efficient their work was. Accounts
of the manner of the explosion differ
Those on the boat agree that it was sudden
and entirely without warning. police
man who had been a boiler-maker was
standing at the foot OF Bloomfield street,
and states that his attention was attracted
by the sound OF escaping steam, and on
looking on the river saw the Riyerdale
going up stream partly envelope d in steam
that escaped with loud roar from the
side; saw the people rush from the
lower to the upper deck and make
ready to throw themselves into the river.
The next moment the explosion came
The Reliance coal-tar boat was near the
Riverdale when she blew up. and imme-
diately began the work of rcscuing the
drowning people. Her crew drew nearly
forty from the water Other steamers and
tugs fastened 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 f.. S. Jaffray were lying at
the foot of West Twenty-second street at
| the time. Both Gould and Jaffray had
| Just gone ashore when the accident oc-
CURED. Upon hearing the explosion they
| Immediately turned about, and putting out
| to the scene of the wreck in their gigs
| ordered their yachts to follow without
delay. Both joined in the work OF
| giving aid wherever needed with great
zeal. When their yachts appeared
all who were in sight in the water had beer
| picked up. The rescu ID were taken ashore
| and sent to their homes in this city, or pu
on board steamers destined for their desti
nation up the river. The injured anC
! dead were taken to the foot Of West Thir
teenth street, where the entire ambulance
force of the city had been summoned Al
unsuccessful effort was made by the tug
to tow the wrecked hull to the jersey
shore, but it was finally abandoned The
! following is the list of those known to b,
killed or injured:
Mrs. Julia Sisson, aged sixty-eight, o
| Tarrytown, n. y. Mrs. Sisson was seated
on the lower deck with her husband
| Charles Sisson, and grandson, w. b
| Chaplin. When the explosion occurred
| they were going to their home in Tarry
| town. Mrs. Sisson was thrown in the waite
and drowned. Her grandson jumped over
board, and her aged husband was pulled
| through the rear window of the sinkin:
boat by the crew OF II tug, which hasteneC
to the scene. Mrs. SissaR's body was re
covered and taken ashore.
Thomas Gregg, aged eighty-two years
COG Water street, this city. Mr.. Gregg wa.
on his way to DObbs Ferry. His body wa,
found wedged in on the port side OF the
vessel, between the rail and homework
When eXtricated it was discovered that h,
| had long been dead, having been held fas
| under the water. His body was taken t.
the morgue, and was identified hy his sol
| Michael. MIR. Gregg was in company o
an eX-captain named VOORHEES,, who es
capped with some difficulty after seeing
raft he had made out of benches swampec
by the inconsiderate haste of three dudes
as he called them.
These are the only ones positively known
to be lost.
John Crevant, a fireman, Is missing
and is believed To have been killed. 1t il
feared that others who have not yet beeI
| reported were also lost, and their number
is believed to be large. The following il
the list Of the injured!
Geo. a. Deyms, aged tYenty-fouF years
fireman. He was rescued, but so fearful,
scalded he cannot live. He is in St Vim
cent Hospital, delirious and at the poin
OF death, In his lucid moments he state
that there were about one hundred passen
| StiS tlt updIt Ith hlttN DOllllllS OF ALL
trouble until he found himself drowning
William F. Henry, aged eighteen, ollie
on the steamer, l27 Narick street, thi
city, hands and feet burned; Israel Laza
rus, deckhand, ~ Mott street, this city
badly bruised; James Tobin, of Yonkers
AGED thirty-four, and Nelson McGee, ais
Of YonkerS, pilot Of the Riverdale, scaldet
and bruised. They were taken to thei
homes on the steamer Christina. JOIN
Moran is reported by the police as in
jured, but they do not know where he
or what became OF him. He is not in an,
of the hospitals
Oryille Gardiner, the eyangplist, age
tifty-siX, 249 South Second street, Brook
lyn, was scalded oyer the body and take
TO the New York Hospital. He was ol
his way to join his family in Yonker,
His injuries are not believed to he fatal.
Thos. Sanders, aged thirty-six, 292 Sum
NIT street, Brooklyn, found on board bad
ly scalded on head and arms
Nicholas Sailair, fQrty-fiye, mate of tn
Riverdais, N Hayerstaw, right thigl
broken, reported diving.
Tomorrow the wreck will be raised an,
towed ashore, where full examination
can be made. The officers of the steame
do not believe any more bodies will b
found i'll it, but there is no certainty tina
this bellies Is vel founded
Engineer w. L. Tallman, Who escape,
with Il few bruises, said he could not 'ex
plain the cause of the accident by an
theory whatever. The boilers We're neI
four yeqrs ago when the boat was entirel
rebuilt, and he VAS ah9gt 70 enter the en-
gine-room to signal to slacken speed whel
he was hurled through the door, an,
the next moment he found him
self hanging on the roof the cabil
directly under the shaft The explosion
occurred, he said, without the sfightes
warning, and was apparently the result o
some hidden deiegt. ! ri,of4snt HreYi9u
he had looked at the steam gauge anC
found it to register twenty-three pounds
When the boat was inspected last Jun,
her allowance was fixed at fifty pounds t,
the square inch.
The Riyerdale was built thirty-five year
ago, and was first called the Peter Coffin
afterward renamed the Alexis, and, wEi!t
hearing the latter name, received the ma
chinery aid fittings of the old Broad
way, that was blown UP in Jun,
within 100 yards of the place where IT,,
present explosion occurred. In 1879 sh,
was rebuilt, new bqilers Put in and namec
the River,lale. %
\ SPECIFIC, and the only one, too, for al
i = i I