New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-29
"There might have been dozen, but hadn't
time 10 cOunt themp

time 10 count them"
Were there any persons on the Rlverdale thenF
"There were a few, but the most of them had got
off on the Marshall, which had crowd OF them.
Only the stern of the Riverdae was afoat and the
people in the water those who got frightened
at the noise and jumped in before any help came
If they had all STAYED aboard they would have
been taken off i'll safety"
AT THE TWENTY -sEcoND-sT. PIER.
At the Twenty -second-st pier, which Is
the first stopping place of the Riverdale
after leaving Harrison-st., several hundred
people had collected, many of them
expecting to take the steamer. cry from one of
them, whats the matter with our boat ~ directed
the attention of the crowd just as the steamer was
seen to dive bow foremost into the water Some OF
the people on the pier had friends on the boat whom
they expected join, and they waited in state OF
frantic suspense until the Marshall came up with
the passengers. Many of these were burned by the
steam otherwise injured. The first Information
then given of the nature of the explosion
Officer Lewis at once drove 10 the Twenty-tfth
Street Police Station, where the ambulance call
was sent out. On the arrival of the ambu-
lances Howell Gardner was found In pltable
state his face and neck beng terribly scaded. He
was placed in an ambulance and with two deck
hands, who were also badly injured, was taken to
the New York Hospital Michael Walsh the officer
in charge of the pier, said:
IL went UP to the end OF the pier where heard a
good deal of shouting just after the Mary Powell had
pulled out Icould only the stern Of the Rverdale
above water and the people SAID she was sinking
In about ten minutes the Marshall came up to our
dock and she pat off about fifty passengers should
think You could not get very much from themj
some were hurt and others had been In the water
l helped to get three of them into the ambulance,
"a 70 tIn If.l
They SAID they cold 90 home. In about ten minutes
more the Chrystenah came up TO the pier and all
the passengers got on her. The pilot of the RIVER
dale went on board too, as he lives up in Haver-
straw. The Marshall coming up the river
when the accident happened and was not far away
from the Rverdale."
INCIDENTS on THE RIVER FRONT.
Within half an hour after the accident the widest
repor,s had spread along the river front as to Its
extent, and crowds of women and children
flocked from the tenement-houses that
line the adjacent avenues. Thirteenth
ave. begins at Thirteenth-st., opposite which
the xposon occurred. The space on this street is
occupied by lumber piles and wood-yards that
crowd up close 10 and overlook the DOCKS These
piles of lumber were soon crowded with people who
scrambled over them to the barges in the slips;
wild. ragged and dirty looking children, many of
them scarce half dressed, shouted and gestcuiated
with each other and pointed to the sunEen
boat only one side of which still appeared
above the surface. The appearance OF so many am
balances was a sensation OF iseli in this nelghbor-
hood, and added still larger crowds to those that
had already gathered on the river front At the
foot of Fourteenth ST. the am bulances were assem-
bled and a line of policemen was formed to
Keep back the crowd that pressed IN upon
them raft lay along side the pier. TO which those
a. nn0hf Inah
arrival was greeted by flesh cry of pity aud GU
rioslty from the crowd, and the policemen had al
they could do to keep their line intact. The body of
an old LADY was brought up TO the raft half an hour
after the accident. There no one TO re coRnize
or identify her, and the corpse was permitted to lie
there for more than hour. Her face wore an
expression of mingled terror and pain. and con-
siderate policeman placed a cloth over IL until an
undertaken came for the body.
At the piers at the foot of Seventeenth-st another
crowd had gathered and several OF the tugs that
took persons from the sinking steamer stopped there
TO permit them TO get ashore. The most OF the pas
sengers from the Riverdsle were. however. landed
at the Twenty-second-st. pier by the Marshall.
Toward dark the crowds became stll
greater, although there noting to
be seen; but the news of the accident
had by this time become widely spread and people
returning from their work focked to the scene.
The tide. which had been at its height during the
afternoon now began TO recede and fleet OF small
boats could be seen in the dusk of the evening
lowering around the sunken steamer picking up
small articles and tearing off the copper plates from
her sides The tugs and larger vessels left the spot
as darkness came on.
WORK OF THE POLICE.
Information OF the ex ploslOn reached Police head
quarters at $40 p. m when the operator on duty
in the telegraph office received the dispatch calling
for ambulances. lie Immediately called up all the
hospitals and directed the ambulances TO go to the
foot of West Sxteenth-st Policemen were sent
from tue West Twentieth Street Police Station
TO aid in the rescue oil persons. Inspector
Thorne. who was on duty at Headquarters. sent
officers from the Charles Street Station. lie also
sent dispatch directing the police boat Patrol 10 20
TO the wreck but the boat did not get there In tne
10 be OF much service Commissioner MattnewswenI
to the scene of the disaster TO ascertain III iufther
police assistance was necessary. COnlnlsslOper
Brennan, of the Department OF Charities ana Cor
recioD was on Blackweis Island when the calls iOr
am bu ances seut out. He went across tno
East River In boat aud drove at gall0p across the
city in time To direct the ambulance service. FIRE
Commissioners Van COtt and GOrinan were at inc
scene OF the explosion also most oil the AFTERNOON;
They kept tho two floating engines. HaveInoyer anu
Zopbar Mills near the sunken steamboat untll III
was clear that no more bodies could be found there