The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-08-29
FRTGHTFUL DISASTER.
EXPLOSION OF AN EXCURSION
- STEAMER. h
The Vessel Shattered and sunk-Many
Lives Reported Lost.
fBy telegraph TO the D,sn.,cb .,

lBy telegraph 10 the Dispatch.l
NEW YORK.. August 2s.-Inspector
Thorne received dispatch this afternoon
stating that the excursion steamer River
dale had blown up at the foot OF Fifteenth
street, North river, and calling for all the
ambulances In the city.
The Riverdale started up the Hudson on
its trip to Haverstraw at y. NJ, with fifty
passengers on board, from the foot of Har-
rison street. When opposite the foot Of
thirteenth street her boiler exploded.
Eyewitness on the shore saw what
seemed to be the whole OF the inside Of the
vessel hy into the air with report like the
discharge Of cannon. The shell Of the
hull careened over, but continued up the
stream from the momentum OF its own
speed until ii went down bow first at the
foot OF Fifteenth street. About twenty OF
the passengers, including everybody in the
cabins. were blown up in the explosion.
The rest seized life.preservers, and, Jump
ing over the rail into the river, were picked
up by number OF tugboats that imme-
diately put out from the New York and
Jersey shores TO their assistance. How
many were saved and how many drowned
and killed Is as vet entirely unknown. The
most conflicting reports are in circulation.
Not more than ten lives are positively
known to be lost. Among those blown up
and badly scalded is said TO be Gardner
the evangelist. On the arrival OF the am
balances the body Of Mrs. Sisson, OF Tar
rytown, was brought ashore in boat. Her
grandson, whose name is Chaplin, had
jumped from the upper deck and was
picked up by tugboat. This was the only
body recovered at O'Clock, half an hour
after the explosion.
Captain Smith, who was in command Of
the Riverdale, stated that while on deck he
heard a low rumble, and immediately the
boilers blew up and the vessel began TO
sink. He could not explain the cause OF
the explosion.
Tugs are now cruising about the scene.
George A. Dawes, fireman on the River
dale. was terribly scalded by escaping
steam. He was picked up by a tugboat.
The Riverdale was an old boat, and ran
up the river from this city to Haverstraw
and Cornwall.
THE LATEST.
OF the passengers aboard some were
blown up with The explosion, but from the
best accounts obtainable their number was
small, as there were few in the cabins at
the time. No exact idea can at present be
gained as to the number OF passengers on
board or the number Of lives lost. Ac-
counts OF the number OF passen-
gers on board vary from 80 TO 200,
and OF the killed from 10 to 80. The
force Of the explosion was down.
ward apparently, the rapldity with which
the vessel sank showing that her bottom
was blown out. Hardly minute elapsed
between the explosion and the sinking OF
the shattered hull in Il whirlpool, into
which the struggling swimmers were
drawn. The river was strewn with wreck
age, cabin doors. beams, boards, and fur
niture floating about and proving the force
of the explosion. Tugs and small boats
put out in swarms from the New York and
Jersey shores, and began the work OF res
cuing the drowning passengers and crew.