The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-08-29
Explosion Of a Steamer D.,

ten minutes to four this noout
people who were in the no;n.hu"oon
hood Of the foot of Fourteenth noor-
ana North river Were startled Ia
sounds ofan explosion comino oy
the direction of the liver. Too from
out in mid river they saw the Ing
son steamer Riverdale explodadio e.
the stream. in less than siv IN
utes afterwards she keeled 70 4h
side and capsized opposite I'm; Inc
tenth street. she having hoated ~
far. Instantly fifteen different 'uat
boats from this city started far t u
place where the sunken steamer L sle
There were over n hundred passen.
gers on board the Riverdale whar
she left the foot of Harrison street n sal
Haverstraw. Some of these wo aor
hurled into the air and then fell haa,ee
into the water. Others were o o.h
PEELED to jump into the ri,.nr
to escape the Kissing scald;na
steam that filled all parts Of thg
vessel, or to avoid going down WHY
her. The cause of the disaster WIZ" wel
the explosion of her boiler. Ths wa" aH.
was LliA0o win hJiHS ueDrlS and
broken wood works, and the blot
house snapped like a pipe stem and
toppled over into the water. Ahont
fifty people lost their lives. Soma
were blown into eternity and others
met their deaths by being drownad
in the whirlpool caused by the sinh.
ing of the vessel. Those who WOW
floating or swimming about in ths
river YER picked up by tugs and
row boats that came to the rescno
Three bodies were also brought in hrr
boats. Mrs. Sisson, of Tarrytown,
N. Y, and al unknown man, whose
body was taken to the morgue. An.
other body, whose identity has NOT
been ascerlained, was also taken tn
the morgue. Injured-Howard Gard,
ner, Yonkers, taken to the New York
hospital. John Reilly, a deckAando Of
Englewood, n. j., arms broken. was
taken to the N. Y. hospital; ,John
Maran, deckhand, of WILLIAMSBURG
N. Y, legs and side crushed, taken
to the N. Y. Hospital; Thos. S Saul
passenger, or brooklyn, scalded
taken to the N. Y. hospital; John
Latin, mate, left thigh badly hDrt
and Geo. A. Sims, fireman of the ye.,
sci, who was badly >calded, were also
taxi to the New York hospital
The fremen, engines and hook and
ladder companies stationed Nearest
the scene were allied out without
their apparatus, however, and did
good service, as also did members Of
the steamboat squad. Policeman
Michael Killilea, of Chester street
station, was the first to gel George
Adams, the wounded fireman. On
shore from the boat, at the foot of
18th street, and saFs: II never sawa
man in such suffering, and hope |
may eve witne>s such a sight. The
poor fellow squirmed and MS feet
came Oft in blisters.. / called at once
on the ambulance driver nearest he
and had the unfortunate MAJ sent to
St. VIncent's Hospital. | then went
in search of other injured persons.
and when [ came to the foot of 14th
street I saw a man pulling rapidly to
the wharf. His boat contained the
body of a fireman whose legs were
evidently broken. He must have
been crippled by falling tlmbers
while sitting on deck and then blown
overheard"
NEW York, August 2S.-inspector
Thorne received a dispatch this at.
ternoon stating that the excursion
steamer Everdale was blown up at
10Th street, North river and calling
for all the ambuiances in the city.
OF the passengers on BOARD the
Riverdale, some were blown up with
the explosion but from the best ac-
counts obtained the number was
small, as there were few in the cab
ms at the time, 30 an exact idea Of
the number of passengers on board
cannot be obtained at present, or the
number of lives lost. Accounts ofthe
number of passengers vary from 50
to 200 and the number of killed from
10 to so. The most trustworty ac-
counts place the number of killed
from 8 to g.. There is reason to be-
lieve that nearly all had a chance to
escape. The engineer was in the en-
CINE room to slow up as another
steamer was at their land
ing when the rumble heard
proceeding from the boiler and in a
moment a horrible explosion o.
CURED blowing out the entire side OF
the vessel and leaving only a help
less sinking hull. Tugs and small
boats went IN swarms from the New
York and Jersey shores and began
work rescuing the drowning passed.
gers and crew. The number saved
S hows how effective their work was.
The Reliance o tar boat was near
the Riverdale when she blew upand
Immediately began work r%escuing
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 it was thought none of those
who escaped injury by the explosion
had time to drown The steam
of Jay Gould and D.. 5.
J etfey were lying at the foot Of West
Twenty-third street at the time.
Both Gould and Jetfey Lad Just gone
when the accident occurred.
Upon hearing the explosion they In
turned about, putting ol
the scene of the wreck in Their
gigs, and ordered their yachts to FOL,
low without delay. Both engaged
in the work Of giving aid wherever
L eeded with great zeal. When the
came back those who were III
sight in the water had been picked
up and were sem ashore to thelf
homes in this city or put aboard The
Christine for their destllla,
ion up the river. The injured ana
lead were taken to the foot of 18TH
street, where the entire ami uliihc'
of the city had been s%unlniolitd'
An unsuccessful effort WAS made /!
,ugs to tow the wrecked hull to the
Jersey shore, but was finally abal-
Toned.
The following is q list Of those
Known to be dead: Mrs. Julia Sesseh,
lyed GS, OF Tarrytown, \. y, VINO
a thrown into the water anu
tlOwned. Her grandson ju:hpe1u
'verboard, and her aged husband
vas pulled through the rear wIndo"
~ the crew OF a tug. Thomas Gregg,
II this city, was to-day found "euseu
II n part of toe vessel. His oou.
vas taken to tn morgue "iefeH
vas identified. Mr.. Gregg was III
ompanv with an eN-sea captain