St. Landry democrat., 1883-09-08
A FEARFUL EXPLOSION.

Crew hurled Into the Stream-Ihc
Killed and Injured.
NEW YORK, Aug. %.
At about $3.50 this afternoon people who
were in the neighborhood of the foot of
Fourteenth street and North River were
startled by the sound of an explosion
coming from the direction of the river.
Looking out in midstream they saw tho
Hudson steamer Riverdale enveloped in
steam. Less than six minutes afterward
she keeled to the side and capsized opposite
Sixteenth street, having foated that far.
Instantly about fifteen different tugs
steamed from this city and Hoboken to
where the sunken vessel lay. There were
over 100 passengers on board the Riverdale
when she left the foot of Harrison street
for Haverstraw. Some of these were
hurled into the air and then fell back into
the water. Others were compelled to jump
into the river to escape the Kissing, scald-
ing steam that had filed all parts of the
vessel, or to avoid going down with her.
The cause of the disaster was the explosion
of the boiler amidships. When the boiler
burst the air was filed with flying debris
and broken woodwork, and the pilot-house
snapped like pipestem and toppled over
into the water. Ge3
The firemen of the several engine and
hook and ladder companies stationed near
est to the scene of disaster were called out,
without their apparatus, however, and did
good service, as did also members of the
Steamboat squad. Policeman Michael Xii.
lilea, of the Charles Street Station, was the
first to help the wounded fireman, George
A. Dimes, on shore from boat at the foot
of Twelfth street.
81 never saw a man in such suffering,o
said the officer, "and hope l may not wit
ness another such sight again. The poor
fellow squirmed and his flesh was peeling
off in blisters. I called at once on the am
bulance driver nearest me and had the UNI
fortunate man sent to st. Vincent's Hospi-
tai. then went in search Of other injured
persons, and when came to the foot Of
Fourteenth street | saw man pulling rap
idly to the wharf. His boat contained the
body of woman whose legs were evidently
broken. She must have been crushed by
falling timbers while sitting on the deck
and then blown overheard.
OF the passengers aboard the Riverda1e,
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 idea can at
present be gained as to the number of pas
sengers on board OR the number of lives
lost. Accounts of the number of passengers
vary from fifty to 200, and of the killed
from ten to fifty. The most trustworthy ac-
counts place the number killed at from
three to six. There is reason to believe
nearly all had chance for escape. The
engineer was about to enter the engine
room to slow up, as another steamboat was
at their landing, when an ominous rumble
was heard proceeding from the boiler, and
In a moment terrible explosion occurred,
blowing out the entire inside of the vessel
and leaving only the helpless, sinking hull.
The force of the explosion was
downward apparently, the rapidi-
ty with which the vessel sunk
showing the bottom was blown out. Hard
~ minute elapsed between the explosion
and the sinking of the shattered hull in a
whirlpool, into which the struggling SWIM
mers were drawn. The river was strewn
with wreckage, the cabin doors, beams,
boards and furniture floating about and
proving the force of the explosion. Tugs
and splall boats put out in swarms from the
New York and Jersey shores, and began
the work of rescuing the drowning passen-
gers and crew. The number 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
without warning. policeman, who has
been boiler-maker, was standing at tho
foot OF Bloomfield street. and states that
his attention was attracted by the sound of
escaping steam. Looking out OH the river
he saw the Rfverdale going up stream,
partly enveloped in steam that escaped
with a loud roar from her side He saw
people rush from the lower to the upper
deck and make ready to throw themselves
into the river. The next moment al explo-
sion came The Reliance coal tar boat was
near the Riverdale when she blew I'D and
Immediately began the work OF rescuinp
the drowning people. Her crew drew near
" 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.
Inc steam yachts OF Jay Goufi ana y: ..
Jaffray were lying at the foot OF West
twenty third street at the time. Both Gould
and .Jaffrav had lust gone ashore when the