Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-09-07
A FEARFUL EXPLOSION.
rhe Boiler of the Steamer Rivertale Ex-
plodes In the North River-The Vessel
Shattered to Pieces and Passengers and
Crew Hurled Into the stream-The
KILLED and injured.


KILLED and Injured.
New YORK. Aug. %.
AT about $3.50 this afternoon people who
we're 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 the
Hudson steamer Riverdale enveloped in
steam. Less than six minutes afterward
she keeled to the side and capsized opposite
Sixteenth street, having fioated 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 Rivertlals
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 filled 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
b1rst the air was filled with flying debris
I'd broken woodwork, and the pilot-house
tapped like pipe-stem and toppled over
into the water.
The firemen of the several engine and
hook and ladder companies stationed near
est to the scene Of disaster were called ont
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 n man IL, cuoL erffar;,,, =
said the officer, ''and hope / may not wit.
ness another such sight again. The poor
fellow squirmed and his flesh was peeling
off in blisters. / called at once on the ann
bulance driver nearest me and had the I'M
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 a 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 Riverdale,
some were blown up with the explosion.
but from the best accounts obtainable the
number was small las 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 &C.
counts place the number killed at from
three to six. There is reason to believe
nearly all had a 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 moment a terrible explosion occurred.
blowing out the entire inside of the vessel
and leaving only the helpless, sinking hull.
IOlcA nXnlnClnfn
downward apparently, the rapid
~ with which the vessel sunk
showing the bottom was blown out. Hard
ly 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 small 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. A policeman, who has
been boller-maker, was standing at the
foot of Bloomfield street, and states that
his attention was attracted by the sound of
escaping steam. Looking out on the river
he saw the Riverdale 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 an explo.
sion came. The Reliance coal tar boat was
near the Riverdale when she blew up and
immediately began the work of rescuing
the drowning people. Her crew drew near
ly 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 +. s.
Jaffray were lying at the foot of West
Twenty-third street at the time. Both Gould
and Jaffray had just gone ashore when the
accident occurred. Upon hearing the ex.
plosion they Immediately turned about,
and, putting out to the scene of the wreck
in their gigs, ordered their yachts to follow
without delay. Both engaged in the work of
giving aid wherever needed with great
zeal. When their yachts appeared all who
were I'm sight in the water had been picked
up. The rescued were taken ashore and
sent to their homes in this city, or put on
board the steamer Christenah for their des.
tination up the river. The injured and
dead were taken to the foot of West Thlr.
teenth street, where the entire ambulance
force of the city had been summoned An
unsuccessful effort was made by tugs to
tow the wrecked hull to the Jersey shore.
ing is list of those known to be killed:
Mrs. Julia Sisson, aged sixty-eight, of
Tarrytown, n. V, body recovered.
Thomas Gregg. aged eighty-tco, COG
Water street, n. Y, body recovered.
John Crevat, fireman, is missing and il
believed to have been killed. 1t is feared
there are others, who have not yet been re-
ported who were also lost, but their num-
Der is not believed to be large.
THE INJURED.
George A. Dimes, age -, fireman. He was
rescued, but was so fearfully scalded that
he can not live.
Orville Gardner, the evangelist, aged Sc,
3f9 South Second street, Brooklyn. He was
scalded over the body. He was on his way
TO join his family at Yonkers. His injuries
are not believed to be fatal.
Thomas j. Sauls, aged SO, POP Summit
street, Brooklyn, found on board badly
scalded on the head and arms.
Nicholas Saclair, aged Al, mate of the
Riverdale, of Haverstraw, right thigh
broken.
William P. Henry, aged IS, oiler on the
steamer, 121 Varick street, this city, hands
and feet burned.
Israel Lazarus, deck hand, - Mott street,
this city, badly bruised.
James Tobin, of Yonkers, aged 81, and
Nelson McGee, pilot of the Riverdale, also
of Yonkers, scalded and bruised.
John Moran is reported by the police as
injured, but they do not know what became
of him or who he is. He is not at any of the
hospitals.
The engineer, w. l.. Tallman, who es
capped with few bruises, said he could not
explain the cause of the accident by any
theory whatever. The boilers were new
four years ago, when the boat was entirely
rebuilt and refitted. He was about to en-
ter the engine-room to give the signal to
slacken speed, when he was hurled through
the door, and the next moment he found
himself lying on the roof of the cabin, di.
rectly under the shaft. The explosion oc.
CURED, he said, without the slightest warn
ing, and was apparently the result of some
hidden defect. A moment previous he had
looked at the steam gauge and found it to
register twenty-three pounds. When the
boat was inspected last June her allowance
vas fixed at fifty pounds to the square
inch, so he was entirely at a loss TO account
for the explosion, which occurred without
any warning whatever.
The Riverdale was built thirty years
Ago, and was first called the Peter q. COT.
I'm. She was afterward renamed Alexis,
and while bearing the latter name received
che machinery and fitting of the old Broad