The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-08-29
LATEST TELEHRAMS.
BURsTED BOILER.
A Hudson River Horror.
Au Appalling Story of the Ac-
cident,

cident.
New York 2s.-At about $50
o'clock this afternoon the 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 the
Hudson steamer Riverdale en-
Teloped in steam. In less than six
minutes afterwards she kee,ei to
the side and capsized, opposite Six
teenth street, she having fioate1 that
far. Instantly about fifteen diff rent
tug steamers from this city and
Hoboken, went to where tie sunk en-
vessel lay. There were over 100
passengers on board when she | f.
the foot of Harrison street for Hav-
erstraw. Some of these were hurled
into the air and then fell back into
the water, and others were cons
pslled to jump into the river to
csc ape the Kissing, scalding steam
that filled all parts of the vessel, or
to avoid going down with her. The
cause of the disaster was the explo~
sion of the boiler, which was amid
ships. When the boiler burst the
air was filed with flying debris and
broken Woed work. and the pilot
house snapped like a pipestem
and toppled over into the water.
About fifty people lost their lives.
Some VI ere blown into eternity, and
others met their death by being
drawn GOWN with The whirlpool
caused by the sinking of the vessel.
Those who were floating or swim
ming about in the river, were picked
up by the tugs and roWboats that
came TO the rescue. Three bodies
were brought in by boats, Mrs. Sis
son, of TarrytOWD, NY, and an
unknown man, whose body was
taken to the morgue. A boy whose
identify has not been ascertained
was also taken to TIE morgue.
The following injured were all
taken to the New York hospital
Howard Garden. Yonkers, n Y;
John Kelly, deck land, of EBgle'-
wood, NoJ., arms broken; John
Moran, deck hand, of Williamsburg,
legs and side crushed; Thomas j.
Saul, passenger, 274 SomeIs
street, Brooklyn, scalded; John
Satire, mate of the vessel
left thigh badly crushed; John
tGifes, of this city, aged "a,
badly scalded and in an extremely
critical condition.
| The firemen of several engineer
land hook and ladder companies sta
toned nearest to the scene Of the
| disaster, were called out, without
their apparatus, however, and did
good service, as did also the mem.
lbers of the steamboat quad.
Policeman Michael Killielea, of
the st. Charles street station, was
the first to get the wounded fireman
Adams on shore from the boat at
the foot of Twelfth street.
81 never saw a man in such suf
fering," said the officer, land ]
| hope I may not witness another
such sight. The poor fellow
squirmed and his flesh was coming
off in blisters. I called at once on
an ambulance driver nearest me
and had the unfortunate
man sent to St. Vincent's
hospital. / then went in search OF
other injured persons. and when ]
came to the foot of Fourteenth
street l saw d man pulling rapidly
Ito the wharf. His boat contained
the body of a woman whose legs
were evidently broken. She must
have been crushed by falling tim
bers while sitting on the deck, and
| then blown over board.
| OF the passengers aboard the
Riverdsle some were blown up with
the explosion, but from the best &C
counts Obtainable the number was
small, as there were few in the
cabins at the time. An exact idea
cannot at present be gained, as to
the number of passengers on board
or the number Of lives lost. The
accounts of the number of pas
sengers vary from fifty to 200, and OF
the killed from ten to fifty.
The most trustworthy accounts
place the number of killed at from
three to six. There is reason to believe
that nearly all had chance to es-
[eape. The engineer was about to
tenter the engine-room to slow up,
as another steamboat was at tier
landing when q rumble was heard
proceeding from the boiler and IN a
moment the horrible explosion Oc-
Cured, blowing out the entire side
of the vessel, and leaving only a
helpless sinking hull.
Tugs and small boats put out in
sWarms from the New York and
Jersey shores and began the work
of securing the drowning passen--
gers and crew. The number saved
shows how efficient their work was.
The Reliance coal-tar boat was near
the R!Y,riale when she blew up and
Immediately began the work Of res
cuing the droH ming people. Her
crew drew nearly forty from the
water. Other steamers aud tugs has
tened to the scene, and so quickly
did they reach it that 1t is thought
that none Of those who escaped in
| jury by the explosion had time tC
drown. :
The steam yachts Of Jay Gould
and E. S. Jaffray were lying at the
| foot of West Twenty third street al
l No,,11 ord In