The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-08-29

never saw a man in such suffering, said
the officer, and 1 hope l may not witness
another srch sight again. The poor fellow
squirmed and his tlssh was pelling off in
blisten. I called at once an ambulance
driver nearest the man and had the un.
fortunate man sent to Saint Vincent's hos-
pital. I then went in search OF other in.
iured persons, and when l came TO the foot
OF Fourteenth street saw man pulling
rapidly to the wharf. His boat contained
the body OF woman whose legs were evt'
dently broken. She must have been
crushed by falling timber4 while sitting on
deck, and then blown overheard.
OF the passengers aboard the Riverdale
some were blown up with the explosion,
but from the best account 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 lost. Ac-
counts ofthenumber Of passengers varyfrom
so to 200, and Of the killed IRON 10 to 80.
The most Trustworthy accounts place the
number OF killed from three 10 six. There
is reason to believe that nearly all had
chance 10 escape. The hour at which the
explosion occurred was between $3.50 and
4:45 o'clock. The engineer was about TO
enter the engine house to slow up
as another steamboat was at their landing,
when an omiEous rumble was heard pro-
ceeding from the boiler, aud in moment
a terrible explosion occurred, blowing out
the entire inside Of the vessel and leaving
only helpless sinking hull. The force Of
the explosion was downward apparently.
The rapidity with which the vessel sunk
showed the bottom had blown out Hard,
ly q minute elapsed between the expl0-
sion and the sinking Of the hull in whirl-
pool into which struggling swimmers were
drawn. The river was strewn with wreck
ing, cabin doors beams, boards and furni-
ture floating about, Accounts Of the man-
ner Of the explosion differ. Those on the
boat agree it was sudden and without warn'
ing.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT OF THE EXPLOSION.
A policeman who had been u boiler
worker was standing at the foot OF Bloom
ington street, states that his attention wss
attracted by the sound Of escaping steam,
and looking out on the river saw the River
dale going up stream partly srveloped in
steam that escaped with loud roar from
beside. He saw the people rush from The
lower to the upper deck and make ready to
throw themselves in the river, Tho next
moment the explosion came.
The yachts OF Jay Gould and Z. A. Jai-
fray we're lying at the lower end OF West
TWenty.third street at the time OF the ex-
plosion. Both Gould and JGfray had Just
gone ashore when the accident occurred.
Upon hearing tho explosion they immed-
ataly turned about and putting out to the
scene OF the wreck in ther gigs, ordered
Iheir Yachts to follow without delay.
Both engaged in the work Of giving aid
wherever needed with great zeal, and whep
their Yachts appeared all who were in
sipht In the water had been picked up.
Following ls list Of those known to be
killed or injured: Mrs, Julia Sisson, aged
6s, al TarrJtown, N. Y. Mrs. Sisson was
seated on the lower deck with her hus-
band, Charles sisson, and grandson W. B.
Chaplin, when the explosion occurred.
Thsy were going to their home in Tarry-
town, Mrs. sisson was thrown into the
water and drowned. Her grandson
Jumped overheard and her aged husband
was pulled through the rear window Of the
sinking boat by the crew OF a tug that
hastened 10 the scene. Mrs. Sisson's body
va recovered Snd taken ashore. Thomas
Gregg, aged So years, COG Water street, this
oity. Mr.. Gregg was on bis way to
Dobbs' Ferry. His body was found wedged
| In on the port side Of the vessel between
the rail and Joiner work.
Mr.. Gregg was In company with e1.sea
Cant, Voorhies, who escaped with some
difficulty, after seSinga raft he made out
al benches and furniture sWamped by the
Iinconside derate haste Of three young men
ali Dudes as he called them. These ar
tha nnIv ones positively known TO be lost