The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-08-18
A DASTARDLY DEED.
Dynamitlng a Steamer Loaded
With Passengers.
OUR COMMERCIAL RELATIONS.
How the Commission Were Received
in the Socth-Friendships for
, the United States.
Boiler Burst.
lrr8 aT4----

PHILADELPHIA, August IL. = An ex.
plosion on the steamer T. W. FELTON, &C.
CURED just after she had left her dock,
on her trip to Wilmington, Del, as
she was opposite Pier No, s, South
lWharve. The passengers and crew were
startled by the explosion which shook
the boat from stem to stern. When the
smoke cleared away it was found that
the entire forward part of the vessel
above the water line had been badly
damaged, and a number of the passen-
gers were injured, some severely. The
pilot house and entire upper deck bow
presented a scene of complete wreck.
Tugs proceeded at once to the
injured vessel, and with the assist
ance of the police the tug Stokly,
which was lying near by, at once pro-
ceeded to remove the injured. An am
bulance of the Pennsylvania Hospital
soon arrived and took most of the in
jured to that Institution. The injured,
SO far as known, are: John E. Medium,
aged 8 years, severely injured about the
legs; Silas Reed, badly shocked and
confused; Bessie Bradley, ankle dis
located; Samuel Cooper, injured about
the head and body. The steamer was
owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company.
The list of the wounded number six
teen.
Edward Young, of Wilmington, Del,
fireman OF the FELTON, is injured about
the head and face.
Geo. L. Wilson, engineer, who was
standing on the wharf when the explo-
over bench and sustained injuries of
the right wrist.
The passengers were mostly women,
taking babies for fresh air trip on the
river. Their escape is accounted for by
the providental fact that but few Of
them were in the forward part of the
steamer.
Edward Young, fireman, says that
when the explosion occurred he was
carrying only 30 pounds of steam to the
square inch.
Andrew Linker said, to-day, that
he inspected the boiler last
MAY and found it in good
condition. The iron was tested, it is
stamped $1,000 pounds, and broke at
sc, 900. An indentation in the head of the
boiler, however, shows beyond a doubt
that the explosive force came from
without and not from within.
Captain Wiley, Mr.. Lawrence, Mr.
Mershon and Mr.. Tinker make care
full examination of the wreck for the
purpose of ascertaining the cause of the
explosion. The investigation established
the fact that the explosion was caused
by dynamite; the explosive had been
placed forward directly under the head
boiler. The steamer came up from
Wilmington at $50 and lay at her
wharf until 10 o'clock last night; she
lay at Wilmington in charge of Andrew
Jones, of Bridgeton, N. ]. He could
not be communicated with to-day.
but Captain Wiley says that if
stranger had boarded or attempted
to board the steamer last night, the
Waterman would have informed him of
the fact. While the steamer lay at her
wharf, this morning, passengers came
aboard and took chairs on the hurri-
cane deck or aft. The officers and deck
hands were busy, and no attention
was paid to the movements of
the passengers. Several OF them
carried baskets, so that the bundle
or package might have been carried
aboard without attracting any attention.
|. The official report made to III. F. Ken
needy. superintendent OF the Philadel-
phia, Wilmington & Baltimore Railway
Company, under whose supervision the
steamboat is operated said: 1.-The head
of the boiler was indented and cracked
about foot in length. The explosion
is believed to have been caused by a
cartridge of some kind placed under the
head Of the boiler maliciously."
Detectives have been put on the case.
The FELTON, was insured for $4,000.