Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1885-08-27
DONE BY DYNAMITE.
Terrible Explosion on Board the Phila-
delphia and Wilmington Steamer
FELTON,.
The Explosive Placed by Some Mlscreant
Directly In the Head OF the
Boiler.
Philadelphia telegram.l

lfuliaucipnla
An explosion occurred on the steamer s.
M. FELTON, just after she had left her dock
this morning on her trip to Wilmington,
Del AS she was opposite Pier No. 8. soath
wharves, the passengers and crew were
startled by an explosion which shook the
boat from stem to stern, and 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 passengers injured. some Of
them severely. The pilot house and thu
entire upper deck were lifted and fell TO
the lower deck. The bow presented
scene of complete wreck. Tugs proceeded
at once 10 the injured vessel, and with the
assistance of the police tug William $.
Stokley, which was lying near by, at onoe
proceeded to remove the injured. The
ambulance Of the Pennsylvania Hospital
soon arrived and took most of the injured
to that institution. The list of wounded
numbers sixteen. as follows: Jesse Brad
ley, of Philadelphia, ankle dislocated; j.
B. Chester, of Chester. side injured; Geo.
Cockaine, of Philadelphia, back and thigh
hurt by falling woodwork; Samuel Cooper,
of Frankford, hurt about the chest and
head; George Erwin, q deck hand, severely
injured in the side; James E Mcdonald,
a child, of Chester. leg broken; Silas
Reed, of Philadelphia, slightly injured;
George Mitchell, hand, of Bridgeton,
N. j., right hand severely cut and ankle
sprained; John Nc Cusker. passenger, in
jured about the breast: Edward Spear. Of
Philadelphia, injured internally--it is
thought he will die; John Stevenson, of
Camden, N. j., slightly injured: Charles
Quinlan, of Philadelphia, badly bruised
about the body; James Valentine, Of Will
mington, Del, engineer of the FELTON,, cut
about the head by flying glass; John l..
Vantine, of Chester. Pa, complicated dis
location of ankle: Edward Young, of Will
mington, Del, fireman of the FELTON,, in
jured about head and face; George L. Will
son, the engineer, who was standing on the
wharf when the explosion occurred,
was thrown backward over bench,
and sustained injuries Of the right wrist.
The passengers were mostly women TAX
ing babies for fresh-air trip on the river.
Their escape Is accounted for by the provi-
DENTAL fact that but few of them were in
the forward part of the steamer, as the
forward canvas awning had not been set,
and the sun shining there made the passen-
gers seek cooler spots in the stern of the
boat.
Edward Young, the fireman, says that
when the explosion occurred he was carry
ing only thirty-ive pounds of steam to the
square inch.
Andrew Linker said today that he iu-
spected the boiler last May and found it in
good condition. The iron was tested. It
is stamped $4,000 pounds, and broke at
So, 900 pounds. The indentatiop in the
head OF the boiler, however, shows beyond
doubt that the explosive force came from
without, and not from within.
Capt. Wiley, Mr.. Lawrence, Mr.. Mer-
shon, and Mr.. Linker made careful ex-
animation of the wreck for the purpose of
ascertaining the cause of the explosion.
The investigation established the ct that
the explosion was caused by dynamite.
The explosive had been placed forward,
directly In the head of the 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. J. He
could not be communicated with to-day,
but Capt. Wiley says that il stranger had
boarded or attempted to board the steamer
last night the watchman would have in
formed him of that fact.
While the steamer lay at her wharf this
morning the passengers came aboard and
took chairs on the hurricane deck or aft.
The officers and deck hands were busy,
and no attention was paid to the move-
ments of passengers. Several Of them car
ried baskets, so that bundle or package
might have been carried aboard without
attracting attention.
The official report made to H. +. Ken
nedy, Superintendent of the Philadelphia,
Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad Com
pany, under whose supervision the steam
boat is opemted says: "The head Of the
boiler was indented and cracked about
foot in length. The explosion is believed
to have been caused by cartridge of some
kind placed under the head Of the boiler
maliciously."
Detectives have been put on the case.