Daily Republican., 1885-08-18
IneFei,on disaster.

We can scarcely believe that yester
days disaster TO the steamer FELTON,
can be the result Of a dastar''v intent
to blow the steamer up by a peisOu OF
persons unknown, bus not At 10 live,
because we are Ioath TO believe that
any person could be 80 diaboiicRlly
wicked. Yet in these days Of dynA-
mite, when grea. public buildings full
OF people have been shattered from
dome to foundation when trains OF
cars have besn thrown from the track (;
when railway stations have been in an
instant reduced to ruins when stores
have been wrecked all without ap.
parent cause, but all wrecked by dyna-
mite, and no; without the aid Of some
person moved by some wicked inhu-
man will, may not steam boats be shat
tered and wrecked by the same agen-
cies?
Il would be fortunate indeed II 1t
was only known positively that the
Felton's accident was attributable to
imperfect boilers and machinery, OF
even to the negligence Of an employee,
for in that case the true cause could be
known and corrected. But in the
present un certain state there may be
some diabolical, ,inhum An wretch some
where waiting with the same elements
to repeat the deed. While we would
regret that the accident should have
occurred through negligence, 1t had
better far be on that account than to
have the horrible certainty resting upon
our minds that it should have occurred
through maliciousness.
But we are bound to accept the
testimony Of skilled mechanics that tn,
FELTON, was in o good condition IL
every part; that there were no defect
either In boilers or machinery. Tn
testimony Of skilled mechanic lik
James Crossley, Of the Pusey & Jone
Company, that recently superintende
the overhauling of the machinery,
worth something, and his testi mon,
would be that there was nothing wron
with the FELTON,. The accident th
other day to the connecting rod, whic
brought the steamer back from Oheste
where the accident occurred, wAs a
unavoidable vexatiou, little thin
happening continually to all and Il
best Of steamboats,, and was DO eviden
whatever that the FELTON, was unse
worthy.
That WAS easily accounted for. but t
Wholesale lowing up Of an upper dee
and wrecking all the water line Is n
80 easily accounted for. Had the boil
exploded the hull would have gor
with the deck, and the vessel, instes
Of being left capable OF repairs, wou
have been an undistinguishable heap
ruins,in all probability at the bottom
the Delaware. However, reluctant
we are to admit that the indicatio
are that the disaster was caused
dynamite, we still hope that even
that case 1t was not done designed
for the thought that human fien1 "
ut large, who would deliberately pl
such havoc Of death and destructi
~c;nd be terrible to admit.
But after all how fortunate that
few were MANNED am ongst 200 or g
who were upon the boat. 1t does
deed look like miracle that 30 (
were hurt, and that none rs far
known were killed. The lives Of
on board were indeed held in q Pro
Dental hand. We hope that a tt
ough examination will be made i
the whole affair, and that II the hol
BILE suspicion proves true that the "a
dent was caused by maliciousness,
author oft may be hunted down a
wild beast not at to live.