The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-08-27
duce and widespread plenty and content.
ment as the world has never yet else.
where produced on an equally extensive
scale |"
Blowing up a Steamboat.

PHILADELPHIA, August 17.-A boiler
explosion occurred on the steamer S. N.
Felton, off Chestnut street wharf this
morning, just after she had left her dock
on her trip to Wilmington, Del. The
passengers and crew were startled by the
explosion, which shook the boat from
stem to stern, and when the smoke clear.
ed away it was found that the entire
forward part of the vessel above the
water line had been badly damaged and
several passengers injured, some of them
severely. The pilot house and entire
upper deck was lifted and fell to. the
lower deck. Tugs took the boat in charge
and rescued the passengers.
The mischief was not caused by the
explosion of boilers, and there is already
settled conviction that it was the work
of design. The explosion occurred in
the bow of the boat forward of the boil
ers, where no freight is ever slowed. One
boiler head is cracked across and deeply
indented, but the indentation is from
without and not within, as would have
been theicase if the explosive force had
been inside the boiler. Many persons
affirm that the air was filled with the
fumes of some kind of powder, and the
completeness of the wreck of the forward
part of the boat suggests dynamite or
some equally powerful explosive of small
bulk which could be carried on the boat
as parcel of hand luggage, and the 10.
cation precludes the possibility of it hay.
ing been sent aboard as freight. The air
is full of conjecture. The boat belonged
to the Philadelphia, Wilmington and
Baltimore Railroad, and is large and we'll
equipped.
About two hundred passengers were on
board when the explosion occurred.
There has been considerable rivalry be.
tween the Felton, and other boats running
to Wilmington, and reports have gained
ground that some malicious person placed
an explosive on deck. The wrecked
upper works took fire and a frightful
panic ensued. This was speedily check
ed by the GOODNESS of q number of men
who drove the women and children aft
and prevented many frantic women from
leaping overheard. Besides those seri.
ously hurt large number were almost or
quite stunned by the shock. An incident
of the disaster was the presence of some
Sisters of Charity, who seemed in no way
excited or affected by the terrific upheav.
al. They passed quietly among the
shrieking passengers, searching out the
wounded, and in one case one of the
Sisters was seen to make bandages out of
her clothing. The promptness with
which assistance came from all sides
from passing steamers and from shore
allayed the panic and prevented the fire
from spreading. The passengers were
taken ashore and the steamer was towed
down the stream. She is not injured I
below the water line, and beyond the
tearing away of her works forward is
uniniured.. 1t is said that the cost of
repairing her will not exceed fifteen hun.
dred dollars. The list of injured SO far
as known numbers sixteen, half.dozen
OF them so seriously that some of them
will die. A number of legs and arms
were broken. One man had foot blown
off and was crushed internally.
It seems marvellous that half the peo-
pie on board escaped death. Eye.wit.
nesses say that at the moment Of the
explosion everything became enveloped
in darkness and the boat rocked as if in
a heavy storm. 1t was supposed that no
one leaped over board, but man who
secured a -preserver afterwards came
ashore at Walnut street wharf, apparent
ly unipjured. The passengers were most.
" women, taking babies for fresh air
trip on the river. Their remarkable
escape is accounted for by the fact that
but few of them were in the forward end
of the steamer and the forward canvas
awning had not been set, and the sun.
shining there made the passengers seeE
cooler spots in the stern of the boat. lii
the canvas had been set and the passen-
gers congregated on the forward deck q
large number would have been killed or
wounded. If hole had been blown in
the boiler no doubt many of the 200 per-
sons on board of the boat would have
been scalded to death.