The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-12-11
BLOWN TO ATOMS.
Explosion Of IA TugbOat's Boiler at
New York.
Everybody on Board the Craft In
st1ntly Killol.

The recent blowing up of Flood Rock ut
He'll Gate, New York city, was a terrific
spectacle, but an explosion on a tugboat near
the same place the other afternoon was much
more terrible in its effects. From the metro
politan journals We gather the following par
ticulars:
The tug Dorie Emory, of Gobolen began
at dusk to make up tow to go to }ondout,
by hauling ont from Candee x Smiths dock
nc the foot of East SiNty-third street, an
empty brick scow Half dozen men were
on the scow and as soon as the tug headed
down stream, against the tide, sat
down in the hold to eat their supper. The
tug was to pick up another scow at Fifty
third street, and kept within 40J feet of the
New y ork shore She had reached Fifty
ninth street at about j:35 r. NJ and was off
the bluff known as Riverview Terrace, when
she blew up with report that persons at the
Charity hospital on Blaclwels Island say
was much louder than the last Hell Gate ex-
ploson.
The upper works OF the tug appeared to
leave her suddenly and the hull spread.
I here was n momentary glare, a long shock
with n sort of lu IN the middle, and up went
a column of smoke and steam 700 or $50 feet
in the air IS straj rht as n rocket. With the
column went al sorts of wrc X. and some
say they saw one man who moved
his limbs in the air. Then n wreckage
began to fall over an area which extended
from First avenue to near Blackwells Island,
and for many blocks up and down the river.
Most of the debris was small and battered
like hailstones in thu streets AMI on roofs,
but loud thudS AMI crashes told of larger
pieces falling on houses and pave
ments AMI in yards. The smoke-tacll
and part Of the steam pipes were thrown on
the rocks at the foot of East FIity-plguth
street ana the shore was strewn with all
sorts Of wre kaSc. Few windows remained
unbroken on River View terrace, and in new
houses south OF it, which are known rs River
/ View, and hundreds of paneS Of glass were
broken in the ne-hborhood Of Avenue A
and Filtyeighth street which is known rs
Sutton place.
Within a very few minutes 5000 persons
We're at the river front 81 on Their way there,
and within quarter OF an hour four times
that Dumler We're on the shore or ON the ter
race in front OF winch the explosion
took place, pecring into The darkness.
Police captain Gunner and n section
of policemen wont to Fifty gnth
street at the double quick When
the tug blew up Pilot McAvoy WAS steering
the steamboat William H. Wu'kham across
TO the island. He m lle quickly for the Sow,
which was drifting hcIpies,ly, partly lieelel
over, toward Slvii'th street. Her bows were
sh1ttcred, but those ON hoarl cried out to
him that M OF them were hurt, but that
six men on the l1orle Emory had Iershel
There was not a trace Of tine tug to be seen
on he water except here and there piece OF
timber. Making fast to the scow, CaItlin
McAvoy waited until the Cornell tuE Crosby
came along and took her in tow. The men
on the scow, although she WAS making water
fast, declined t. leave her. with the eTCeption
OF one who went in the William II. Wick
ham. In the moautlme at least thirty craft
had gathered around, and the water was
pttrolled in every direction 10 dis
cover those who We're on the
tug when she blew w. No tiare was found
except some receipts and bliheads.
When the damage done on shore was in
vest gated it was found that, although no one
was hurt, hundreds had had narrow escapes
in tho streets and in houses. A timber which
two men could hardly lit fell at Eitty-eighti
street and First avenue, making a dent in TIN
pavement III Ces o! iron and timber were
distributed promiscuouelv through the streets
and many windows were shattered.
Five or six nfn-the captain, engineer
fireman, cook aud deck-hands-Wcre or thC
tugboat at the time of the explosion, and not
vestige of any OF them, alive or dead, could
be found.