Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-02-28
AN AWFUL CALAMITY.
EXPLOSION OF A STEAMER AT
THE VALLEJO WHARF.
Six Bodies Recovered-Long List
of IDJured-Many Persons Yet
UnaCcounted For.
ESPECIAL DISPATCHES To THE RpooED-Us1os.l

ESPECIAL DIsPATcHEs TO THK REooED-UN1oN.2
VALLEJO, February 9th. The ferry
steamer Julia, which carries passengers anC
freight daily from North and South Vallejo
to Valley Junction, connecting with tht
Southern Pacific trains, both ways. wa.
completely wrecked by the explosion of hel
boiler. About fifty passengers were aboard
at the time, four of whom were reported t.
have been killed outright and many other.
injured more or less seriously.
The disaster occurred at about o'clock
when the boat was making her first triI
this morning. She had left her mooring
at South Vallejo as usual, at about o'clock
and gone up to North Vallejo, where abou
thirty passengers were taken on board
many of whom were laborers employed a
the Selby works and Nevada docks, neal
Vallejo junction, while others were on theil
way to San Francisco, intending to boarC
the down-coming Oregon express, which
would land them in San Francisco about
$50 o'clock. Leaving North Vallejo with
her load, the vessel steamed back to South
Vallejo, where more passengers were taker
on. 1t was here that the explosion oc
CURED, Just as she was about to start for the
junction.
The steamer caught fire immediately
after the explosion, as did also the wharf
and depot.
THE EXPLOSION.
The steamer this morning, according Il
all accounts, took aboard twenty or thirty
men at the upper wharf, and then went t
South Vallejo wharf, reaching there abou
6:10 o'clock. Here more passengers came
aboard, making the total as near as can be
estimated when pilot Heath gave the sigma
for loosing moorings, between fifty anC
sixty persons.
Captain Gedge the veteran master of The
steamer. was on the wharf as was his Gus
tom, taking tickets from on n-coming passen
gers, when the first signal was gwen. He
locked the gate from the wharf to the gang
plank, and then walked slowly down
aboard the steamer. He heard the bel
from the pilot-house sound for the engine:
to be started. and then heard the first whis.
tie usually blown Just before heating out
into the stream. He was Just about tC
ascend the stairs to reach the upper deck
and go thence to the pilot-house, when the
explosion occurred. He says he felt The
shock, and then everything seemed dark
ened. He reached out his hand anC
turned up his coat-collar and that is all ht
recollects. He was found there afterward
PROSTATE, covered with debris, but only
slightly injured, beyond the severe shock
SCENE OF HORROR.
The scene following the explosion was 6
trlghtful one, according to the description:
of those who were at the wharf. Just wha
had exploded, whether the boiler or oil
tank that furnished fuel for the engines
was not known at first. The shock was
terrific, and was felt long distances away
The entire upper part of the steamer was
blown off-cabin, pilot houses and the
lower apartments. Only the paddle-boxes
rising from the floor of the lower deck, re-
mained. The timbers were blown in all
directions. The water was filled with
wreckage. Cries of wounded, burned and
drowning men were heard. The wharf and
long row of sheds BY which the steamer
was moored, took fire, and the fast-spread-
ing flames added horror to the scene.
The news of the disaster spread rapidly
and soon assistance came from all quarters
The hotel employees and railroad men at
South Vallejo busted themselves in rescu-
lhS lhtIl lIOIll Llc WdItI anu removing the
injured from danger from the spreading
flames. Several bodies that were found
told of severe loss of life. A body. head
less, went floating by in the current and
portions of other bodies were seen by the
rescuers who were out in small boats about
the wreck.
FIGHTING THE FLAMES.
The railroad fire engine at Vallejo was
u i
the Vallejo Departm ent was on the scene
with crew of active firemen. Residents
turned out and aided in the worko checking
the flames. Tidings of the disaster went
to the commandant at Mare Island Navy
Yard just across the channel, and he i'm
mediateiy dispatched the navy yard launch
and other craft to the scene The launch
took over twenty or thirty sailors, who
worked as only sailors can work when they
desire, in heading off the fire. The flames
spread down, envelopiug long row of
sheds south of where the Julia had been
This was the storage-place for
railroad property used on the Napa Valley
branch. Tne telegraph and ticket offices
were soon destroyed.
REscUISG THE WOUNDED.
The launch and other craft sent from the
the work of rescue. Several wounded men
Were picked up and taken over to the
hospital at Mare Island. The hotels near
soon looked like hospitals, the wounded
men being taken there until surgeons could
care for their injuries. Physicians came
from Vallejo, and DIR. Woolsey, the sur
geon of the Southern Pacific, reached the
ground about 10 o'clock, having come from
Oakland in a special train with General
Superintendent Fillmore. Division Super
intendent Wilder of the railroad company
was also early on the scene.
THE FAMILIES OF THE VICTIMS.
Crowds of women, wives and sisters and
mothers of the men who had taken passage
on the ill-fated steamer, gathered soon.
half-frantic with grief, or with sad forebod-
ing OF what they might soon learn. 1t was
a long time before names of dead, dying,
injured or missing could be definitely
learned. AT $50 O'Clock one of the railroad
employees at the wharf made up the esti-
mate that twelve men were killed and
twenty-one were injured. There were some
missing and difficult to account for. Some
had been taken TO the navy yard others.
had gone to their homes to re-
lieve anxiety for their safety. The number
killed was placed higher by others. some
asserting that at Least sixteen had been
killed. The two engineers were said to be
unhurt. A gang of willing workers res
cued Captain Gedge from under the pile of
debris where he lay.
THE NAPA VALLEY TRAIN
Because of the disaster the down train
from Calistoga, st. Helena and Napa was
held at Napa junction for over a halfhour.
not reaching South Vallejo until between s
and o'clock. The passengers waited here
a short time also until the steamer Ellen.
that phys between the navy yard and Val.
leio, was sent to take the place of the Julia,
and convey the passengers to Vallejo juno
ton. There connection was made with the
overland. which reached San Francisco
about ii o'clock. The first report that
reached town was that the explosion had
during the morning trip, with the
outh-bound Napa valley passengers. Had
this been the case the loss of life would
doubtless, have been much greater.
Captain Gedge is widely known. He is
between seventy and eighty years of age,
and has been in the railroad company's
employ for long time. His escape from
= .l.&l.