St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-28
BLOWN TO ETERNITY.
Thirty or Forty People Killed
by an Explosion in
California.
A Steam Ferry Boat Explodes
and Is Consumed by
Fierce Flames.
The Horrible and Sickeninp
Scenes Among the Dead
and Dying.
Terrible Suffering Reported
Among the Homeless at
MT. Vernon.

VALLEJO, Cal, Feb. ga disastrous
explosion occurred this morning at
South Vallejo on the ferry steamer
Julia, plying between South Vallejo
and Vallejo station. The steamer was
about to leave her moorings, few min
utes after 6 O'Clock, and had about sew
enty persons on board, many of whom
were going across the strait to work in
the lumber yards ON the other side.
Just as the deck hands were hauling i'm
tie lines there was a loud explosion
and sheet of flame in the air. Those
who were on deck at the time were
hurled overload by the force of the
explosion, and several of them were
Killed outright by being struck by pieces
of the debris, which were sent fiying in
all directions. The explosion attracted
the attention OF persons living in the
vicinity, and men rushed to the assist
ance of the unfortunate passengers. In
few minutes all was confusion, for
men, women and children who had rela-
tives on board of the ill-fated Julia were
wailing and wringing their hands as
they rushed around the wharf. The
men on the wharf were anxious to aid,
but there seemed but little for them TO
do. as most of the passengers were be-
low the decks at the time of the expIo-
sion, and were either killed outright or
drowned, when the water poured in on
them. 1t had been customary for all
the passengers to go below the decks in
the morning, as it was cold and foggy.
A few who were on deck and were not
rendered insensible by the force of the
shock were quickly assisted ashore by
the people on the wharf. To add to the
intensity of the scene,
LARGE yATS OF PETROLEUM
stored on the wharf caught fire and
the flames spread rapidly. The fire
companies were unable to accomplish
anything, as there was no water, owing
to the tide being out, and fifteen min
utes after the explosion about GOO feet
feet OF the wharf, freight depot and the
telegraph Office were burning. When
the tide came in they managed to get
supply of water, and at noon had the
fire under control. While the firemen
wharf. large number of boatmen were
rowing around the wreck seeking to re-
cover bodies. Soon after the explosion
occurred the steamer had burned to the
waters edge and sunk to the bottom
with a great number of the victims
buried under the debris in the cabin.
1t is believed that between thirty and
forty lives were lost. Up to a late hour
this afternoon twelve bodies had been
recovered, two of which were burned
beyond recognition. The names of the
other ten victims are as follows:
MELVIN HODGKINS,
JOSEPH FRAGAS,
WILLIAM SAMAN,
OLEF NELSON,
ALFRED MADISON,
MICHAEL BRANLEY,
JOHN BREVIEC,
WILLIAM STARK.
EDWARD RULE,
A man named HIGGINS.
The names of probably more than half
of the passengers who were on the
steamer at the time of the explosion are
not known, which makes it impossible
to tell how many sunk with the wreck:
but at least fifteen, who are known to
have been on the steamer, are still miss
ing. Capt. Gedge. of the Julia, was Sc
verely injured, as was also Charles
Heath, the pilot. Twelve or fifteen
others were also severely injured. The
record of the Julia is bad one, and this
is not the first terrible accident on the
steamer. In September, 1866, the head
of her boiler blew out, instantly killing
nine of the crew and scalding the clerk
and another officer of the boat so badly
that they fingered for few days. The
cause of the disaster to-day is not
known. though it is generally believed
that the explosion occurred in the
boiler; but the impression also pre-
vailed that the fire was in some way
communicated to the petroleum tank
and that the explosion occurred in that
quarter. The steamer burned petroleum
for fuel. Vallejo is twenty-nine miles
up the bay from San Francisco.
THIRTEEN IDENTIFIED.
A4p. nj. the coroner decided to hold
an inquest over the bodies that had been
recovered, for the purpose of Identify
ing them. Ii was no easy task, as all
the bodies were more or less disfgured.
For instance, in one corner of the shed
lay mass of human remains so charred
that it was impossible to identify them
except by scraps of clothing on the body.
Near by lay another body, the skull
cleft in twain and the hands blown off.
The face of still another body was
mass of charred flesh on account Of
burns. Legs were broken in several
places. When the jury suspended their
labors, however, thirteen bodies had
been identified. The most of the pas
sengers on the ill-fated boat were day
laborers. Had it been an hour later,
sexeral of the heavy capitalists of San
Francisco would have been on the boat,
as they go up into the valley beyond on
SATURDAY. night and return Monday