The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-02-04
TERRIFIC EXPLOSION.
A Steamboat Blows Up, Wreck,
ing Another Alongside,
TWO MEN KILLED INSTANTLY,
Ono of Them Wheeling Man, and
Several Badly IpIured-Grcat
Devastation on tho River
at Pittsburgh,

!
noon n dull, heavy roar was heard all
through the lower part Of the city, car.
rying with it a thrilling conviction that
death and destruction must have ensued
somewhere to someone.
The sound seemed to have come from
the Allegheny Biver, and hurrying
crowds gathered in the vicinity OF the
Eleventh street railroad bridge, where
their worst fears were confirmed. The
boiler Of tho steamboat Two Brothers
had exploded, completely wreCking 1t
aud the Return, lying alongside, and
killing two men instantly, beside wound.
many others,
The bridge and shore became crowded
In an instant, 1t seemed, with sYmpR.
thetic on.lookers willing to help the
living, but, alas, unable 10 help the dead.
Boats were launched to aid the fright.
ened and injured men who were leaping
from barge to flat, and thence to shore,
shiyerlng, scalded, injured lot who
scarcely knew what had occurred, SO
sudden was the explosion and SO fearful
It's effects.
1t seems that the two boais were quiet
ly lying together moored to the p. Il W.
transfer boat, the Two Brothers being
nearer the shore. Dinner was Just over,
and the good.natured hands had scat.
tered over tho two boats and barges rs
they had done many times before. Poor
Bobby was standing just outside along
the warm walls next TO tho boiler, and
CHEEKY workman had hailed him In u
chatting way.
"Yes, said he, merrily, in answer to
question, 81 am going TO the theater to:
night, and am going to take my wi"
AN AwPuL INTERRUPTION.
Just then the explosion occurred, and
the mangled, bruised, almost deCapitated
man was flung headlong by an immense
Jagged piece Of iron, even while the sac.
red name OF wife, was upon his lips.
Tho force Of the explosion must have
been simply irresistible, one part OF the
boiler was driven down through the bot.
tom Of the Two Brothers, actually cut
ting her in two, the bow sinking in.
stantly, while tho helpless, dismantled
wheel with tho after part Of the boat,
driited around the bridge abutment and
swung in the eddy below.
The Return, hugging her close along.
side, was blown simply to pieces, an i'm. |
mense piece Of the boiler being thrown
clean through the boat, carrying away
everything from upper deck down to the
waters edge, and leaving but a mere
shell standing fore and aft, Those who
were in the near vicinity OF the boat
were thrown down by the mere force OF
the conclusion. They say the noise was
u sullen, dull roar, as II OF heavy blast,
while those at distance, and especially |
those across the river, say the noise was |
perfectly deafening, and they were al.
most thrown TO the ground, while crash. |
ing windows all along River avenue |
frightened the housewives, who imagin-
ed IN earthquake, and the houses trem-
bled on their foundations.
The frebriCks about the boiler were
blown in all directions. One struck the
bridge about half lfway, and was reduced
to powder, it apparently exploding like a
shell so great was the force. Others
struck the grain elevator.
TWO HUNDRED YARDS AWAY,
while the safety volye was blown away
up to the corner Of Eleventh street and
Penn avenue, where curious people |
gathered about II as strange relic OF an |
accident that would never have hap.
pened had it done the work for whiChit
was made.
Such scene Of utter devastation has
never been witnessed along these rivers.
Pretty painted bits OF wood were scatter
ed ali along the shore, while the wreck
ed hull OF the Return was piled with
broken planking, twisted rods, ma
ahinery, Kitchen utensils, bedding, cloth.
ing, with here and there jagged pieces Of
the boiler that had done such fearful
work.
A WHEELING MAN KILLED.
The killed are George Wilson, Of
Wheeling, engineer of the Return, and
Wilson Cochrane, fireman on the Two
Brothers. Wilson lived at No. 81 Dia.
mond street with his family, consisting |
OF q wife and two daughters. He was q
resident Of Wheeling, W. Va, and was
son OF the late Steamboat Inspector Will |
son, OF TINT place. Cochrane was resi- |
dent Of Kittanning, Pa, and boarded in
the city. He was about q years Of age |
and unmarried.
The following are the injured:
EDWARD j. HuLISGs, commander Of
the Return slightly injured about the
face and neck. He also inhaled some OF
the steam, but was able to be about In q
few hours.
WnLIAM Rorn, deCkhand on the Re-
turn; cut on the side OF the head, nose
and hand. He Is resident Of Kittan.
ming, and has wife livingat that place.
WILLIAM BoNER, cook on the Two
Brothers; badly bruised about the body
and chilled BY being blown into the
river. HO was flshed out and was able
10 walk about. He lived ON the boat
since the date Of his employment, Jan.
uary II.
HARRY CRlcK, deCkhand on tho Re.
turn; bad his left foot badly bruised and
broken about the ankle. lie Is twenty
three years OF age and resides at No.
1925 smallman street,
JosRrtt GRAHAM, engineer on the Two
Brothersr cut about the head by flying
timbers. He was picked up and was
able 10 walk 10 his home on LacoCK
street, Allegheny.
JonN BRowN, fireman oil the Return,
was hurt about the body by flying tim.
bers aud blown Into the river. HO was
chilled about tho body. 49,.
i Harry HuLiNds, commander OF the
Two brothers, was coming up from be-
low al the timO Of the explosion. He
was knocked down and stunned by the
conclusion,
AGERMAN by The name Of stork was
walking over the Fort Wayne bridge at
the time, lie was thrown violently
against the iron work Of the bridge by
tie conclusion OF the shock. A piece oi
iron from the boiler Of the Two Brothers
struck him abBve the left eye. He stag
gered away 10 his home, supposed to be
In the upper part Of Allegheny: He Tm
. formerly engineer on the Modoc, which
blew up four years ago, and was owned
, by tho DulIys, Several other people
who we're on tho bank Of the riyer are
supposed TO have been slightly Injured
by flying debris.
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