Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-07-17
LAnn srEAMrR BLows or.
Ten KiIled and Many Injured ON
tho EiOga MT Chicago.


CHICAGO, July lI.-A terrific explosion OF
oil in the afterhoid of the Erie Line trans
port Tioga OF Buffalo occurred at 1850 to-
night. Ten men at work In the hold lost
their lives and the steamer fe almost a COM
plete wreck. The dead are: Henry Alex
ander, colored. Chicago; George Hague,
assistant engineer, Buffalo: John Lewis.
colored; Thomas Lewis. eolored; John
O'Neill, chief stevedore, Chicago; Osborne
Polk. colored. Chicago; Alexander Smith,
eolored, Chicago. Three dead bodies that
were unidentified were taken out OF the
burning hold by the tremen.
The Tloga. which Is one of the largest
steamers entering this por', arrived here at
5 o'clock yesterday evening from Mil
waukea, where abe touches on the journey
from Buffalo. She was loaded With cargo
OF 10000 tons OF general merchandise and
Kerosene. About 10 or IL lahorers we're in
the hold busy unloading this evening when
william Palmer, the eolored porter. vent
down and lighted the lamps ia hold No.
IN tue aft Of the stsamer. IL a few minutes
after the explosion occurred spiinters of
wood and twisted bits OF iron we're hurled
high in the uir, and following the dense
cloud OF smoke gigantic fountain OF flame
ieaped up into the q r.
a huge pit, rs feet wide, yawned IN the
ftarn OF the craft, and IN its ilary depths
ware caught and Imprisoned the laborers,
VITO wore not blown tuto the river.
fhe force o. the explosion was 80 great
that buildings within mile trembied. and
an ths streets adisaent TO the catastrophe
were streWn ith tao glass from shattered
windows. The Iloga was saved tfom sink
ing by her bul6heads and the fro tugs,
which were soon on the scene. The names,
however, gained rapidly, and II Is probable
that tbs ship will be total loHs. Nine
bodies have been recovered and five injured
huyf hAan a4nf 10 ftoa hpSUifal
Captain A. a. Phelps denied rnmor that
the explosion was caused by the bursting
of the steamers boilers,
Great crowds OF people gathered on the
net3hhoring bridges, docks and Vessels and
watched the tragic soeues being enacted
on the Tioga The immense iron hull,
painted forbidding black, stretched 300
feet or more along the pier, and swarm OF
poic5, flremen and reporters were clam
boring over her on ali sides. Eye witnesses
OF the explosion were busy telling new
comers tho CORY particulars.
CHICAGO, July 12.--lt will be night be-
fore it will lie possible to give eorrsct
estimate Of the number OF victims Of th3
Tioga steamer explosion.
This morning the number of the dead
was placed at Is. That this is an ex-
treInely conservative estimate there eau
| no AAO toAhk AOt AZ hOSb AAOb AflPAhNtO ti3e
( badly iElasea e. the hospital nor any
account Of fG s;evedores who failed to
answer at roll call this morning.
The list Of tho missing is uncertain.
The gang of stsvedores who We're at
work at the time of the explosion had
been engaged by the foreman, John
Eiele who vas last seen standing by the
hatch moment b7fore the explosion o.
CURED. He had the only reliable list Of
the gang and until his body ahall have
been found it cannot be known whether
true information will be secured.
OF the ehip's crew the following are
missing o. Levaille, lookout; William
Cuthhert, watchman; Edward Fitzgibhon,
waiter and three dock hands, whose
names Captain Phelps did not know.
The boat lay nearly half under water.
Behind the engine only a portion of the
sides was above water. which filled the
hold to the depth Of IA feet. Wreckage
an charred timoers were everywhere.
Upon the top OF the huge smoke stacks
rested large section OF the cabin and
all around it were scattered sections OF
the iron deck. AT IL o'clock the work Of
rescue had not begun.