Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1890-07-19
AWFUL EXPLOSION
The Lake Steamer Tioga Blown
Up at Chicago,
Twelve or Fifteen Stevedorcs Lost
Their Liyes-Firo Adds to the
Horror-.The Cause.

Chicago, July ia frightful ex-
plosion occurred last night on the
steamer Tioga, ono of the largest YES
sells on the great lakes. Thirty-eight
people were aboad tho steamer at the
time. When tho work of rescuing the
survivors, which commenced almost in
stantly, was we'll under way only two
persons could be found who escaped UNI
hurt. To make matters worse fire
broke out on the wrecked vessel, and
huge volumes of flame and smoke i'm
peded the searcbers for the dead and
dying.
1t was in the Chicago river Mt tho
foot of Washington street that the ex-
plosion occurred. This locality is in
the heart of the business section Of
Chicago and the explosion brought peo-
plo running in terror out OF tall build
ings blocks away. Most of the victims
were Chicagoans-stevedores who wero
unloading the vessel. Only three of tho
Tioga's crew were reported on the list.
The fire proved a stubborn one and
makes it impossible at this time TO
verify the report that the boilers had
exploded. A statement was current
that the explosion was due to another
cause, the accidental lighting of a>srge
number OF combustibles in the narrow
confines OF the Tioga's deep hold.
In the hold, near the steamers stern,
was where the fire held sway. Through
the bursts of fire could be seen q great
ragged cliff in the Tioga's decks and
cabin, and aloft on the tall smoke stacks
dangled a huge framework OF timber,
frantically swaying backward and for
ward, telling OF the terrific force Of tho
explosion which sent it there from
thirty feet below.
While the fire was still in progress
an Associated Press reporter met the
captain of the Inflated steamer on the
forward deck. The officer consented TO
stop long enough In his task of straight
ening out the confusion prevailing to
give a statement of what he knew Of
the wreck. He said:
my name is Captain A. A. Phelps.
/ arrived here last evening from Buff
falo, in command of the Tioga, and we
were unloading at this dock when the
explosion took place. ] was in a freight
shed on the dock when ] heard a terrific
noise, and running out saw the north
quarter Of the vessel enveloped in
steam. All of the crew of twenty-five
men were either aboard at tho time or
were on the dock or in the freight
house. j found after a careful search
that all but three were accounted for
and safe. Those three, all from Buffalo,
were: Second engineer, George Haig;
lookout, c. Leyelly, and deck hand,
William Cuthbert. Besides the three
missing men who belonged TO the crew
there must have been from twelve to
fifteen other men killed and probably
half a dozen additional wounded. These
were laborers in the hold who were do
ing the unloading. Eight colored men
are positively stated to have been below
and six or seven others were at the
matches, aiding their fellow stevedores
to lower down. The explosion occurred |
in the hold, not in the machinery or ,
boilers, as near as could ascertain, and
was probably due to some combustible
freight stored there" 1
The captain was this moment called 1
away to the wrecked portion of the YES
sci. which seemed gradually settling in
the river. Occasionally a wounded nan
was being hauled off the debris, as the |
flames permitted the police and firemen
to close in toward the literal furnace in |
which the bodies of the unfortunate |
stevedores still lay.
Great crowds of people gathered or
the neighboring bridges, docks and ves-
sells, and watched the tragic scenes
being enacted on the Tioga. The inn
mense iron hull, painted a forbidding
black, stretched 300 feet or more along
the pier, and a swarm of people, fire.
men and reporters were clambering over |
her on all sides. Eye-witnesses Of the
explosion were busy telling
newcomers the CORY particulars.
1t appeared that the ex- |
named VIM. Palmer had gone below
reached the decks again when the fear 7
full shock came. 1t was said that 200
barrels Of oil were among the cargo and
that these had become ignited. Others
insisted that the explosion must have
been due to lack Of water III the boilers
and that the second engineer, who is
known to be missing, was the man
whose duty it would be to start the
Rohy PuApo Ia ouNh ah ShiSiHOhNl |
This, it was declared, would have pro-
duced just such an explosion, wrecking
only one compartment Of the vessel.
Up to 1880 p. m. nine dead bodies
had been taken from the wreck, and
five or six more wounded had been
conveyed to the hospitals. The Noga's
stern settled to the bottom of the river,
but as 1T is not deep there the decks
were still above the surface. 1t is es-
timated that $75, 600 will cover the dam
age to the vessel and cargo. This
is believed to be fully insured. En-
gineer Haig and Steamfitter Burns can
not live through the night. The adj
ditional names of the colored steve |
dores supposed to have been killed are
Walter Duke, Henry Weatherspoon,
John Goff, Jacob Churl, Alex. Smith.
j. Braxton and Chas. Foster.
A clearer idea Of the cause of the Ok
plosion was obtained about midnight,
when the boilers and cargo could be ex-
amined. The boilers seemed intact.
The cargo was kerosene, gasoline and
cotton. The inference is drawn that
the leaking Of kerosene saturated the
cotton and generated gases which
ignited when the lanterns were taken
into the hold.