Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1890-07-19
TERRIFIC EXPLOSION.
A Big Lake Vessel Blown Up at
Chicago Wharf.
Men Killed and Manned by the Terrific
COncusslon-A Portion of the Steamer
u,or,, r,so SDlIutera

DIcn Killed and Manned by the Terrific
Confessional Portion of the Steamer
Torn Into Splintcrs.
Afrightful explosion occurred on the steamer
Tioga, one of the largest vessels on the great
lakes. Itwas in the Chicago river ut the foot
of Washington street that the explosion oc-
Cured. This locality is in the heart of the
business section Of Chicago, and the shock of
the explosion brought people running in ter
ror out. of the tall buildings blocks away.
Thirty-eight people were aboard the stcame.
at the time. When the work of rescuing sur
vivors, which commenced almost instantly,
iwas 'wcN ulnsler way, only three persons could.
be found WHO escaped unhurt 10 make mat-
tiers worse, fire broke out OIL the wrecked yes:
sell and volumes of fame andesmokc impeded
the scarchcrs for the dead and dying
THE CAPTAINS STORY.
"My name is Captain A. A. Phelps. Lar
rived here from Buffalo in command of the
Tioga and we were unloading ut this dock
when the explosion took place heard ter
rifle noise, and running out saw the north
quarter of the vessel envclopcd in steam. All
of the crew of twenty-five were either aboard
ut the time or were on the dock or in the
frcight-h house. found after a careful search,
TINT all but three were accounted for and safe.
Besides the three missing who belonged to the
crew, there must have been from twelve tn
fifteen other men killed, and probably half
dozen additionally wounded. There were
laborcrs in the hold who were doing the I'M
loading. Eight colorcd men are positively
stated to have been below, and six or seven
others were at the matches aiding their fellow
Stevedorcs lower down. The explosion oc-
CURED in the hold, not in the machinery or
l1.1 Il toi,, aud, ,,nc
probably in some combustible freight stored
there"
Great crowds of people gathered on the
neighboring bridges docks and vessels and
watched the tragic scenes being enacted on
the Tioga The immense iron hull, painted q
forbidtling black, stretched three hundred
feet or more along the pier, and n swarm OF
police, fremcn and reporters were clambering
over her on all sides. Eyewitness of the
explosion were busy telling newcomers the
CORY particulars. 1t appeared that the explo-
sion occurred just after II porter named Will.
lam Palmer had gone below with lighted
again when the fearful shock came. 1t was
said that two hundred barrels of oil were
among the cargo and that these had become
ignited.
Up to 1890 P. NJ. nine dead bodies had been
taken from the wreck, and five or more wound
ell had been conveyed to hospitals. The VIC
Tins were now more accessible, the fire hav-
ing been cxtingnishcd by the inrushing ofthe
river when the Tioga's stern finally settled to
the muddy bottom of the river. The stream is
not deep one; the steamers decks were
still several feet above the surface of the river.
One by one the CHASTITY corpscs were slowly
recovered and carried into the dimly-lightcd
freight shed on the dock.
A clearer idea of the cause of the explosion
was obtained about midnight when the YES
sells boilers and the nature of the cargoc could
he examined. The boilers seemed intact. The
cargo was kerosene gasoline and cotton. In
fcrcnces were drawn that the leaking Of kcro-
scuc saturated the cotton and generated nox-
ous fumes When lanterns were taken into
the hold to enable the stevcdores to work, the
lights instead of being an aid to the untortu-
nate toilcrs, proved their destruction.