Los Angeles herald., 1890-07-12
FEARFUL EXPLOSION
A Big Disaster in the Heart
Of Chicago.
A Large Lake Steamer Partially
Blown Up.
Thirty-Eight Men Aboard and Many
of Them Missing.
The Wreck Takes Fire and Adds Horror to
the Scene-A Number of Bod
les Recovered.
Associated Press Dispatches. |


sion occurred tonight on the steamer
Tioga, one of the largest vessels on the
great lakes. Thirty-eight persons were
aboard the steamer at the time. When
the work of rescuing the survivors,
which commenced almost instantly, was
well under way, only two persons could
be found who escaped unhurt. To make
matters worse, fire broke out in the
wrecked vessel, and huge volumes of
flame and smoke impeded the searchers
for the dead and dying.
The bursting of the steamers boilers
was the cause of the catastrophe.
1t was in the Chicago river, at the foot
of Washington street that the explosion
occurred. This locality is the heart of
the business section of Chicago, and the
explosion brought people running in ter
ror out OF the tall buildings, blocks away.
Most of the victims were stevedores
who were unloading the vessel. Only
three of the Tioga's crew were reported
on the list.
The fire proved a stubborn one, and
made it impossible at the time to verify
the report that the boilers had exploded.
The statement was current that the ex-
plosion was due to another cause, the
accidental lighting of large quantity 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 great Jagged cleft in the Tioga's
decks and cabins, and aloft on the tall
esmokestacks dangled huge framework
of TIMBER fantastically swaying back
ward and forward, telling of the terrific
force of the 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 ill-fated steamer on the forward
deck. The officer consented to stop long
enough in his task of Strengthening out
the confusion prevailing, to give state
ment of what he knew OF the wreck.
Said he: My name is Captain A. A.
Phelps. l arrived here last evening
from Buffalo, in command of the Tioga,
and we were unloading at this dock
when the explosion took place this even
ing. 1 was in the freight shed on the
dock when heard 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 the time or were on
the dock or in the freight house.
found after careful search that all but
three were accourted for and safe. Those
three, all from Nlffalo, were: Second
Engineer George Haid, Lookout C. Le-
valley, Deckhand William Cuthbert.
"Besides the three missing who be-
longed to the crew, there must have
Loo oix oil l.. oI
and probably half dozen additional
wounded. These were laborers in the
hold who were doing the unloading.
Eight colored men are positively stated
to have been below; six or seven others
were at the matches aiding their
w-stevedores lower down. The ex-
plosion occurred in the hold, not in the
machinery or boilers, as near as could
ascertain, and was probably i'll some
-combustible freight stored there"
The captain was at this moment called
away to the wrecked portion of the YES
sci, which seemed gradually settling in
the river. Occasionally wounded man
was being hauled out of the debris. AS
the flames permitted, the police and fire.
men closed in toward the little black
hole in which the bodies of the unfortu-
nate were still lying. 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 black,
stretched three hundred feet or more
along the pier, and swarm of people,
firemen and reporters were clambering
over her on all sides. Eye-wtnesses OF
the explosion were busy telling the new
comers the CORY particulars.
1t appeared that the explosion occurred
just after porter named William Pal,
mer had gone below with a lighted
lamp. He had scarcely reached the
decks again when fearful shock came.
1t was said that 200 barrels OF oil were
among the cargo, and that these had be-
come ignited.
Others insisted that the explosion
must have been due to lack of water
in the boilers, and that the second
engineer, who is known to be missing,
was the man whose duty it was to start
the pony pumps in such an emergency.
This, it was declared, would have pro-
duced Just such an explosion. wrecking
only one compartment of the vessel.
Up to 80 a. IN. nine dead bodies
have been taken from the wreck, and
five or more wounded conveyed to the
hospital The Tioga's stern has settled
to the bottom of the river, but as it is
not deep the decks were still above the
surface. 1t is estimated that S75,0 900
will cover the damage to the vessel and
cargo. This amount is believed to be
fully insured.
Engineer Craig and Steam-ftter
Burns cannot live through the night.
Additional names OF the colored
stevedores supposed to have been killed
are: Walter Dukes, Henry Weather
spoon, John Goff, Jacob Church,
Alexander Smith, j. Braxton and
Charles Foster.
A clearer idea of the cause OF the ex-
plosion was obtained at midnight, when
the boilers and cargo were examined.
The boilers seemed intact. The cargo
was kerosene, gasoline and cotton. The
inference is drawn that the leaking OF
the kerosene saturated the cotton and
generated gases, which ignited when
Lanterns were taken into the hold.