The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-07-12
STEVEDORES The VICTIMS.
They were Unloading the Vessel.
At Least Twenty Killed
aud Probably More.
Captain Phelps Tells How tho Disaster
Occarret-!'hres Members OF the
Crew Missing Besides the Steve.
dores-Foltunately no Pas.
scngerS were Aboard
tho Steamer.

explosion occurred tonight on the
steamer Tioga, one Of the largest vessels
on the great lakes. Thirty people were
aboard the steamer Mt the time. When
the work Of rescuing survivors, which
commenced almost Immediately, was
well under way only two persons cou Id
betouni who escaped unhurt. To make
matters worse, fire broke ont on the
wrecked vessel aud huge volumes OF
flame and smoke impcded the searcha,s
for the dead aud dying. The bursting
OF the steamers boilers was the cause OF
the catastrophe. 1t WAS in Chicago
river at the foot OF Washington street
that the explosion occurred.
Most OF the victims were Chic =. oans,
ssevedoers who were unloading the yes.
sel. Only three OF the Tiogss' 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
boiler had exploded.
TIE eArTAlN's STATEMENT.
While the fire was sill in prosrcas m
Associated Press reporter met the Cap.
tain OF the ill.fatcd steamer on the for.
ward deck. Said he: "Nly name is
Captain A. A. Phelps. I arrived here
last evening from Buffalo in command
of the Tioga, aud We were unloading ut
this dock when the explosion took place
this evening. was in the freight shed
on the dock when l heard terrific
Rn
quarter OF tho vessel enveloped in
steam. All the crew Of twenty-five
were either aboard at tho time, or were
on the dock or in the freight house. /
found after a careful search TINT all but
three were accounted for. Those three,
NIL from Buffalo, were Second Engineer
George Lang, Lookout G. Levaley,
Deckhand William Cuthbert.
"Besides the three missing who be-
loNged TO the crow, there must have
been from twelve TO fifteen other men
killed, and probably half DOZEN addi.
tional wounded. These were luborcrs
in the hold who were doing the unload
ing. Eight colored men are positively
stated TO have been below, and six or
seven others were ut the matches aiding
their fellow.stevedores. The explosion
occurred in the hold, not in the ma.
chinery or boilers, as near rs could Us.
certain, and was probably caused by
some combustiblc freight stored there.h
The captain was then called away to
the wrecked portion OF the vessel,
which seemed gradually settling in the
river. Occasionally il wounded man was
being hauled out OF the debris, as the
flames permitted tho police and fremen
10 close in toward the literal black hole
in which the bodies OF the unfortunate
stevedores still lay. n
HOW IT OCCURRED. 81.
The uniortunates were agang ia charge
OF John nellie, q white man. Among
those supposed to be in the hold were
Neile himself, Osborn Polk, Henry AL.
exaader, John Lewis, Thomas Lewis
and Alexander Smith. u,
Great crowds gathering on the neigh
boring bridges, docks and vessels watch
cd the tragic scenes being enacted on the
Tioea. 1t appeared that the explosion
occurred just after porter named Will
liam Palmer had gone below with light
cd lamps. He had scarcely reached the
decks again when the fearfu! shock
came. 1t was said that two hundred
barrels Of oil were among tho cargo, and
that these had become ignited. Others
insisted that tho explosion must have
been due to lack Of waterin the boilers
and that tho second engineer, who WAS
known to be missing, was the man
whose dutyit would be to start tho pony
pumps in sucl, an emergency. This, it
was declared, Would have produced Just
suc,, an explosion. wrecking only one
compartment OF the vessel. There was
much congratulation on IN excursion
steamer close by, on The fact that the
Tioga was purely freig ht carrier, and
that no passengers ~hatevcr we're
aboard.
Tn. to 1880 p. m. nine dead bodies
had been taken from the wreck and Eve
or moro wounded had been conveyed
to the hospitals. About $75, 900, it was
estimated would cover the damage tc
vessel and cargo. This amount was be
liered to be fully insured.
1t was found the boilers were iutacl
and it 10 now supposed the oil leaked
ant, generated gas into tho hold. The
cargo was kerosene, gasoline and cot
ton. E9is.