, 1890-07-17
Frightfu1 Explosion in
a Vessels Hold
THE STEAMER TIOGA.
Stevedores Were Unloading
Her at Chicago.
THREE OF TIE CREW MISSING
Nine Bodies Recovered UP TO III
o'Clcok-The Cause Only
Conjeotured.

cHIcAoo, July il.-A frightful explo-
sion occurred tonight on the stsamsr
rioga, one of tho largest vessels on tho
great lakes. Thirty eight people were
aboard tho steamer at the time.
When tho work OF rescuiug the sur
viyors, which commenced almost In
siantly. was we'll under way, only two
persons could bc found who escaped un-
hurt To mako matters worse, fire
broke out on tho wrecked vessel. and
large volumes OF flame and smoke i'm.
peded tho searchers for tho dead and
dying.
Tho bursting Of tho steamers boilers
was the cause of the catastrophe. ID
was In tho Chicago river, at the foot oi
Washington street, that the explosion
occurred. This locality IL In the heart
OF tho business section OF Chicago. and
the explosion brought people running
In terror out Of the tall buildings blocks
away.
Most OF the victims were Chicago
sievedores. who were unloading ths
vessel Only three Of tho Tiogas crew
were reported OH the list.
The fire proved n stubborn ono. and
mado 1t impossible at the time TO verify
the report that the boilers had exploded
The statement was current that the OK
plosion was due TO another cause---ths
accidental lighting OF large combustibies
In the various confines Of tho rioaa'a
deep hold. The hold near the steamers
stern was where the fire held sway.
Through the bursts Of tire could be- seen
a great Jagged cleft In the Tiosa's deck.
and cabin, and aloft ON tho tall smoke
stock dangled hugo fragments OF the
wreck. timber frantically swayins
backward aud forward, telling Of ths
terrific force OF tho explosion which sent
1t there from thirty feet below.
While the fro was still in progress an
Associated Press reporter mot the cap
tain Of the iil-fated steamer on tho for.
ward deck and the officer consented u
stop long enough in his task OF straight
ening tout the confusion prevailing tc
give the statement OF what he knew OF
the wreck. lie said; my name Is
Captain A. A. Phelps. arrived here
last evening from Buffalo In command
Of the Tioga, and We were unloading At
this dock when the explosion took place
this evening. was In the freightshed
on the dock when I heard terrific
noise, and rushing out, saw the north
quarter OF the vessel enveloped in steam.
All of the crew OF twenty hive men wcro
either abroad. or were in the freight
house. found, after careful search,
that all but three were accounted for
and safe.
Those three, all from Buffalo. were
Second Engineer George Hand, Lookout
&. Swalley, Deckhand william Cuthbert.
Besides tho three missing who belonged
to the crew there must have been from
twelve to fifteen other men killed, and
probably half dozen additions oil
wounded. These were laborers In the
hold who were doing the unloading.
Eight colored men are positively stated
to have been below, and six or seven
others we're at the matches aiding their
fellow stevedores lower down. The ex-
plosion occurred In the hold, not in ths
machinery or the boilers, as ncar as I
could ascertain, and was probably in
some combustible freight stored there"
The captain was at this moment
called away to the wrecked portion Of
the vessel, which seemed to be gradual
ly settling In thS river. Occasionally o
wounded man was hauled out OF the de
Orlt. hh Nut llAtlt1 tilO l1-
lice and firemen gradually closed In to-
ward the literal black hole in which the
bodies Of the unfortunate steveciores
still lay. Great crowds of people gath
cred on the neighboring bridges, docka
ahd vessels, and watched the tragic
scenes being enacted on the TiogSs i'm
mense iron hull.
A swarm OF people. firemen and TO
porters were clam bering over her on all
sides, and eyo-witnesses Of the explo.
sion were busy telling the newcomers
the CORY particulars. Ii appeared that
the explosion occurred inst after carter
named William Palmer had gone below
with lighted lamp. He had scarcely
reached the decks again when the shock
came. IL was said that 10 barrels of oil
were among the cargo, and that cheese
had become ignlted. Others insisted
that the explosion must have been due
10 lack OF water in the boilers. and the
second engineer, who was known to be
missing, was the man whose duty II
would be TO start tho pony pumps IN
such an emergency. This, 10 waE do
clared, would have produced Just such
an explosion, wreeking only one com
partment Of the vessel
Upt to il.3oP. NJ. nine dead bodies haf
been taken from the wreck, and fivc o.
moro wounded conveyed to tho hos
pitals.
I lut lipkA ha. ltbhta " tus
bottom OF the river but, as 1t is no
deep, the decks are still above tho sur
face. 10 Is estimated that $4,000 will
cover the damage to vessel and cargo
This amount is believed to be fully In
sured.
Engineer Haigh and Steam tiite
Burns can not live through the night
Additional names OF colored stevedoer
supposed TO have been killed ara
Walter Dukes, Henry Weatherspoon
John Goff, jacob Churi, Aiexande
Smith, j. Braxton and Charles Foster.
A clearer idea OF the cause OF th
explosion was obtained about rnidnien
! when the boilers aud cargo couli b
examined. The boilers seemed intaci
but the cargo was kerosene, gasoliti
and cotton. and the inference drawn I
saturated tho cotton and generate
gasse, which ignIted when the lantsr
Was taken into the hold.