, 1890-07-12
DEATH AT THE DOCK.
Frightful Explosion on a Lake
Steamer at Chicago.
Thirty-Eight Persons on the
Wrecked Vessel,
Only Two of Whom Escaped
U%ninjured.

CHICAGO, July ia frightful explo-
sion occurred tonight on the steamer Ii
oga, one OF the largest vessels on the
great lakes. Thirty eight people were
about the steamer at the time, When
the work of r%escuing the SURVIVORS,, which
commenced almost Instantly, was we'll
under way, only two persons could be
found who escaped unhurt. To make the
matter worse, fire broke out on the
wrecked vessel and huge volumes of
fame 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 street is in the
heart of the business section of Chicago,
and the explosion brought people run
ming in terror out of tall buildings o block
away.
Most of the victims were Chicagoans-
stevedores who were unloading the yes
sci. Only three OF the TIoga's crew were
reported on the list. The fire proved a
stubborn one and made it impossible at
ut NlDu ~ fCtiif Nv ltpOll Nudl lut DOll-
ers had exploded. A statement was cur
rent that the explosion was due to another
cause, the accidental lighting of a lot of
combustibles in the narrow confines of The
Tiogs's deep ho.d. In the hold, near the
steamer's stern was where the fire neld
sway. Through bursts of fire could be
seen q great jagged clift 10 the Tioga's
decks and cabin, and sloft, on one OF the
smoke stacks, dangled a hgge frame work
of timber, Enthusiastically s~wayiug back ward
and forward, telling OF the terrific force of
the explosion which sent it there from
thirty feet below.
While che fire was still In progress an
Associated Press reporter met the captain
OF the Ill f,ted steamer on the fJrward
deck. The officer consented to stop long
enough in his task of Strengthening out
the confusion prevailing to give a state
ment OF what he knew of the wreck.
Said he: M name is Captain A A.
Philips. l arrived here last evening from
Buffalo in command of the Tioga, and we
were unloading at this dock when the ex-
plosion took pl zee his evening. | was
in the freight shed on the dock when /
heard a terrific noise. and, running out,
saw the ndfth quarter of the vessel en-
veloped 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. l
found, alter careful search, that all but
three wera accounted for and safe. Those
three-all from Buffalo, were the second
engineer, George II. Hard; the lookout,
c. s. Evaley. and a deck hand, William
Cuthbert. Besides those missing who
belonged to the crew, there must have
been from twelve to fifteen other men
HfllaI and nrohahtx- half n Ioro. oll.
tional wounded. These we're laborers in
the hold, who were doing the unloading.
Eight colored men are positively stated to
have been below and six or seven others
were at the matches assisting their fellow
stevedores lower down. The explosion
occurred in the hold, not in the machin-
cry or boilers, as near as | could ascertain
it, and was probably in some combusuble
freight stored there.
The captain was at this moment called
ava to the wrecked portion of the vessel
which seemed gradually settling in the
liver. Occasionally a W unded man was
being hauled out of the debris. As the
flames permitted the police and fremen
closed in toward the literal blackhole in
which the bodies of the unfortunate
s~tevedores lay. Great crowds of people
gathered on the n~eighboring bridges,
anu NCcCtlS u MdlCutu lue lIARlC
scenes being enacted on the Tioga. The
Immense IRON hull. painted a forbldding
black, stretched 300 feet or more along
the pier and a swarm of people. firemen
and reporters were clambering over her
on all sides.
Eye witnesses of the explosion were
busy telling new corners the CORY par
ticulars. 1t appeared that the explosion
occurred just after a porter named VIM.
Palmer had gone below to light the lamps.
de had scarcely reached the deck again
when the 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 a lack of water in the
boilers. and the second engineer who
Is known to be missing, was the man
whose duty it was t start the pumps in
such an emergency. This, 1t was declared,
would have produced Just such an ex-
ploslon, wrecking only one compartment
of the vessel.
Up to ll:30 p. m. nine dead bodies
nave been taken from the wreck and five
OF more wounded were conveyed to the
hospital. The Tioga's stern has settled
10 the bottom OF the river, but as it is not
Geep the decks were still above the sur
lace. 1t Is estimated that $75, 900 will
cover tho damage to the vessel and cargo.
Ihis amount is believed to be fully in
sared. Engineer Haig aud Steamitter
Burns cannot live through the night.
Additional names of colored stevedores
supposed to have been killed are: Walter
paws, Henry Weatherspoon, John Golf.
JACOB SchuIl, Alex. Smith, Braxton and
Charles Foster.
a clearer idea of the cause of the ex-
pioslon was obtained about midnight,
when the boilers and cargo could be ex-
amined. The boilers seemed intact. The
cargo was kerosene, gasoline and cotton.
Inc inference is drawn that the leaking of
the Kerosene saturated the cotton and
generated gases. which ignited when the