River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-10-08
MANY KILLED.
Eight Lives Lost and Ten "A Dozen Per-
sons Injured by the Explosion of Tug
Boat at Chicago.


CHICAGO, Oct. Bad water, which
was drawn from the Chicago river.
caused the boiler of the tugboat
| Charles w. Parker to explode Sum
day afternoon at $50 o'clock, killing
eight persons aud severely wounding
/ ten others The Parker, with three
other tugs, were trying to extricate the
/ propeller III. 5. Pickands, of De-
troit which had become wedged
/ in the draw of the Archer
avenue bridge. When the Parker ran
out of water the captain ordered that
the boiler be supplied from the river,
as there wasn't time enough for the
/ tug to 60 after clear water The
/ river at Archer avenue is thick and
/ filled with the refuse of the district
through which il runs. To the use of
/ this water is the dreadful calamity at
tributed.
The putting of the tugs, the open
bridge and the hapless steamer soon
drew large crowd TO the scene
Fully 1,500 people were gathered
on the two approaches of the
bridge and lined along the rails,
watching the maneuvers of the boats.
Capt James Il. Carter, master of the
Parker, was standing on the top of the
cabin when the explosion took place,
issuing orders TO his men. That was
the last seen of him Harbor Master
Dean is of the opinion that his body
was blown TO atoms, as he stood di-
rectly above the boiler. The force
of the explosion seemed to go
directly upwards. John G. Moore, the
engineer, was in the engine room and
it is supposed that he was scalded TO
death by the escaping steam before he
had chance to escape, and that ms
body was carried down with the wreck
of the tugboaJ.
Samuel Armstrong, the steward, was
in the cabin of the boat and was car
ried down with the wreck. small boy
about Is years old had clambered from
the bridge to the tug and was sitting
in the bow, the object and envy
of 100 smaller boys. No one
connected with the vessels knew him,
but it is thought that he was Charles
Boyke of No. 3057 Locke, street, who
was seen on the bridge a short time be-
fore the explosion, and of whom moth
ing has since been seen.
A large piece of the furnace door was
shot out of the wreck and crashed
down amid the throng of people who
crowded the eastern abatement of the
bridge on Archer avenue. IL struck Mrs
Mary Rice and her daughter, Barbara,
crushing the life out of the mother and
inflicting a mortal wound on the little
infant in her arms. Mrs. Rice's body
was horribly mutilated by the furnace
door Her face was covered with
blood which flowed from her eyes
and ears. Her dress was almost
torn from her body and blood gushed
from hole in her side. Her child lay
gasping on the pavement half buried
by the senseless form of its mother. 1t
was carried to the bridge-tender's shed,
but died a few minutes after the ex-
plosion.
An unknown man, whose appearance
bespeaks the occupation of mechanic.
was also stricken down close to Mrs.
Rice. While these scenes were being
witnessed on the bank Of the
river lesser crowd was grouped
around the dead body of man
on the opposite bank. In the yard of
the Union rolling mills before the acci-
dent Samuel Sawyer stood on a heap of
ore watching the tugs at work. When
the steam had cleared away he was
found lying face upward, dead.
Charles Kirtin, who was standing on
the bank, was struck to the ground
and his skull fractured. 1t is thought
that he cannot recover Frank Wag-
ner's arm was broken by piece of
-. u l.. a,
Bomorazk received a fracture of
the skull Joseph Cullen, the fire.
man, and Henry Bell, deck
hand, We're standing on the right
deck and were thrown into the water,
but not before they had received in
juries which win probably prove fatal.
Cullen was fearfully burned. He was
standing on the deck near the
door of the fire hold and when
the furnace doors were blown
off deluge of burning Goals
and steam was poured over him.
He was drawn out of the water
by the crew of the tug Van Setback,
who threw towing ropes overheard as
soon as the nature OF the disaster was
known. Engineer j. A. Coyven, of the
Pickands, Immediately ordered boat
lowered, which was rowed to the spot
where Bell had been seen struggling in
the water. Before il reached him, how
ever, he had swan to the west bank of
the river, where he was drawn out OF
all the crew of the Inflated tug he is
tie only one who stands a chance for
lie. He was badly scalded about the
hands and face and his left leg is tenn
porarily paralyzed Six others re-
ceived severe injuries,
When the waters Gained down a
6-foot length of bow of what was re-
Gently a well-bu tug-boat was all
that showed its position. The Parker
belonged to the line of the Chicago
Towing Company 1t was built in 1878
for the Vessel-Owners' Towing Com
pany in this city. About ten years ago
it blew up off Lincoln park, killing
four out of the five in the crew.
The remains were raised and
brought into the harbor, where they
were sold to Jacob Johnson for $3.50.
The boat was extensively repaired in
1883, and was considered to be in good
condition. From the day it was rebuilt
it had been engaged in harbor towing.
The insurance valuation was $4,000.
'
Big Elevator ~ Baltimore, Md, Burned
Case of Spontaneous Combustion.
BALTIMORE, Md, Oct. Elevator
"a" of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
Company's system, seated at Locust
Point. was completely DESTROYED
by fire about "a. IA Sunday, together
with all the machinery and the
1885, 900 bushels of wheat which it
contained. Elevator "A" cost to con-
struct and put in the machinery $500,
900. All is gone. Its capacity was
500, 600 bushels. The fire did its work
quickly. Half an hour after the dis
covery of the flames the roof and walls
had fallen. The fire is attributed to
spontaneous combustion.
Capt. Foster Dead
CHICAGO. Oct Capt Eli Foster,
who has been a guide at the Libby
prison war museum for the last
two years, died early Sunday
morning at his residence, No.
l19 Thirty-third street During the
war he was prisoner at Libby
for six months, and the exposure and
hardship which he underwent thea
undermined his constitution to such an
extent that he has been a partial in
valid ever since. Capt. Foster was one
of the original thirteen men to dig the
far,,n,,c f,.upal NJ Tihhv tbrOuph which