The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1891-10-07
BLOWN Up.
Eight Persons Killed by the Explo-
sion Of a Tugs Boiler,
A CALAMITY IN CHICAGO
On the South Branch Of the RIVER
Eleven People Injured.
MANGLED AND MANNED
MANGLED AND MANNED
Unfortunates Hurled In Every Direction BY
the Force OF tho Explosion.

the Force OF tho Explosion. ,,
CHICAGO, Oct. Eight persons were
almost instantly killed and a dozen
others injured Sunday afternoon by the
explosion of the tug Charles Parker in
the south branch of the river, near the
Archer avenue bridge. Three of the
dead belonged to the crew Of the boat
while the others were by-standers who
were killed by flying debris. The Park
er, together'with the tugs Van Setback,
Perry and Shields, had been working
all day endcavoring to free the propel-
ler II. S. Pickands, which had grounded
in the south draw OF the bridge. They
had puffed and pulled away almost In
cessantly until shortly before o'clock,
when the boiler of the Parker exploded
Columns Of water were thrown into the
air, falling upon the other tugs, drench-
ing and binding the crews. A moment
later the debris fell upon the ground on
either side Of the river. Pieces of broken
iron and woodwork showered down
upon the streets, on which were many
people. The noise Of the explosion and
the falling wreck caused terrible
panic. When the spectators partially
recovered their senses it was discovered
that eight persons were dead, while
many more were injured, some Of them
probably fatally. The dead are:
Mrs Mary Rice, aged Is, crushed by falling
debris; Barbara Rice Is months old, daughter
Of Mrs. Rice head crushed: Samuel Sawyer,
aged 81. switchman fof the Illinois Steel Com
| pany; Bartholomew Curtin, aged 10; struck on
| head by an iron bolt; Jones H. Carter. captain
OF the tug, body not recovered; John Q. Moore.
| OF Highland Park, engineer OF tho tug body
| not vet recovered; Samuel Armstrong, OF Man.
| istee cook OF the tug, body not yet recoveredj 7
unknown man, killed by piece OF the furnace
door; about 80 years Of age dark complexion,
The Injured: Joseph Cullen, fireman OF the
Parker. terribly scalded, will die; Henry Bell,
linesman OF the Parker. badly soalded; Frank
Wagner. arm broken; Joseph bomnfaok skuli
tug Van Schaack lex and back bruised; Louis
Demaas. linesman OF the Van Schaack, back In
iured: James Cunningham COOK OF the van
Schaaok, head cuti A. ManusuS fruit dealer
hip injured; Edward Maher both knee caps
badly injured; Richard Powers, 10 years old,
hurt about legs; John Norton, " years old-
slightly hurt
When the feeling Of fright caused by
the catastrophe had passed away, the
spectators crowded around the spot
where lay the body OF Mrs Rice, her
little daughter and the unknown man.
Mrs Rice lay on her side, her face
crushed and bruised, while blood poured
from her mouth, nose and ears. BY her
aide lay her little daughter. The fate
Of the two was peculiarly sad. Before
the explosion Mrs Rice had been stand
! ing on the south side Of Archer avenue
holding the babe In her arms and In
4 endeavoring TO escape when the crash
came her skull was crushed by piecs
of iron. At the same moment her little
daughter was struck on the head by .
piece Of the furnace door.
! On the other shore, Bartholomew
Curtin and Richard Powers, boys aget
10 and 12, were standing watching thu
tugs. Curtin was struck on the heat
by an iron bolt and fell to the ground
His skull had been cut open and th'
, brains were oozing out when he wa
picked up Yonng Powers was ais,
struck by the flying missiles and In
jured.
As the air cleared after the explosion
the Parker was seen rolling slowly ant
settling, stern foremost into the water
A moment later Joseph Cullen ant
Henry Bell were seen struggling In tn
water. Life lines were thrown +
them and they we're helped on boar
one Of the other tugs Cullen's fies'
was almosl parboiled, and In clingin
TO the life ropes thr skin was torn from
! his handA
The explosion was peculiar one
The fatalities on shore In each case oc
CURED some distance from the wrecke
tug and In places where the victim
would seem TO be in almost perfeC
safety.
The almost unanimous opinion OF tn
; yessclmen is that the explosion wa
caused by the filthy water in the river
It is SO full Of grease and dirt Of ever
,, sort that when 1t gets into boxer
/, foams up just like soap-suds, whic
= makes It very dangerous