Morning journal and courier., 1894-06-07
-A TRRRInLE RxPLosIoN.

The Tug Rambler Blown to Pieces Wonderful Escape of Many From Death-The Cook Missing and is
 Undoubtedly Dead.
 The boiler of the steam tug Rambler ex- ploded yesterday, blowing the boat into | fragments, killing the steward, throwing l the engineer overheard and severely scala l ing another man.
 The Rambler was manned by four men, Captain John Hewitt, Engineer William Wyner, Steward Frederick Weller and deck hand Edward Hewitt.
 The boat returned from trip in the sound and tied up at Pocket dock near the foot of East street few minutes before 10 e. m.
 Captain Hewitt told tho engineer that when the tide rose they would steam to West Haven to tow out the new schooner General E. 8. Greeley. Captain Hewitt then went to the office of the Empire and New England Transportation company, where he remained until startled by the sound of the explosion.
 Edward Hewitt, the deck hand, also left the boat to get some paint and was absent
  Engineer Wyner looked at his fire, test | ed the water cocks, and finding everything apparently all right, he stepped aboard the | tug Thomas Walsh, which lay just ahead | of the Rambler, her stern touching the | Rambler's bow. As he passed the galley he saw Steward Weller inside. Stepping aboard the Walsh, he sat on the rail be- side Engineer Merritt Kearney of the Walsh. An instant later there was ter rife explosion. Wyner was thrown against tho wharf and then fell into the water ,and Engineer Kssrney was envelopsd in soald- | ing steam and fearfully burned about the back and arms.
 All ot the steamer above water was blown into the afr in . thousand fragments l the lower portion of the hull being driven downwards into the water. Pieces of the l wrecked boat struck the Walsh, knocking down her smokestack and doing other damage.
 Some of the table plates that were in the galley were driven into tho hard oak sides of the Walsh for several inches. The stove was found many rods up the dock and heavy iron radiator that had been ir the pilot house was blown to the freight house on Belle dock quarter of mile away. Other parts of the wrecked tue
 were scattered in all directions, and tht
 water in the vicinity was filled with float
 ing debris.
 Several men were working on the whsr l near the tug at the time, but they miracu
 lously escaped injury. Two were slightl,
 hurt-Patriok O'Hars of Wallace street, ,ant Patrick Harrigan, who was working nea O'Hars.
 Captain Eugene Baker of the Beatric
 had been on board the Rambler before th explosion occurred. He had . narrow es
 cape, as did also Captain Hewitt and hi , son Edward. The Rambler was owned b, , the Empire and New England Transports , tion company, and was valued at about $S,
 GOO. She Is a total loss, and was not in ! sured against explosions. She was eigh 3 years old, and had bsen In service in thi t harbor for five years.
 2 Frederick Weller, the unfortunate stew , ard, was probably blown into atoms. En a gineer Wyner saw him in the galley jus 2 before the explosion. It was hoped ths
 he had stepped ashore and escaped, bu |. nothing has been seen of him since tn :: explosion and there is little doubt abou f his fate.
 3 Weller was fully expecting to leave fo ! trip to Europe the first of next month.