The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-12-18
FIRE ROOM HORROR
Five Men Sca1ded to Death
on the Great Steamer
st. Paul.
EXPLOSION OF A VALVE
Hideous suferings of the Victims
Racer Detained an
Entire Day.
EXPLOSION OF A VALVE

NEW YORK, Dec 1S. 1Ss5.-By the
bursting of steam valve on board the
American Line steamer ST. Paul at Pier
IA, N. R., early this morning, five men
We're scalded to death and five others
were SO badly scalded that they had to
be taken to the hospital. The ST. Paul
was to have sailed at eleven O'Clock to-
day for Southampton. Her departure
will be delayed by the accident at least
twenty-four hours, it is said.
This is the list of the dead:
James Fawns, second assistant en-
gineer.
William Manning, fourth assistant en-
gineer
Robert Campbell machinist
George Williams, machinist.
Daniel McCallion, a machinist'S helper.
Following is the list of the. injured VINO
were removed to Hudson Street Hospl-
Robert Wilson. machinist S5 years old.
native of Scotland; scalded in face, neck,
Frank Vesper, third assistant engineer,
90 years old, of Roxbury, Mass; scalded
about face and hands.
England; storekeeper; scalded all over
body.
cleaner; scalded on hands, legs, arms
and neck.
Nj. Durham, machinist, scalded on body
The St. Paul came in last sa Sat1rday. ~ rTac,:
today. She had large passenger Ist:
This is what is known as her holiday
trip, but the accident u was , sah e, on fne ae
parture for at least twenty y-Iouf hours.
AT the time of the accident there were
about thirty men, engineers, nldcnllS,s ma anains
room. A large steam valve, leadnng from
the fire room into the engine room burst
and filled the two apartments with escap-
j James Carnegie, the Chief Engineer,
was not in the engine room at the TIME
of the explosion. The second assistant
engineer, James Fawns, was there with
other assistants and machinists oiling. the
machinery and getting ready to sail at
steam which followed the bursting Of
the steam valve, was heard on deck and
great excitement followed on the ship
The cries of the men in the. fire room
were also heard and some of the crew
went to their rescue. Two or three OF
the scalded men climbed up on deck. The
arms and they presented a horrible ap-
pearance. For a few moments it was
not known just what had transpired. on
account of the dense steam which filled
the fire and engine rooms and the excite
When the steam had cleared away it
scalded to death and that five others
were badly injured. Anbulances We're
summoned from the Hudson Street Hos,
out of the fire room and lifted into the
ambu,ances and conveyed TO the hos
pital All were badly scalded, and one or
S Second t,ti Assistant Engineer Fawns,
Fourth Assistant Engineer Manning. and
Machinists Campbell, Wilsiiams, San ana ma Ma
before help rescued them. They We're
nearest to the steam valve which burst
and the escaping steam struck them with with
c.1ur helD
themselves, and they were scalded to
death in few minutes.
The other men VINO were IN the lire
room at the time of the accident rushed
for their lives. An succeeded in escap-
ing, with the exception of those men
'iItf Edward wishart, of England, the
Electrician of the St. Paul, was also
scalded- on the hands and face. l but
not badly enough to go to the hospital
He was attended on board the steamer.
The bodies of the dead men were. car
ried up. from the fire room and laid on
It is said that the steamship com
pany will have the bodies buried here.
Chief Engineer Carnegie was seen on
the pier, but refused to make any state
ment concerning the accident He said
he would make his report to the COM
The cause of the bursting of the steam
valve is not known at present;
Captain Jamison. of the st. Paul. could
a26 noRed Re seen to 60 sos board 9 he a vessel The
agent of the company also refused to
say anything P9:9ee Captain az ain AaaiTs
had informed him that it was the main
steam pipe in the engine room which
had burst but one , OF the crew fre sa1a 4na rs
room into the engine room. Tne ,nre ana
engine room are aft. At nine o'clock the
bodies Of the iys dead as men coTegeG Were Gying g
The Coroner had been notified. and the
officers were waiting for. a permit to
have the bodies removed to an under
takers establishment.
During the forenoon many persons
who had taken passage on the st; Paul
drove up to board the steamer. but they
were informed that the vessel would
not sail today on account OF the s,a ACCIDENT e,I
it was said to repair the damage
caused by the explosion.
cemen g. Griscon 60 3o President OF = the e
Philadelphia In his absence. James A.
Wright. second Vice President spoke fer
Shs accident e but one Of those
over which no human hand has control;
At this hour it is impossible to tell
the accident happened. Later in the day
the company Will have prepared de-
tailed statement made BY, Chief Engineer
for some hours yet. I cannot say just
how log the ST. Paul will be delayed;
PERHAPS WeHtyfonr or h9ugs nS pSghap pSe w uaa sa
on that day She will not have. TO leave
her dock TO effect repairs. All the work
will be done there"
The ST. Paurs passengers will be cared
for at the companys s expense until slle
sails Their hotel bills at the Astor.
waldorf Fifth Avenue. Madison and
other hotels will be met by the Ameri-
can line. The hotel expenses Ct the
steerage passengers will also be betrayed
while they await the mailing. Many OF
the latter and some of the cabin pas
sengers will leave today ON the. KEN
sington for Antwerp, they prefeTring to
go on her rather than await the, st,
Paul's repairs The accident WILL of
course, delay the mail. but it will prob
aIhly all alo by the St. Paul. as the next
fast ship to the British ports is the
Cunarder Campania, which sails on
Superintendent Engineer Clark of the
St Paul said this morning that he
thought it would take seyerall, days to
repair the damage done by the explos-
ION, He stated that the pine which
burst was a 16-ineh steam pipe which
supplied the heat to the vessel.
n am not prepared now 10 say what
caused the pipe TO burst. he said !
vas probably due to a flaw in casting
the pipe or there was not sufficient space
left at the joints for expansion. Tnere
was not sufficient pressure OF steam on
at the time of the accident to cause an
explosion. 1t was Just at the elhpw Of the
Chief Engineer Carnegies room when
the pipe bllT3st Mr.. Carnegie and myself
ran out and met some OF the scalded
mon scramifing up the stairs. The ex-
r,osion shattered lot OF windows and
blew out part OF the bulkhead."