The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-06-24
STEAMSHIP DISASTER.

q tcoidont on tho whalebsok stenmsr
"chrIstopher Coiumbu."-Two Killed
and Many Injursd-The Acoid-nt de-
cnrrod During IA Iincc ON Lake oiich,cnn.
CHICAGO, Juno 23.--By tho explosion
Of steam yalvo In tho whaleback
steamer Chris topher Columbus, of
Waukcegan, Saturday night, two mon
wero killed and thirteen woro danger.
ously or painful y injured. Tho victims
wcrc:
Tho doad-Frank Wilson, coal passcr;
L. J. steit, 0rcman.
The injured-Edward Darrow. leader
Of tho orchestra, scalded on face aud
hands very painfully; John Iopp, IRE.
man, inhaled stoam aud face, neck aud
breast seriously scaldcd; George W.
Kiel, waitor, buffalo, face and hands
scalded; John W. Keoush. meat carver,
Buffalo, hands and face scnlded; Arnold
Klein. passenger, Dubuque, Iowa, face
and hands badly Icaldcd, accompanied
by student. also painfully scaldcd !;
Robert McConkcy, coal passer, back
terribly scalded; Miss Miller. orchestra,
scalded on hands and face; Frank Ros-
ner, fireman. badly scalded on face.
hands and body; James T. Ryan, fire.
man, scalded on back, neck and hands |:
Mic Seser. water tender, Cleveland, @,
hands scalded; Miss Voxheimer. Or
che,tra, face painfully scalded; W. l..
Webster, chief engineer, hand scalded (;
James Lorimer, coal passer, face, neck,
breast and hands seriously scalded.
1t was the homcward run OF tho
whaleback in Its opening summer ex-
cursion 10 Milwaukee. About three
hundred and fifty souls were abroad.
Flying flags, with music aud dancing
WAS the order OF the evening.
Half milo In tho boats wake
ploughed the rival excursion steamer,
the Virginia, which, clearing the har.
Dor some fifteen minutes later. had on
every pound OF steam possible'to over.
,ako her competitor. The decks and
promenades OF both steamers were
blackened with passengers. Shouts
and waving garments told the same in
terests in the outcome that attend, the
race coursc. The Virginia sursed
ahead. -
Word passed from the engine room
that tho Chrstophc. Columbus was re-
solved on n little fun. Tho rival boat
should be allowed to gain half mile on
the whaleback it was said. and then
steam was to be run up and the situa.
ton would DO changed before reaching
the Chicago harbor
Scores went below to watch the ma.
chincry. Somo grew anxious. Judge
Grosscup and his party who were sit.
ting Mt, deserted their seats and stood
fore under the bridge.
Those watching the guage said tina.
the pressure was exceeding the limit
TO which the boilers were adjusted.
From l32 pounds pressure. tho steam
had run up to III pounds and was
still rising.
Suddenly there was n shock OF an e1.
plosion. The steam valve in six-iucn
connecting pipe over the starboard bat.
terry OF three boilers had blown out.
The steam crowded everywhere. l,
was instantly in every compartment oi
OF the vessel. In the main salon l5O
persons seated about or reclining werc
suddsnly seized with panic 1t was in.
creased by all lights going out The
passengers rushed to the decks. Sew.
eral women tainted. The mon did all
in their power to quiet the frightened
passengers.
For threo hours the whaleback lay
getting up steam for resuming tho
journey. 1t was found that ono battery
OF three boiler. had been made useless,
but tho others wero cut of from 1t, and
at II o'clock there was enough pressure
to start the engines.
The boat finally reached her dock in
Chicago At 3:l5 Il. M.