The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-12-19
By the Bursting of a Defec.
tive Pipe
AMERICAN LINER ST. PAUL
Forced to Postpone Her Trip to
European Ports
This Steamer Lay at Her Dock Preparatory to
Starting Mails Transferred to
cunarder
Associated Press, Special Wire

Associated Press. Special Wire
NEW YORK, Dec. lS.-Six men were
killed and five injured this morning at z
a. M, by the ex 1losion of steam pipe on
the American line steamship st. Paul,
while the vessel lay at the dock in North
river. The dead are:
JAMES FAwNs. assistant engineer, of
England.
MANNING, fourth assistant engineer.
ROBERT CAMPBELL, machinist, Nyack.
GEORGE WILLIAMS, machinist, New
York.
DANIEL McCULLIoN, machinist helper.
ROBERT WILSON.
The injured are: F. Vespers, third as
sistant engineer, Roxbury, Mass; Andrew
Heard, storekesper, Scotland; Dunham,
machinist, England; A. Fogel, cleaner,
Scotland; Edward Wischert, engineer.
All these were seriously scalded. At the
time OF the accident there were thirty men
in the Are room and ten in the engine
room. The accident Is believed 70 have
been due to haw in the pipe.
Preparations wsre being made for sailing
at O'Clock, but fortunately no passengers
were aboard. The explosion shook the
big vessel from stem to stern. Steam
poured up to the deck from the engine
room in clouds. AZ soon As possible the
steam was turned Of. Almost simulta-
neousiy four half-dead men scrambled up
the iron stairway from the engine room
and fell PROSTATE. Two other mon, terri
bly, scalded, were found unconscious near
the bottom Of the stairway. Five men
were found In tho compartment scaided to
death. Faces and parts OF the body not
covered looked - if they had been par
boiled. The explosion blew out portion
Of the bulkhead and shattered every glass
within radius Of fifty feet. On investiga-
ton It was found the main steam pipe had
burst At tbs head near the bulkhead Su.
psrin,ending Engineer lark said he did
not know exactly what amount OF pressure
was on, but he was sure II was not SUM.
cisnt 10 cause the pipe to burst. He was
not able 70 tell whether there was not suffi'
eisnt room to allow the expansion or haw
in the casting. Clark said it would require
at least week to make the repairs.
Second vice-President James White said :
~ have az yet got no details OF the acct
dent. | do not know the exact nature or
extent of the injuries, but do know the
ST. Paul viii not be able 10 sail for day or
two, or perhaps for week. think the re-
pairs can be made at her dock. No re.
pairs had been n sds to her since she was
launched, and the only work done upon
her since she left the stock, is that her
bottom was scraped and painted. We
have no other ship in port to which to
transfer the passengers in case the repairs
took several days, and our next ship. the
Paris. will not sail before Christmas day
Some of the passengers may wait for the
Paris. Some may decide to wait
for the St. Paul, and Others
may possibly be asked to be transferred to
some other line. We shall not charter 9
ship to take the place of the st, Paul.
am not aware that the explosion hat
frightened any of the persons booked al
passengers. Up to 10 o'clock no intending
passenger had signified his intention OF
backing out on account OF the accident OF
on account of the delay"
The first steamship to sail from New
York to Liverpool is the Campania. OF the
Cunard line, and to her the United States
mails now in the St. Paul will be trans.
ferred.