Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1895-10-29
TUG MEN KILLED.
The T, 7. Morford Blown to Pieces
in River at Chicago.
Boiler In It's Flight Strikes Pilot House
Of Another Tug Boat and Kills
\ the Captain.

Chicago, Oct. 26.-An explosion of
the boiler on the Durham Towing COM
pany's tugboat 7. T. Morford Saturday
morning in the south branch of the Chi
cago river at the Seventeenth street
bridge resulted in two deaths and in
iuries to several men, some of whom
may not recover.
The dead:
John Ferguson. captain of the tug o. B.
Green, killed by boiler dome of the wrecked
tug and carried overheard.
John Erickson, fireman of the T. T. Nor
ford, blown overheard and drowned.
The injured:
Dan McCrea. lireman of the Morford, leg
broken, bruised and burned; was blown
overheard.
John Cullinan, captain of the Morford.
burned about the body: blown overheard.
Charles Dix. engineer of the Morford.
thrown upon the deck of the steambarge
Ionia; scalded and injured internally.
The wounded men are now Mt the
county hospital.
The explosion. which occurred at $3.50
o'clock, demolished the tug Morfort!
ind damaged her consort, the o. b.
Green.
The two tugs Were towing the steam
barge Ionia. The Seventeenth street
bridge was just rolling open when tho
explosion occurred. The Morford was;
sent to the bottom of the river, and the
dome of the boiler came crushing
through the pilot house of the O. Il.
Green, killed the captain, John Fer
glson, then crushed through a l2-inch
brick wall half block away.
Engineer Dix, of the Morford, was
thrown 100 feet and landed OH the deck
of the Ionia.
John Erickson was thrown into the
river and sank just as help reached
him. His body was recovered later.
Lineman Dan McCrea's leg was bro
ken. and he was blown into the river,
from which he was rescued by the
crew of the 1onia. Capt. John Guilt
nan, of the Morford. was also blown in
to the river and was rescued by the
bridge tender. He may survive.
The Captains story.
Capt Cullinan. of the Morford, who is
suffering intense pain, said:
We had just stopped at Sixteenth street
and had signaled the St. Charles AIRLINE
brluSc TO open. Next to us was the o, r.
Green When the boiler exploded was
standing on the deck and the first sensa-
ton l experienced was one of great dizzi-
ness. I felt myself going up very rapidly
and 1t seemed to me l went 100 feet.
When l struck the water. was close to the
boat and tried to swim ashore. My body
was burned. though, and l was in agony.
] called for help. but none came and
guess l must have been in the water ~
minutes before l reached the dock. The
next thing l knew was when opened my
eyes here at the hospital"
Regarding the cause of the disaster,
Capt. Cullinnn further said:
THE explosion was not due to defective
machinery. The Morford was examined
by the federal inspectors last summer and
her boilers were found to be in good condi-
ton. Engineer Dix is very careful man,
too. He has been an engineer for over ten
years and an expert in his line. am at
loss for an explanation of the explosion
1t may be there was not enough water In
the boiler and there may have been too
much steam on. but l am not able to ri :
vance any theory" -