Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-18
STEAM PIPE BURSTED
Five Men Killed and Six Were In
iured.
Impossible to Tell What Caused the
Explosion - Disaster on the
Steamer st. Paul.

NEW YORK, December 1S-Five men
were killed and six injured this morning
by the explosion of a steam pipe on the
American Line steamer st. Paul while the
vessel lay at her dock at the foot of Full
ton street, North river.
The dead are-James Fawns, assistant
engineer of England: -- Manning, fourth
assistant engineer; Robert Campbell. ma
chinst, New York; George Williams, ma
chinst, Hoboken, n. j.; Daniel AIcCullion,
machinist, Brooklyn.
: The injured are-Frank Vespers, third as
sistant engineer, Roxbury, Mass; Andrew
Heard. storekeeper. Scotland; -- Dun
ham. machnist, England; A. Fogel. Scot
land: Edward Wischert, engineer.
All these were seriously scalded and
taken to the Hudson Street Hospital.
AT the time of the accident, shortly after
o'clock this morning, there We're thirty
men of the in the fire room and ten
in the engine room. The main steam pipe
runs from the engine to the fire room.
1t was this pipe which exploded. The
main stop valve was blown out. The ac-
flaw in the pipe.
Preparing for Sailing.
Preparations were being made for the
sailing of the vessel at IL o'clock, but for
tunately none of the passengers We're
aboard of the vessel. The explosion was
of terrific force and shook the big vessel
from stem to stern. Following the report
the sound of escaping steam. 1t
poured up to the deck from the engine
room in clouds and completely enveloped
the vicinity.
From above the noise of the escaping
steam could be heard the cries of the men
who had been at work in the engine room
injured by the explosion.
The nature of the explosion was such that
ii rendered access to the locality extremely
difficult. As quickly as possible the steam
was turned off.
Almost simultaneously four half dead men
scrambled up the iron stairway leading from
the engine room and fell PROSTATE upon the
FORT side of the vessel They We're hurried
INTO the cabin and restorativeS administered
to them Two more terribly scalded, were
found III an almost unconscious condition
lying near the bottom of the stairway and
we're lifted upon the dock. Soon as the
steam had cleared away sufficiently to rem
der seeing tie surroundings possible five
men We're found lying in various parts of
the compartment dead. They had all been
scalded to death ard their faces and those
parts of the body which We're not covered
by their clothing looked as if they had been
parboled. The bodies were covered over
where they We're found lying with pieces of
tarpaulin and word was sent to the coroner'S
office.
The greatest excitement prevailed aboard
the vessel for a time, and it was thought
that the collier had blown up. The force of
a portion of the bukhead and shattered
every particle of glass within radius of
fifty feet.
Main Steam Pipe Bursted.
On investigation it was found that the
main steam pipe at the bend, near the bulk
head, had bursted. The pipe is sixteen inch
es in diameter and extends from one end of
the ship to the other.
1t was said by Experimenting Engineer
Clark that he did not know exactly what
the amount of pressure al the time was, but
he was sure that it was not nearly suffcient
to cause the pipe to burst.
He said that he was not able at this time
to tell just what caused the explosion,
whether there was not sufficient room to al
low of expansion whether there was a
flaw in the casting.
Mr. Clark said that he sure that the
vessel could not sail within a week, for
it would require at least that time to make
the necessary repairs. The steamer mas
made three round trips.
1t is likely that some of the men cannot
survive.
The first fast steamer to sail from New
York to Liverpool is the Campania of the
Cunard line, and to her the United States
mail now on the St. Paul will be trans
ferred,