Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-05-12
BOILERS EXPLODE
Terrible Disaster on the Missis.
sippi Below vicksburg.
oLD-T1ME HORROR ON THE RIVER.

Steamer Harry Brown Blows Up, Eleven
Lives Are Lest, Two Men Are Missing
and Six Are Wounded, One Probably Fa-
tslly-The boat Made a Complete Wreck
and Quickly sunk-Fearful RAILWAY Ac-
cident Probably Costs Another Life.
LOUISVILLE, May IA sbecial from
Vicksburg, Miss, to The Evening Post
says: One of the most terrible river dis
asters Of recent years occurred Sunday
night about twenty-five miles below this
city. The tow boat Harry Brown, of
Pittsburg, upward bound from New Or.
leans, exploded her boilers at II O'Clock at
night. The boat was complete wreck,
and sank in less than five minutes Eleven
lives are known to be Lost, including:
Pilot Norman Dravo; G. W. Bartisley,
stcersman; William DOugherty, chief en-
gincer; Miss Annie Hess. chambermaid;
Tom Judge, fireman; William Wilson,
fireman; First Mate William Fitzsim-
mons: Second Mate Pat Carniff: William
Kelly, lamp trimmer. The following are
missing: Frank Adrian, of Cincinnati;
John Wagner, Of Louisville.
Names of the Men Wounded.
The survivors and also the wounded
were brought to this city on the Honshell.
Six Of the officers and crew of the
Brown arc in the marine ward of tho
Vicksburg hospital, as follows: Captain
John keim, hip seriously injured; Will
lam Grimme, carpenter, leg broken; -
Hardy, fireman, badly scalded and 9th
erwise seriously injured; Dennis J.
Lomey, second engineer, badly scalded and
internally injured, will probably die; two
deck hands, unknown. Pilot bravo, who
was lost, was Of Pittsburg and was u most
excellent men whose death will be greatly
regretted The bodies of the three dead
men who were brought here are at Fisch,
er's undertaking establishment. and have
been embalmed and will be sent to their
homes.
Help Was Luckily Near at Hand.
The tow boat Honshell was near tho
scene when the explosion occurred and
her yawls were lowered at once and saved
many lives that would have been lost if il
had not been for their prompt service
Captain Keim. the master of the Brown
although seriously injured, remained on
the after part of the cabin roof of the
Brown, where he had been blown by the
explosion. He was seen by a reporter and
siid: The after part of the cabin floatel
off from the hull. and as the hull sank to
the bottom Of the river l directed the
efforts of the men who were ut work res
cuing the boats crew.
Cause Will Never he Known.
Myself and Pilot Dan Kaine were in the
Browns pilot house when the explosion
occurred. 1t would be impossible for any
one to tell how many of the seven boilers
exploded, as the darkness prevented any
one seeing anything. 1t seemed that tbs
hull went down in less than a minute. ]
have no blame to attach to any one The
cause of the explosion will never be
known, us the chief engineer, William
Dougherty, who was on watch, was lost. y
COroner's Verdict Is Accidental Death.
The officers and boats crew speak mos,
grateful praise of the officers and crew OF
the steamer st. Joseph, who contributed
clothing and other substantials Captain
keim expects to send the crew to theil
homes by rail as soon as he receives in
structions from Pittsburg. The coroner
here held an inquess on the dead bodie.
and returned verdict of accidental death