The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-09-24
Abbie Deering Wrecked
by an Explosion.
NAPHTHA GAS THE CAUSE.
Gold Seekers Hal Chartered the
Vessel For Voyage.
ARE GREATLY DISAPPOINTED.

The trim little schooner Abbie NJ. Deer
ing will in all human probability never
set sail for the Yukon and the land OF
gold, and IL seems as though the argon-
auts who anticipated journeying aboard
her in quest of Klondike nuggets will be
disappointed In their bold enterprise.
The reason for this is that the Deering
which has been lying at Green's wharf in
Lynn. fitting for her voyage around the
Horn, was nearly blown to pieces by an
explosion of naphtha gas yesterday after
noon. 1t was all so sudden that the
argonauts scarcely know what TO make
of it yet. Last evening they stood on the
wharf and looked at tho broken ana
blackened hulk that barely kept afloat In
the quiet waters of tho dock in stupor
OF disIair.
The Deering was originally staunch
Gloucester fishing vessel and was pur-
chased with an eve To her handiness and
good seagoing qualities. A couple OF
weeks ago ste was brought around TO
Lynn and the work of fitting her up for
the expedition was actively in progress.
A quantity of stores was in her hold, In
cluding several cases OF naphtha, which
is said to have been intended TO destroy
vermin. The naphtha DESTROYED the
yerm In all right In ABOUT the same man
ner that the burning down OF house
eXteIniDates the cockroaches that IL har-
bors.
About 3 o'clock in the afternoon yester-
day the men on tho A bbie NJ. Deering
were as busy as bees. The crow were ac-
tive OH deck the cook was getting sup
per ready in the gally, anu several riggers
were getting the running gear in shape
for the trip.
Then came puff and bang. and the
deck of the schooner split up the middle
as the ice on a pond does when the water
of freshot rises beneath II. The shock
was terrific in It's force. The Deering
quivered in every stick of her frame. The
masts swayed. and the splintercd wood
Of the upper works flew in every dfrec-
ton.
One Of the crew who was working just
above the spot where the cases Of naphtha
had been stored, was picked up bodily by
the for CO of tho explosion and blown into
the dock. whence he was rescued "a minute
or two later, very draRgled, exceedingly
frightened, but otherwise not damaged.
Michael Kennedy. who was at work on
deck was tho principal victim of the
mishap. He WAS blow several feet. and
received severe cuts on the mead besides
internal Injuries. He Will recover. Tho
men VINO were Gt work on the rigging
tum bled sprawlng on the ripped-up deck,
bruises. AS far as can be learned tho
cook was not hurt at all.
Someone turned in fire alarm and nn
engine came and squirted few tors Of
water into the smoking and blackeued in
terror of the vessel which presented q
sorry spectacle. The entire forward bulk
head was torn away. the deck was ruin,
the buiwarks were smashed. tho mas;s
leaned outboard the one to tho star board
tho other to port, ana tho contents of the
hold were reduced To an unpleasant look
ing mass of charcoal
What caused the explosion is a mystery.
such things usually ure. The explana-
ton is offered, however, that tho gas
generated by the naphtha was igniJed in
some way by the fire from the galley
stove.
The hull of tho ALbie NJ. Deering Is
badly damaged. and IL would cost thou
sands of dollars, or nearly as much as she
Is worth to repair her.