The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1898-12-03
sIx DEAD-TEN BADLY HURT.
captaiR Literally Cooked, Imprfs-
onea In His Cabin.

Stockton, Cal, Nov. 2s.-The most dis
astEous river accident in the history OF
Stockton occurred at 4:20 yesterday morn
ing near Fourteen Mile slough, when
part Of one Of the boilers of the river
steamer 7. G. Walker. which left San
Francisco the night before, was blown out,
killing six and dangerously wounding 10
persons, while probably IS or 20 Others
were more or less badly hurt The 7. c.
Walker is owned by the California NaYi-
cation and Improvement Company and
ran between San Francisco and Stockton.
Passengers Were An BED.
The majority Of the passengers were In
bed when the explosion occurred and were
awakened by the report, which was a.
loud as a lannon's roar. People rushed
from their rooms IN their night clothes
and found the whole forward portion Of
the steamers upper works blown away.
The electric lights had been put out aud
the escaping steam eneoped the front
portion Of the boat until it was impossible
TO see how much Of the boat had been
carried away. The screams Of the men
who were locked in their rooms near the
pilot house were heartrending. Captain
John Tulan had been blown from his bed
against the door Of the stateFoom and 50
seriously injured that he could not move.
The door could not be forced open, as he
was jAmmed up against H.
One Of the employees of the boat Sc
cured an AK and cut the upper part of the
room away and finally removed him, but
not until he was virtually roasted alive
When pulled out the flesh dropped from
his bones in large pieces, and, although
he was suffering excruciatingly, he bore
it brAvely and not a groan escaped him
as he was taken out Of the steam.
Blown Through the Roof.
Watson Ii. Henry, the chief engineer,
and his wife were in their room near the
pilot house when the explosion occurred
Mrs. Henry was blown through the roof
The flooring was blown upwards and she
was hurled with great violence a distance
Of fully 20 feet towards the bow of the
boat she was horribly crushed by the
force OF the explosion and also badly
scalded with escaping steam Her In
juries proved fatal at 1880 in the after
noon She retained consciousness until a
few moments before her death. Her suf-
ferings were 80 intense that she begged
the physicians in attendance to end her
life, but all that could be done was to
deaden the pain by the use of narcotics.
Mr.. Henry was terribly scAlded. He
vas thrown some distance away, but not
as far as was his wife He died shortly
after being brought to this city.
W. A Blunt was instantly killed. He
was standing on the lower deck, as be in
tended making landing q short distance
above the place where the explosion &C.
CURED.
Jerry DAILY, the fireman, was in the fire
hole when the accident occurred. The e.
Gaping steam completely enveloped him.
scarcely a portion of his body escaping
the soaring vapor He died at the receiv-
ing hospital at l2:45 in the afternoon.
He was in the employ of the California
Navigation and improvement Company
for about II years.
Deck Hands ImprIsOned.
| Underneath the lower deck where the
deck hands slept groans and screams
were heartrending of the unfortunate i'm.
Prisoned men who were receiving the full
effect Of the steam as it came from the
boilers. Eight of them were almost roast
ed alive Those who were able made
their way to the deck as best they could,
while the more seriously injured were
unable to get out The exposed portions
of their bodies suffered the most. Ths
arms and faces of those near the main
entrance were frightfully scalded.
The property loss will not exceed
5000.