Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1898-11-28
STEAMER BLOWN UP.
Six People Killed In Accident
Near Stockton, Cal.
ELEVEN ARE DANGEROUSLY INJURED.
Fifteen or Twenty More or Less
Badly Hurt - Passengers In Bed
When Explosion Occurred-Mem-
bers Of Crew Roasted Alive.

Fourteen Mile slough, when a part OF
one OF the boilers Of the river steamer
T. c. Walker which left San Francisco
about o'clock last night, was blown
out, killing 6 and dangerously wound
Ing IL persons, while probably IL or 20
We're more or less badly hurt. The Il.
c. Walker is owned by the California
Navigation and Improvement company
and ran between San Francisco and
Stockton.
The dead are John Tulan, captain of
the I. c. Walker; T. c. Blunt, the agent
in charge Of the shipping OF sugar beets
from the Moss tract to the Crockett
factory; Watson Henry. engineer OF
the T. c. Walker. Stockton; Mrs. Hen
~, wife of the chief engineer; Jerry
DAILY. fireman, and Ferdinand Lau, pas
senger, Of Seattle
The wounded are: G. p. Smith, a native
of Massachusetts,, dack hand, burned
about the face and body; James Cor
coran, deck hand. viii probably die;
Jack Hoberg, known as Jack sperry,
Waterman, injured in head and scalded
over entire upper part of body; CObattl
Dominica, deck hand, scalded about
hands and face and back injured: John
Burns. deck hand burned about head:
G.. FoppianO Of San Francisco passen-
ger, injured in the face and breast:
Edward Paul Jones, stevedore, scalded
about face and hands; Martin McCaf-
fiery of San Francisco, deck hand, burn
ed about the head and body; Louis
Drizzolino of San Francisco, wine mer-
chant, badly injured; John Figoni OF
Stockton, deck hand, head cut and
back hurt.
The majority OF the passengers We're
in bed when the explosion occurred and
were awakened by the report, which
was as loud as a lannon's roar. People
rushed from their rooms In their night
clothes The whole forward portion of
the steamers upper works was blown
away The electric lights had been put
out, and the escaping steam enveloped
the front portion of the boat till 1t 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 stateroom and
so seriously injured that he could not
move The door could not be forced
open, as he was damned against it. One
of the employees Of the boat secured an
ak and cut the upper part of the door
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.
Watson Henry, the chief engineer,
and his wife We're in their room near
the pilot house when the explosion oc-
Cured Mrs. Henry was blown a dis
lance OF 20 feet to the bow of the boat.
She was badly crushed and so badly
scalded with escaping steam that her
injuries proved fatal at 1890 this aft
ernoon. Mr. Henry was badly scalded.
He was thrown some distance, but not
as far as his WIFE He died shortly
after being brought to the city.
Jerry DAILY. the fireman, was in the
fire hold Of the boat when the accident
occurred. The escaping steam COM
pletely enveloped him, scarcely a por-
ton of his body escaping the scorching
vapor. He died at the receiving hospi-
tai at 12:45 yesterday afternoon.
Underneath the lower deck. where the
deck hands slept, groans and screams
were terrible for the unfortunate inn
prisoned men We're receiving the full
force OF the steam as it came from the
roasted alive. Those who were able
made their way to the dack as best they
could. while the more seriously injured
were unable TO get out. Arms and faces
Of those near the main entrance were
frightfully scalded. Dominica, who was
on the lower deck, was blown into the
water and had to swim ashore after his
back was scalded.
Louis Bdzzolani. In company with
Charles Maggini and wife. was stand
ing near the pilot house on the Texas
deck. The force threw him to one side.
He was badly burned about the body.
Mr. Maggini and his wife escaped with
out a scratch.
About an hour after the explosion the
passenger steamer Dauntless, coming
from San Francisco. hove in sight She
rendered immediate assistance. and all
the wounded and uninjured were taken
aboard A telephone message was sent
to this city and the steamer Clara Crow.
with several physicians with medicines,
etc, were sent to aid the Dauntless. The
relief boat met the Dauntless a short
distance down the river, and the physi-
clans were quickly taken >on board.
Captain Tulon was breathing his last
Mrs. Henry was lying in the ladies' cab
In, and every effort was made to relieve
her sufferings. Mr.. Brizzolani was toss
ing on a bed in a stateroom.
on the lower deck the injured en-
ployees Of the boat were located. Means
and screams which could not be re-
pressed were uttered by the injured
men. Everything possible was done to
relieve their agony.
What caused the explosion will prob
ably never be known. The steam drum
burst with terrible violence 1t had
split completely across the upper por-
ton and the whole sheet turned out
ward.
The four walls of the engine room
We're demolished by the force of the ex-
plosion. The lower deck, hurricane
deck and Texas deck were wrecked IN
the portion directly over the engine
room. The direction of the flying de-
bris was upward and outward toward
the bow. If il had been the other way
the loss of life would have been much
greater. The forward doors and stair
way were destroyed An immense con-
conrse Of people met the Walker at the
dock. The property loss will not ex-
coed $1,000.
Mad MulIah on Swat Frontier.
sIAfLA, Nov. 2s.-The Mad Mullah.
who. with 600 men. has been threa ten