The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1898-10-22
SUFFERED FRIGHT
full AGONIES
Fuller Details of the Frightful Disaster
Cause of the Accident Cannot Be
Ascertained Until After a Careful
Inspection of the Boilers Has Been
Made.

PORTLAND, Friday Oct. 21.-The acci-
dent to the torpedo-boat D avis on her
official trial trip down the Colnm bia
river yesterday proved even more dis
astrous and appalling in its results than
the first brief dispatches received yes
terday afternoon lntimated. The ''seven
reported yesterday has given way to the
more grewsome record, ''seven dead
Following are the names of those who
lost their lives in the explosion, death
in each instance being due to the ter
rible scalds which no medical skill could
heal: Charles Namely, fireman, un-
married; Harry Wood, married; Paul
Luithle, fireman, unmarried; James
Ryan, married; Axel Johnson, married !;
Albert Buehl, unmarried.
The accident which sent these seven
men into eternity occurred about IL 40
a. M , as the boat was off Tenas Illihee,
near Cathlamet, on her way to Astoria.
The explosion was due to the bursting of
one of the steam tubes in the forward
boiler. The seven men were penned up
In the small freroom, and there was no
chance for them to escape. The explo-
sion came without warning, and in an
instant the men were blown down by a
blast of steam, smoke and fire.
Willing hands were soon to the rescue,
and DIR. E. H. Thornton, the company's
physician, who was on board, did every
thing in his power to alleviate the suf-
fering of the hapless victims.
The boat was put at anchor Immediate
ly after the accident occurred. Messen-
gers were sent out for relief, but owing
to the distance to the nearest telegraph
station and the time required for assist
ance to arrive from Astoria, twenty
miles away, it was long and tedious
wait not only for the suffering victims,
but also for the doctor and the willing
though helpless sympathizers on board
the boat.
The first man to see the distress of the
Inflated torpedo-boat was A. K. John
son, a fisherman, who upon pulling up
alongside the Dayis took J. E. Wolff on
board and rowed him to Brookfield, the
nearest telegraph station, with an ap-
peal to Astoria for tug boat and medi-
cal assistance. Help finally came in the
arrival of the ship Lydgate in tow of the
Harvest Queen, and gasoline launch be-
longing to one of the canneries. Captain
Bailey, of the Queen, and Pilot Pope
left their ponderous charge at anchor,
hooked onto the disabled torpedo-boat
and started with all possible haste for
Astoria. OFF Pillar Rock the tug Relief,
with Drs. A. L. Fulton and Jay Tuttle,
of Astoria, on board met the Queen,
having come in response to the telegram
sent by Mr.. Wolff. The Astoria doctors
boarded the Davis, and were very well
come relief to DIR. Thornton, who was
nearly exhausted from his labors.
Medical skill, however, was without
avail. Namely gave up the struggle
soon after the Queen started with her
disabled tow for Astoria. Lulthie lived
about an hour longer, and Harry Wood
breathed his lastjust as the boat reached
Astoria.
Upon the arrival of the boats at As
toria the injured were removed to st.
MarY's hospital, while the dead were
taken to the morgue, where Coroner
Pohl began an inquest in the evening.