The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-12-04
SIX KILLED BY
BURSTING PIPE.
Steam Pipe ExpIOdes on Steamer
Alamo at Her Pier at New York.
SHE WAS JUST READY TO SAIL
When the Explosion Came-The Dead
Were Terribly scalded-al the
Killed Were Employees OF the
Iessel-Passenger Injured.

NEW YORK. Dec. Six members Of
the crew OF the Mallory Line steamer
Alamo were killed tonight by the burst
Ing OF a steam pipe while the vessel lay
at her pier In the East River. The dead
are:
Patrick Murphy, second engineer;
Thomas McHugh fireman. Patrick far-
rell. orer: Frank Mcmahon. fireman; H.
Connel. fireman; J. Ryan, coal hes~eT'
Iniurcd-John Stonman. passenger, AL
bany scalded, not serious.
WAS a TRANSPORT.
The Alamo has only recently been ols-
charged from transport service for the
government and Is fresh from Roach
yards. where she received a thorough
overhauing. including. 1t is said, new
steam pipes and boilers. She was sched-
uled to sail at l:5) =. NJ. yesterday ior
Galveston. via Key West, but was de-
tanned in order to place on board an un-
usual quantity Of freight. She carried
thirty passengers.
At the time Of the accident, about Z
o'clock. the ship had cast of her lines
and the tug President had her line taot
to assist the Alamo into mid-stream- Her
engines had made but two or three revo-
lurons. when the explosion came.
over the engine room was torn UP na
the steam poured through the open seal 1s
i'm clouds. The sound OF the escaptn 2
steam was mingled with the shrieks OF
the dying men who were enYeloped IN ~.
The flow OF steam was checked with great
difficulty. and not until the lapse of 1--WE
or six minutes.
MEN WE'RE PARBOILED.
Then Il was found that n had complete
f.rH-
and that an who had been confined there
had been not Only parboiled. but suffocated
by H. There was no lsign OF life left
IN one Of the bodies. and in several IN
stances the skin had peeled from their
hands and faces.
The second engineer was found close
10 the break in position which indicated
he had tried 10 shut or the steam al
the boiler when the accident occurred
and had died in the attempt
Two Of the dremen were found gripped
I'm one another arms Al the foot OF the
ladder leading from the fire hole. Hugh
Canning. chief engineer of the vessel;
John Ryan. the port engineer Of the
Mallory Line: II. II. Robinson, an as
sistant engineer. and another escaped,
more or less badly scaided. The other
men in the engine room were barely re-
c0gnizable when their bodies were taken
out an hour or two later. Most OF the
passengers were on deck when the expio-
sion occurred.
John Ryan. the experimenting engineer
of the Mallory Line. was technically
placed under Arrest.
Robert Mallory, of the Mallory Line.
was at the pier shortly after the accident
occurred. RE said that 20 far as he
could see. no blame could be attached 10
any one.
Patrick Murphy. the second engineer
was formerly second assistant engineer
Of the transport Comal He lived In this
city Nothing IS known about the other
killed
LATELY INSPECTED.
The Alamo was inspected by the local
steamboat inspectors and license IS
sued by Captain Petrie two or three
DAYS ago. The pipe which burst was an
eleven-inch brass pipe running from the
stoke room mp through the pump and en-
CINE room and then 20 the engines. I'm
the upper engine room was the nange.
which parted. The rivets We're SHARED of
as with knife. The pipe was tested by
the steamboat inspector and. it Is stated,
withst00d "a hydraulic pressure OF fifteen
mounds 10 the square inch. Chief Engi-
neer Canning stated that there was only
forty pounds pressure ON the pipe when
20 parted.