The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-07-31
TRAGEDY ON TUG TEMPLAR
Alexandria Boat Blows Up and Two
of Her Crew Are Missing.
Only Two OF the Men on the Vessel Esca ped
Without Injury-Cause of Cafastro-
phe Is Not Known-Captain
Hurled Into the Air.
Special to The Washington Post.

Special TO The Washington Post
Baltimore, Nd, July 2O.-The tug boat
Templar, Of Alexandria, Va. blew up in
Canton Hollow at $40 o'clock this even
| ing. Two of her crew are missing, and
| are supposed to be dead: three were in
| Jured, and two escaped In an almost mir
aculous manner. The missing are:
ENGINEER CHARLES f. WOOD aged thirty
four years, 30 Franklin street, Alexandria. Va
MATE JEROME MOORE. aged ffty-slx years, Of
Alexandria, Va
The injured, who are at the Johns Hop
kins Hospital, are:
Capt Oliver Crowder. thirty-four years Of age,
us Duke street. Alexandra, Va, fracture of left
leg above ankle.
Fireman william Cannon. nineteen years Of age.
1g South Lee street, Alexandra. Va. shock
scalds, and burns on body. face. and arms, dlso-
cation Of right knee; condition serious.
Herbert II. Wood, thirteen years Of age. son OF
Engineer Wood: fracture Of LEFT forearm
Those who escaped are: Stewart Mat
thew Williams, Of Alexandria, Va. and
Fireman Thomas WiIgus, Of Alexan-
dria, Va.
Moore and Wood leave families Their
bodies had not been recovered tonight
The police boat Lannan dragged for them
three hours, and will resume the work TO-
morrow.
Just what caused the accident will be n
matter Of Investigation for the United
states local inspectors Of steamboats,. The
general impression is that the boiler ev-
plOded, but there is so little left Of the
craft that 1t viii probably never be known
just what occurred.
The tug Templar. owned By Charles
Grant, Of Alexandria. Va. tool, Il, touy
the schooner Nellie T. Morse. off Wash
ington. on last Friday. She was 10 toy-
her 10 Baltimore. where the sailing craft
was to load coal at Joyce's dock. AT
went well until the tug reached Canton
Hollow, of the foot Of Chesareska
street where the Morse was about 10
anchor before going into dock. The tug had
cast on her Tow line, preparatory 70 put
ting alongside the schooner, when. with
Guy d moments notice, a most terrific
explosion occurred.
Inc D0dy OF a man vas seen to ascend
many Ieet INTO the air, and after passing
through the rigging Of the Mo- On %
the deck. Sergt. Carey SAYS that Cant
CroVder told him this man was Fireman
Cannon, but later the CAPTAIN denied mis-
Capt Crowder himself was tbro1n ft.iIy
thirty feet In the air The captain de-
clares that he was stuck for { time In fa,.
bottom OF the muddy river.
For one hundred yards around the gD0t
where the tugDoat had been the water
vas covered with debris from the vessel
The tug had disappeared.
me injured men were picked I'd By the
crews OF the revenue cutter Algonquin
ana the coast survey steame. Bache. 4
reporter saw Capt CrOwder al the hos
pltal Just after there had been a super-
hclal examination Of his Injuries. de
made the following statement.
an thir.y-fOur years old. married.
and live al Zls Duke street. Alexandr{a
The tug Templar was built In IssI. and the |
boilers she had In her when the explosion |
occurred were put IN her In Iss5 They
we're examined On June = last. and the
certificates were framed aad hung ia the
englne-rCom and pilot house. We left
Alexandra Friday bound FOR this port.
having In tow the three masted schooner
Nellie 7. Morse. Everything went all |
hight until We reached Canton Hollow, |
where the schooner had 20 anchor IN the |
stream After she reached her anchorage 1
! slgDaled 70 stop and then waited mo-
meut 10 see that this was done Then |
stepped out Of the pilot house and walked |
along me cabin deck, expecting % see the /
ha~seT cast OF and drawn ia JUST a. !
got over the englne-r00m there came the /
explosion, and Up ! went.
The tug was a sound craft as far as ! /
know and can't explain hOH * Nas EEe
blew Up. Engineer Wood Was 4 sober.
careful man. one % the hest / knew 20 /
The bay. and the same may he sald o.
Cannon"
capt CrOWder said that he loss = suit /
Of clothes. 500 IN money. aue al his per-
sOuzl papers. he shares IN the general /
belief that Engineer Charles r Wood /
and Mate Jerome Moore have been killed 1