The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-08-30
4HB RIVER !.
,s0> DISASTER.

thorities are still trying to locate the
dead and missing believed to he on
the Inflated City Of Trenton.
Up in the fourth floor Of the Wes-
tern Union Telegraph Company's
building. at Tenth and Chestnut
Streets shortly before midnight, John
J. Ryan, an operator, was handed a
correspondents story of the wreck,
with instructions to send it to a New
York newspaper.
Part of the way through the manu-
script Ryan suddenly stopped his key
and fell forward on his desk. His
companions ran TO his side and lifted
NWhat is the matter, Jol,n?" they
asked.
tT'here,' replied Ryan, pointing
to name in the list OF the dead; she
is my cousin, Elizabeth Green
Another man was put at work on
the New York wire and Ryan, too
deeply affected to read or hear more
OF the terrible details, was sent to his
home.
John p. Chew, of 627 Clinton street
Camden, assistant engineer on the
City Of Trenton, had strange pre-
sentiment of coming disaster. Only
two months agohe went on the steam.
er, and several times within that per.
iod he EXPIRE ssed fears of an explosion.
He hid these fears from his wife un.
til Tuesday night, when he waa leav-
ing home. In bidding goodbye he
said:
"Lizzie, ] may never see you again.
have a presentlment that there will
be all explosion on the boat If there
is there will be no escape for me.
They are running at too high a steam
pressure, and IL an accident should
occur and many Others will be kill
ed"
His prediction was vlvidly verified.
A telegram received tonight from
Bristol, Pa, says that Miss Elizabeth
Liprincott, a school teacher of that
place, who was on the City Of Tren-
ton, has not been heard from.
Acting under Instruction from the
supervising inspector.generalof steam
vessels at Washington, Robert S. Ro-
die, Of New York, the supervising in.
spector for that district, came here
to-day and made preliminary exam.
inatiun Of the interior Of the hull OF
the City of Trenton.
lie was accompanied by officials Of
the company and local boiler inspec-
tors. Mr.. Rodie said he had not yet
found the cause Of the explosion, but
had a theory as to how the accident
happened.
He would not say what his theory
was. The port boiler lies at the bot.
tom of the river some distance from
where the steamer was beached. and
an inspection OF it is impossible.
Augustus Reinhart, an expert ma
chinist, employed by the Neafe and
Levy ShipbuildIng Company, builders
of the City of Trenton, recently over
hauled the boats boilers.
lie says there Is no doubt in his
mind that the explosion was due to
the exhaustion Of the water in the
boilers. He gave it as his opinion
that the boat was being run too fast
and this exhausted the water.
The steamer was Is minutes late
when she left her wharf on the fatal
trip, and it is stated that much Of
this time had been made up when the
explosion occurred.
The captain Of the boat and the
officials Of the company. deny a re.
port that the City Of Trenton was
racing with the Twilight, OF the
opposite line, when the explosion
occurred. The Twilight and the
City OF Trenton were close together
at the time OF the explosion, the for.
mer leading. Those on board the
Twilight did not hear the explosion
or know Of the accident until too
late to be Of assistance.
Never in the history Of the Della.
ware river has there been such keen
rivalry between the lines OF river
steamers as during this season.
On both the upper aud lower parts
of the river, racea are Of daily oc.
currence.
Coroner Dugan says that rigid
investigation has been started and
the responsibility will be placed
where it belongs. Horace Wilson,
manager Of the Wilmington Steam
boat Company. Of which the ill-Iat-
ed steamer was the newest addition
to the fleet, said
"As near as we can ascertain,
the accident to the steamer was
due to the explosion Of her port
boiler, setting fire to the vessel
The surviving engineers report am
pie water in the boiler within two
minutes prior to the acc q mt and
that the boiler pressure was only
$50 pounds. These boilers we're
built to carry It's pounds Of steam
aud passed inspection tor it by
United States Inspectors in June
last, when they were subjected to
water pressure OF 263 pounds.
The boiler which caused the ex.
plosion has been found in the river
near the Harrison mansion. twill |
be raised aud examined to see if
will clear up the cause OF the dis
aster.
Edward Hamilton, who was the
frs: 10 reach the wreck, tells a
thrilling story. As he clambered
aboard he saw woman pinned
down under the wreckage Of the
pilot house Only part OF her body |
could be seen. Someone handed
him an az and be begad 10 chop at
the wood that held her down. The