The Savannah morning news., 1901-08-30
LIST GROWS LONGER
TINE ADDS NEW VICTIMS OF PHIL
ADELPHIA HORROR.
NINE KNOWN TO BE DEAD.
WHILE OF NINETEEN MISSING,
MANY CERTAINLY WE'RE KILLED.

OF the Injured. Two Now in Hospital
VIII Die-Bodies Taken From
Wreck Charred Beyond Hope of
RecognitiOn-Three Sisters Met
Death In the Explosfon-Ifs Cause
Mystery stiIl-omciaIs of city,
State and Federal Governments
Conducting Independent Investf-
gntions-Chew's Prophesy of His
End.
Philadelphia, Aug. 29.--It developed
to-day that the result of the explosion
of the boiler on the steamer City OF
Trenton while on the way up the Del
aware river from this city to Trenton,
n. j., yesterday afternoon was more
appalling than was at first supposed.
Nine persons are known positively to
be dead, at least nineteen are missing,
most of them are believed to have been
On the steamer, and two of the injured
still in the hospital will probably die.
The identified dead are:
William Nelson, aged 81 years old, a
veteran of the Civil War, and former
ly an inmate of the soldiers home.
Hampton. Va.
James Mccormick, % years old, VIII
mington, Del, fireman.
Elizabeth Green, 21 years old, Phila-
delph:a.
William Dunn. ss years old, Philadel-
phia.
Arthur R. T. Lansing, IA years,
Trenton, N. ].
William H. Keen, Philadelphia.
Jessie Stratton, Trenton, died in hos
pital.
In addition to these are two charred
bodies, believed to be females, in the
morgue. They are beyond recognition
and Will be buried in potter's field.
The list of missing. which will doubt
less add many to the death roll, is as
follows:
Irene Weld, aged 16 years.
Clare Weld, 1S years old.
Dora Weld. years old.
The above were three sisters of this
city, who were with their uncle. Will
liam Dunn, who was killed on the
steamer.
Mrs. William II. Keen, whose hus-
band was killed.
John Chew of Camden, N. T.. assist
ant engineer.
Augustus Merkle, fireman, Philadel-
phia.
Anna Herr, aged 16, Philadelphia
Mrs. John w. Matthews. PhiladeI-
phia.
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Albert, Philadel-
phia
Nellie Bellantyne, Philadelphia.
Mrs. Herbert Cross, PHILADELPHIA.
Ethel Stokes, Trenton, N. j.
Henry Johnson. Hulmeville, Philadel-
phia.
Marion Ashmod, II years, Phiiadel.
phia.
Elizabeth Gillison, % years old.
James o'Connell, fireman, Philadel-
phia.
Miss Edna Kennedy, Philadelphia. /.
OF the thirty-three passengers taken
to the hospital. Mrs. Edna Van Schoeck
of Nightstown, N. j.. and Miss Fannie
Keen of Philadelphia, will die.
No Bodies Found Yesterday.
Although the searchers. consisting of
corps of city police, have been drag
ging the river ever since yesterday af-
ternoon, they have been unable to find
any more bodies. That there are more
victims in the river is the firm belief
of the authorities, and their failure tc
find any additional dead is supposed
to be due to- the strong current in the
river at the point where the explosion
occurred.
The water was pumped out of the
hull of the burned steamer after which
a careful search was made Tor addi-
tlonal victims of the explosion, but
none was found. An attempt was made
at high tide this afternoon to float the
wrecked vessel. but it was unsuccessful
and another effort will be made at the
next high tide. late tonight.
As to the exact cause of the explosion
nothing is yet known, but an invests
cation is to be conducted at once. Fire
Marshal Lattimer, Coroner DuBan, the
police department and the United
States boiler inspectors for this dis
trict will leach carry on an independent
investigation. but little can be known
until the survivors have been examined
and careful inspection of the wrecked
steamer has been made.
Many of the passengers who escaped
injury maintain that the City of Tren-
ton, which was late when she left her
wharf in this city, was racing at her
topmost speed and that if this had
not been the case the accident would
not have happened. This is partly
borne out by a statement said to have
been made by Assistant Engineer John
Chew. Chew told his wife that he ex-
pected to be killed by an explosion on
the steamer, as the company made the
engineers keep up too high a pressure
of steam.
Never in the history of the Delaware
river has there been such keen rivalry
between the lines of river steamers as
during this season. On both the upper
and lower parts of the river races have
been of daily occurrence.
Only a few weeks ago the crew of
the Trenton steamer yPoconoket was
censured by Coroner Dugan for falling
to go to the assistance of some per-
sons who were drowning. At the time,
1t Is said, the Poconoket was racing
with the Twilight, the boat that led the
City of Trenton yesterday when the ex-
plosion occurred.
Between Philadelphia and Whining
ton the steamer lines for time virtu-
ally advertised races between rheir ves-
sells. For nearly a week the City OF
Chester and Brandywine, on one line,