The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1901-09-06
FATAL EXPLO BiOM
Of Large Ssosmb oat on the
= ''' d sta.xere. fzluar.

| ~ ~. EN " IN 1loN
Of q Large Ssosmb oat on the
80 r '-'' d s,a,MarN Flvar -.
While the steamboat City Of Trenton,
OF tho Wilmington Steamboat company,
was on her way from Philadelphia to
Trenton Wednesday afternoon her port
boiler exploded, killing several persons
and ipjuriDg over sooro Of others.
Nine p6raons arc known positively to bo
doad, at loast l9 are missing, moro Of
whom arc believed to have been on the
steamer, aud two Of tho injured still
In the hospital will probably die. The
identified dead are.
| William Nelson, aged 67 years. a vet
eran Of tho Civil war and formerly an
inmate Of the soldiers's home, Hampton.
Va: Jamos MoUormiok, 23 years, viii
mington, Del, firemsD; Elizabeth
Green 81 years, Philadelphis; William
Dunn, 38 years, Philadelphia; Arthur
II. i. Lansing, Ia years, Trenton, N. j. (;
! William 81. Keen. PhiladelDhia: jessie
Stratton, Trenton, died in hospital.
In addition to these there are two
oharrod bodies, believed to bo those Of
females, in the morgue. Thoy are be.
yond recognition and will be buried in
potter's field. So great was
THE ToRoE OF TuEusxpLosIoN
that q piano in the upper drawing room
of tho boat WAS hurled many feet AWAY
from tho boat into the river. This
proved to be o fortunate circumstance
for many Of tho injured passengers.
Thrown into the river, scalded and.
otherwise injured SO that they. wore
rendered ! s. helpless, they olung toS tho:
|piss pig lAlSIs lIs 81 shallow
tsnntil NJ
w hen the oxp plosion ocourred & Mate
Vanderyoer and Pilot Curry Were ii the
pilot house. 81 S s8s 7T5s
Both wore hurled with terrific forco
from tho little enclosure, and tho wheel
on tho starboard side refused to work
whilo that on the port side, for some
unaooountable reason began revolving
with lightning like rapidly. AS re-
suit Of this the rudder turned tho bow
of the boat toward shoro and she quick.
ly ran aground fastening herself ia the
mud.
BY this time tho voaael had caught
ERE and those Of the passengers who
wore still aboard were compelled to lean
for thoir lives. Fortunately tho water
WAS not moro than four feet dcep aud
many Of tho victims Of the disaster
wors able to wade ashore, somo how
ever, who were too seriously injured to
help themselves, were rescued by NOM
| bors of tho boat clubs whose houses
line tho river front at this point. The
| captain and Grow Of the boat conducted
themsolves AZ heroes. They rendered
all the assistance possible to the in
jured and Capt Worrell was the last
man to leave the boat. All of tho So
riously injured wero hastily conveyed
to the hospital at the House Of Oorroo-
tion at Holmosburg, about three miles
below Torresdalo.
Although the searohors, consisting
Of q corps Of city police, having been
dragging tho river over since Thursday
afternoon, thoy have been unable to
find any moro bodies That there are
moro victims in tho river is the firm be I.
lief OF tho authorities, and the failure
to find any additional dead is supposed
to bo duo to the strong ourrent in the
river at the point whore the explosion
occurred.
The water was pumped out Of the hull
OF tho burned steamer, aftor which a
careful search was made for additional
victims Of the explosion, but mono was
found. An attempt was made at high
tide Thursday afternoon to float tho
wrecked vesaol, but it was unsuccessful.
AS to the exact oause Of tho explo.
sion nothing is yet known, but an in
vostigation iB to be conducted at onco.
Fire Marshal Lattimor, Coroner Dagan.
tho polico department and the United
States boiler inspectors for this dis-
trict will each carry on an indendent
investigation, but little can be known
until tho survivors have boon examined
and careful inspection OF the wrecked
stoamor shall havo boon made.
Many OF the passengers who escaped
injury maintain that the City Of .Tren.
ton, which was late whom she left her
wharf ia Philadelphia, was racing ct
her topmost speed and that IL this had
not boon the case the accident would
not have happen.d This is partly
borne out By statoment said to have
been made by Assistant Gnginoer j ohm
Ohew. Chew told his vito that he OK.
peotcd to be killed by an explosion on
the steamer, as tho company made tho
enginoor keep up too high pressure Of
| steam.