Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-09-05
TWENTY-SIX VICTIMS.
The Known Result ofthc steamer City {
Trenton Disaster.


Trenton Disaster.
Philadelphia, Pa., Sept. 3.--How
many people lost their lives In the exr
plosion which wrecked the Delaware
River steamboat City Of Trenton last
Wednesday may never be known. Each
day succeeding the disaster the number
Of victims has steadily increased. Mrs.
Edna Var Schaick Of Heightstown,
N. j., died az the Holmesburg Hos
pital last night from the fearful injuries
received as d result of the explosion.
This brings the list of dead up to 26.
1t became known yesterday morning
for the first time that the government
Inspectors and the representatives of
Coroner Dugan's Office, while searching
the wrecked hull Of tine fated steamer
Sunday and yesterday morning, made
the discovery that a number of bones
and portions of human bodies were
found in the bottom of the null. A
gang of laborers under the supervision
OF the government inspectors, who we're
cleaning out the hull prior to making
the investigation which is to determine
the exact cause of the explosion, late
Sunday brought up the first human
bones found, thus proving that some of
the victims, who are still counted as
among the missing, were literally blown
to.pieces
Coroner Dugan had two policemen
from the Eleventh district. Samuel
Jones aud William Buchanan, and
| several other laborers sent to the Neafie
q Levy shipyards, where the wrecked
steamer was towed, 10 take charge OF
all the bones and other articles re-
covered, which are to figure in the
| inquest. As each basket of the debris
| was removed from tire hull 1t was care
| fully gone over. and the fragments Of
human bodies, bones aud flesh were
carefully placed in three boxes. Many
of the bones were. broken in small IiecHs
and nearly all were denuded of flesh,
probably by the escaping steam and
the four or five days they have been in
| the water.
Included in the CHASTITY relics found
| was the complete skin of a human
hand, only partly broken, Whether
there are any mora bodies etill buried
under the wreckage which is still in
the hull is not known, but the authori
ties do not believe that any more will
be found intact in the debris Where
the fragments OF bodies are being re-
co'ered Is where the force Of the OK
plosion was felt the greatest and whore
any passenger would not have had the
slightest chance TO escape.
No one IL allowed near the wrecked
boat excepting the laborers at work
cleaning her out and the government
and city officials. The bones and other
material recovered will be carefully
guarded by the officials OF the coroner g
office and will play an important part
In the inquest, which will BIZ held as
soon as the investigation now under
way is concluded.
AT the scene CT the wreck NEAR Tor
resdale the work OF dredging the river
was kept up all Sunday night and yes
terday, and will be continued until such
q time as tho authorities believe they
will be unable to recover any more b I
dredging. The same crowd of morbidly
urious continues to visit the scene OF
the explosion and patiently watches the
dredgers at their work.
The work of raising the sunlSen boiler
OF the Trenton WAS commenced early
yesterday morning, scow derrick and
tugs being utilized in the operation.
John MoWilliams, diver employed by
u Wilmington company, descended to
| the bottom OF the river and attached
heavy chains to the boiler, and by
means Of these and the derrick the
wrecked mechanism was hoisted to the
surface. Authorities Of the city and
government officiHls were present, and
evinced deep interest in the work.