Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-09-05
DELAWARE RIVER DISASTER.
The Exploded Boiler Found Tuesday
Experts win Examine 1t.

Philhdelphin, Pa, Sept. 4.-The
long sought for butler of the ill-faJed
steamer City of Trenton was finally To-
GATED Yesterday afternoon, and late last
night was dragged ashore on the hard
bottom, near Torresdale wharf. 1t viii
be lifted TO one of the big soows this
morning and lowed to the Neafie u
Levy sbipyard, where it will be OK
amined by experts and the character
OF the fatal explosion asoertained.
The great iron boiler was found i'm
bodied in the mud under 90 feet of
water, at point 100 yards southeast OF
the Hen and Chickens. The crews Of
the two soows Of John Williams a. Co.
OF Chester, together with the crews of
the tug ARCTIC and of the policehoat
Visitor, had searched for IL since day
break on Monday, and finally, about
O'Clock yesterday afternoon, the dag
lines of the Visitor became entangIed
tin something, which Diver George
Hughes discovered upon Investigation
to be the long sought boiler.
Hughes described the condition of
the boiler as follows; II found largo
crack and a hole about "a inches wide
in the bottom of the boiler. 1t lay on
it's side with the head toward the
jersey shore. More than half OF the
boiler was embedded 10 the mud. The
examination / made was, of course,
only superficial, and cannot give any
opinion as to what caused the ex-
plosion. -
As soon as Hughes reported the result
of his examination he went down
again, rugged up the heavy mass of
iron and attached to it etrong chain,
which swung from the big derrick on
the wreclsing scow Williams. 1t proved
to be no easy task to lift the IA tons OF
iron from the place where it was half
buried in the mud. So great was tho
strain on the derrick that the scow nj
most keeled over, and it was seen that
IL would be impossible to raise the
mass with single derrick! A second
scow, which was in reserve, was ao-
cordiugly brought intD use and another
chain was attached to the boiler.
The derricks Of both scows operating
together were making fairly govd pro-
gress, when suddenly the heavy chain
snapped under tho strain and the boiler
once mors struck the bottom. This
necesstated another descent OF Diver
Hughes. who had to do his former work
over again. BY about O'Clock every
thing was ready and the work of rails
ng the boiler was again oommeEced.
This time four strands Of heavy chain
were used and the engines of both
scows united to furnish power. The
boiler was raised to within few feet
of the surface. Capt. Williams, who
directed the operations, then decided
not to raise the boiler on board, but
ordered that 1t be dragged ashore on
the hard bottom near Torresdale wharf.
T1uhnata fhFatu ntaft fhaf, 1tnaa
the two big scows, with the 14-ton
boiler swinging underneath them, were
hauled toward shore. About O'Clock
the boiler was beached.
eve are very glad the boiler has
been found" said Gen sral Manager
Wilson OF the steamboat company. tits
condition will probably clear up the
cause of this most lamentable disaster.
j need not say We OF the company are
Just as anxious as anybody to have the
whole matter sifted and to have the
responsibility placed. The boiler Will
be taken to the shipyard, and will not
be tempered with by anyone until the
proper officials have an expert examina-
tion made of 1t. Until the boiler has
been examined no proper investigation
of the explosion can be made''
The death list has not been increased
since yesterday morning when, with
the death OF Mrs. Van Shaiok of flights
town, N. j., it reached 26. J. W.
Hastings, who with his wife and Mias
Keen and Mrs. Smith, ia still patient
at the House of Correction Hospital,
was reported to be much improved yes
terday, and Is expected to recover. Mrs.
Hastings is almost entirely we'll, Mrs.
Smith hopes to leave the hospital today,
and Miss Keen, who was at first sup
posed to be fatally injured, is now
doing very we'll, and her recovery is
looked for.
With the approval of the mayor and
by order OF the director OF the Depart
ment OF Public Safety, the officers and
employees OF the Bureaus OF Police and
Fire, especially Capt. Hamm. Lieut..
DUNCAN, Sergeant Reed, the officers of
the Twenty fourth and Twenty sew enth
dist lots, and of the boats Visitor,
Stokley and shbridge, and the physi-
clans of the Philadelphia M edioal Emer-
gency Corps, have been commended for
faithful devotion to duty in their efforts
In behalf Of the victims OF the explosion
on the City Of Trenton. "In many
instances, the official announcement
continues, 'rescuee were made at the
Imminent reril OF the rescuers, both
from water and fire, and, had it not
beep for the gallant work OF the officers,
few persons would have been saved
ffom the wrecked and burning vessel.
The efficient services performed by the
officers Of the department, involving
not only danger, but work OF the most
Rrduous character, were performed
zealously and oheerfully, and are de-
serving OF the highest commendation
The officials and employees OF the House
of Correction rendered valuable services
in cooperation with the police and In
their care of the injured They also
are deserving Of communication.
A dispatch from Pottsville last night
stated that Mrs. Thomas Smith Of that
CITY was fearful that her husband was
one OF the unidentified victims of the
steamboat explosion. He left PottsyiIle
for Trenton via Philadelphia and was
last seen by friends at the wharf from
which the Inflated steamer sailed, He
told them he was about to board a
steamer for Trenton.
Two of those injured in the explosion
on the City of Trenton, Mrs. Francis
Bowers and Mrs. Hedwig Henneisen,
yesterday began suits for heavy dam
ages against the Wilmington Steam boat
&c. The two women, whose husbands
join in the suits, were ON short
pleasure trip to Bristol, and both refer
in strong terms, in their statement, to
the high rate of speed of the boat.
They say that the speed was 30 great
that the boat fairly tremDled as it
plunged through the water. At the
hn IL