Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-08-30
BOILER EXPLODES.
Steamer City Of Trenton
Wrecked in the Delaware.
Eleven Killed, Four Missing and a
Score or More Injured.
Boat Takes Fire and Is Total Loss The Cause
Not Known.

! gers ARE HiISSs!S. Dut a. many Fu''oi''
I'd slight injlries it is thought the
missing may b. nm.nG those VINO dii
: not find it necessary IL 30 to the hos
pitfalls
| Tn. dead are:
J D. Chew. assistant engineer.
Miss Elizabeth Green. Philadelphia
| Two tlr.incn. names unknown.
| one dcckhai A, name unknown.
| Two passengers. names unknown.
| Five other persons. who's bncl"a
| have bee u rrcnNe"cp.
| The missing:
| Mrs. John Matthews, Philadelphia.
Miss Matilda Ctufs. Philadelphia.
| Tu.o children " he wcr" seen 10 jump
| overheard.
After tn" explosion the boat took fire
ana ran aground. Tonight. she Lies a
| wrecked and black cncd hulk in tn"
inarsti-s. ~ miles abovr this ctty. Her
nold u nl,d with water ana II ~
feared more 81 her passengers ana
! crew may b. found when tho water Is
| pumped ont
! \ boat belonging t. the police &C.
plrtm'nt if pumping III" ""t"r from
| ~" vessel.
| ! H. Ky 90 fFitbl ilistt'-" '4Ai'F
! TINS between Philadelphia and Tren-
| Ton. topping a p"irts on th" way.
| when she left tn. campany's wharf at
| Ia. this afternoon, her passenger list
! was lighter than usual aud sne carried
! vars iittl. freight. The y-Sse! was in
charge az capt ". A. Wurr-n Their"
wei" about ]. hrrm.nt and d", khands
| abrur
At "a point oppnslt.. what IL known as
| tn" Harrison mansion. fronting the
J Delaware riy"r. q suburban resort. tn"
| steam PIPE conn, ting with thc port
! boiler burst with loud report The
| forward portion ~ tne upper deck was
| Well filled with passengers while many
others we're in the cabin.
Before any Of the passengers or en-
pluyrs had an opportunity Of seeking
! places Of safety another explosion o.
| CURED ana this time the port boiler
was rent IN twain. ScaldinE steam and
| water poured into the cabin ana S--,.-
lions OF the woodwork OF the boat We're
torn away by the force Of the expio-
| sion.
Those OF the passengers who were
! not injured 10y the scalding steam and
| boiling water Wcr" struck by the flying
PORTIONS Of til, splintcr"d cabin. Legs
and arms We're broken and faces and
bodies We're rlrbriled.
The screams Of tn" injured could be
heard on snorc and the cries Of those
who leapcl ana were blown into the
river Were heartrendin-.
80 great was the force Of the explo-
sion that Il piano in the upper draw
| Ing room Was hurled from the boat in
to the river. This proved a fortunate
circumstance for many Of the injured
| passengers. Thrown into the water
| scalded ana otherwise injured. they
/ clun- 10 the piano until rescued
| When the explosion occurred Mate
Ndndurverr ana Pilot Henry who were
IN The pilot house were thrown down
| and the wheel threw the bow of the
| u At toward the shore ana She quick
| ~ ran aground.
| BY this tim" the vessel had caught
| FIRE and those Of the passengers who
were still aboard were compelled tn
leap for their lives Fortunately the
water was not more than four feet
deep ana many We're able to wade
ashore. Some, however. who were too
| seriously injured Ia help themselves.
were rescued by memhcrSIf boat clubs.
Capt. Wnrrell was the last man 10
leave The boat. All If tE- seriously in
Jurrd We're hurriedly conveyed to a
| hospital.
AS soon rs possible word was sent
| Ia this city for the poli,r boats Sam
ucl II. Ashbridge ana Edwin Stuart
| and the emergency corps Of doctors.
| tn" police boats rendered effective ser
| vice in eXtingushing the flames which
| wer" fast consuming the boat ami in
caring for the injured. The physicians
| ana surgeons of the emergency corps
| assisted in relieving the suffering IL
the injured
| None OF the injured We're able To give
an intelligible account Of the disaster.
| chef Engineer Murphy. who was on
| watch when the accident happened
| reported To the officials. tonight that
/ the boiler which exploded carried only
lao pounds of steam. Murphy. along
with an oiler named Bryson. had just
| left the boiler room when the explosion
| occurred and both are positive that
the boiler did not carry the limit of
steam allowed by law.
Murphy was slightly injured and
| BiySon escaped without a scratch. AS
| sistant Engineer Chew and a fireman
| VIII" were off watch and We're on deck
were killed.
The boilers of the City of Trenton
were inspected in June by federal in
| spectors and stood hydraulic test of
26S pounds to the inch. She was al
lowed to carry 115 pounds and her safe
~ valve, the company officials say.
| was so arranged that steam blew Off
at $50 pounds. Engineer Murphy also
, maintains that there were seven inches
of water in the boiler at the time Of
the explosion.
Late tonight, Horace Wilson. vice
president and manager of the Whining
ton Steamboat Co.. issued the follow
ing statement:
AS near as we can ascertain at this
time the accident to the steamer City
OF Trenton was due to the explosion of
her port boiler. setting fire to the yes