The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-17
EXPLOSION ON YACHT; 8 HURT
MRS. y. n. GIBSON'S VAGABOND
SINK ~ THE NORTH RIVER.
GasoIcne, Carelessly Handled. Cause Of
the Expiosion--The Owner Among the
InIured-F1re Boat Pours Water Into
the Vessel Until She Goes to Bottom

While gasolene was being passed from
A barrel into the tank of the auxiliary yawl
Vagabond anchored in the North River
off Ninety-second street, yesterday after
noon, against the orders and in the absence
Of the captain. there was an explosion.
which set fire to the yacht and
burned and injured every person aboard,
eight in ALL including the yachts owner,
Mrs j. Blois Gibson of East Seventy
third street.
The explosion and fire were seen by many
PERSONS in Riverside Park and in the houses
along the Drive, as well as by those in var
io,s craft In the river and boats were immed-
lately sent out to the burning yacht while
others anxious to help waited on shore to
attend the victims as soon as they reached
land
Besides Mrs. Gibson. the injured were
three OF the yawl's crew and two workmen
and two business men, who were on board
attending to fitting the yacht out for
cruise up the New England coast.
The accident happened about l:l5 o'clock.
4 concise account of it as it appeared to on
lockers was given by Capt. G.. w. Gibson OF
the steam yacht Anita OF the Columbia
clubs house at the foot Of West Eighty-sixth
street. The Anita is owned by Alfred Carr,
vice commodore of the club. Capt. Gibson,
who is not related TO Mrs. Gibson, said:
Al was on the deck of the Anita when l
heard the explosion up river and saw the
white smoke issuing from the Vagabond's
companionway. knew that the yawl had
taken a spin up the river in the morning
4 49, -.
mornings with a barrel Of naphtha on her
deck.
AS looked at her three men came dash
ing up the companionway and jumped
over the stern into the river.
Il ordered ono of my men to get boat
ready, and went at once to the Vagabond.
getting up to her about the first one. We
picked up two of the men who had jumped
overheard One of them was pretty we'll
used up saw hat nearby in the water
and rather thought that the third man
had persisted. but the reports of the other
rescuers say not.
"Other boats put out from Navin's float,
Just opposite the yagabond and the yawl's
men had by this time got her launch into
in it, and everybody was taken ashore in
safety. The tug President came up and
went alongside. and her men pitched the
barrel OF naphtha overheard.
hurried to drug stores, only to go later to
:. hospital, and the other men of the crew
were attended by trained nurse from the
Misses Eiy's school. This young woman
had rushed to the 1artb s with rsaze d
WHIST had happened. By the time the ambu.:
lapces arrived she had treated the burned
men In q way to give them much relief.
house. and after some Of the injured men
had been treated the nurse went down TO
the clubhouse and attended to her. All
the men went to the hospital, but Mrs;
tiisbon declined to be taken to hospital
and went to her home in private carriage.
Capt. W. E. Rich Of the Vagabond was
ashore at the time Of the explosion. but
he saw 1t and was present at the burning
Of the yacht. Capt Rich was at one time
a captain on the Mallory Line. He Is both
capt ain and chief engineer of the Vaga-
bond, as we'll as being driver OF Mrs. Glib
sons big automobile.
After the yagabond had returned to her
mornings with the gasolene, the captain
said last evening, that no gasolene should be
transferred to the tank in his absence or
without his express orders. He had re-
turned to the river front and had signalled
to the yawl for boat for him and the Vaga-
bonds dinghy had just left the yawl's side
when the explosion came.
Capt Rich said last evening that accord
ing to the investigation he had made, the
gas liberated by pouring the ,gasolene from
The barrel on the after deck to the tank
penetrated to the space below the cabin
flooring and into the cabin itself.
The Eagabond is high-sided boat with
a flush deck from which the cabin is entered
directly by companionway; there is no
Capt Rich said that after the filing OF
the tank, the gas which had reached the
cabin should have been blown out by
windsail which was arranged for that par
'icuar. purpose, care being taken meanwhile
that there should be no flame whatever
permitted aboard the yacht.
Instead Of this, the captain said one OF
the men struck a match and the explosion
followed at once.
The yacht was illuminated by acetylene
gas and there was rumor on the river
front that it might have been the acetylene
gas and not the gasolene which blew up.
Capt. Rich said, however, that it was not
the acetylene gas which exploded.
Every one Of the eight persons in the
Mrs Gibson was burned on the face, arms
and hands, so that the outer skin came on,
and her hair was badly burned: In acdi-
tion she is suffering from shock, hut her
Injuries it was said last evening are not
serious.
Sopus Larsen the mate. % years old,
who lived aboard the yacht was the man
who was pouring the gasoline from the
barrel to the tank Capt. Rich said, and
when the explosion occurred he ran down
to the cabin and rescued Mrs. Gibson carry
ing her while her clothing were afire up
10 the deck. where others Of the yachts
company were already lowering the launch
Every one of the men was also burned
but they worked together to get Mrs. Glib
son into the launch some OF them following
into it. Larsen's face and breast were
burned and he and Samuel Rich, the launch
man Of the yacht, who halls from Maine,
whose hands, face and breast were burned,
were the most severely injured OF the eight
victims Of the explosion Both men were
sent to the Harlem Hospital.
He also went to the Roosevelt Hospital,
where no information concerning thecon..
dition Of either Mr.. Folger or Mr. Concord
could I've obtained Mr.. Folger IL re-
corded on the police records in West Tooth
street as a manager stopping at the Hotel
Imperial
:. The other injured were Joie Imase. the
Nagabond's Japanese steward, and Charles
Butler, workman, both Of whom went to
the J, Hood Wright Hospital and Frederick
Risch, workman, whe went to Roosevelt
Hospital
The vagabond was badly burned. Her
rigging was burned pretty much away,
as were her awnings, and her hull was badly
damaged by the fire, II Wa6 said by those