The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-27
OHIO RIVER TOWDOA1 IS
BLOWN into PIECES AND
TEN PERSONS ARE KILLED
Boilers of the Fred Wilson Ex-
plode, with Frightful Effect,
Near Louisville.
FRAGMENTS HURLED FAR
Flag Is Carried to Top OF Tree.
Where 1t Now Floats-Sixteen
People Are Injured.

LOUISVILLE, Ky, May 26.-Ten per-
sons were killed one fatally injured and fif-
teen hurt by an explosion OF boilers. which
destroyed the towboat Fred Wilson off
River View Park at $50 O'Clock this morn
ing. The Wilson was literally blown to
pieces and her hull sank in eighteen feet Of
water. Two heavy pieces of her boiler were
found almost 800 yards from the bank and
her flag floats from the top of tree near
River View Park, where it was blown with
a piece of wreckage.
OF the thirty persons aboard the boat,
only seven escaped unhurt.
The force of the explosion SO great
that il shattered windows and awakened
the occupants of houses in Louisville, four
miles from the scene Following is a list
Of the casualties:
Dead-Joseph Price. captain, Braddock,
Pa; Albert II. Miller. pilot, Pittsburg; w.
a. Holland. guest of Captain Price. Brad
dock, Pa. William Quinn, steward Pitts
burg: Hugh Hoskins, cook. Pittsburg; j. c..
Johnson, deck hand. Tyrone, Pa; Patrick
White, deck hand. Pittsburg; sherman
Shibler, second engineer. Pittsburg; VIII
liam Thornton, colored fireman. Middleport.
O.; Joseph Warren, colored fireman, Mid
dleport, o.
Injured-Tobe Letzicouch, deck hand.
cabin boy, Brockton, o., blown 125 feet to
shore, serious; William M. Timmons. New
Albany. Ind. John Miller. Allegheny. Pa. ;
William Miller. Allegheny, Pa; Albert Z.
Stewart, Middleport, o.; Emma Williamson,
chambermaid. Pittsburg. Nine others slight
~ injured. All the injured except Letzi-
couch will recover.
Only three bodies have thus far been re-
covered, those of Sherman Shibler, Patrick
White and j. c. Johnson, who died in a
hospital The bodies of the other seven vic
Tins are thought to be pinned under the
wreckage and may not be recovered for
several days. Three deckhands reported as
missing and thought TO have swelled the
number of dead to thirteen, were afterward
found in local hospitals.
The Fred Wilson was the property of the
Monongahela River Consolidated Coal and
Coke Company, and at the time the acct
dent occurred, was arranging her tow near
Riverview Park, about sixty feet from
shore. No good explanation of the cause
of the accident has been offered and there
is little hope that the coroners inquest
which will be held Monday, will throw any
light on the matter. The most plausible
theory is offered by some of the deck hands,
who suggest there may have been an excess
of mud in the boilers.
The only passenger killed in the explosion
was William Holland, a business man Of
Price. Mr. Holland was on a pleasure
trip as the guest of Captain Price. Cap
tain Price was a river man all his life,
and was considered one of the best masters
in the employ of the river company. He
was worthy captain of the American Asso-
citation of Masters and Pilots. His wife is
seriously Ill at their home at Braddock, Pa,
and it is feared his death will seriously re-
tard her recovery.
Sherman Shvely, second engineer, was
blown through the side of the Wilson and
landed twenty-five feet away on top of a
shanty boat. Father Cunningham was one
of the first to arrive at the scene of the
explosion, and gave extreme JUNCTION to
several men who were dying. The police
ambulance and the automobiles of the
morning papers carried a corps of physi-
clans and nurses to the scene which is
four miles from the heart of the city. The
init red were taken to the resiuerce of Col.
John Whallen until they could be better
provided for at the city hospitals. Mr..
Whsllens house, which is about $50 yards
from the river, was badly damaged by the
explosion, but none of the family was in
jured. The front doors were splintered,
the chandeliers in the drawing room were
shattered and nearly every window in the
house was broken. Colonel Whallen sent
the first word TO the city, and he rendered
his private yacht to rescue those blown
from the boat The injured have been re-
moved TO the City and Marine Hospitals,
and are progressing favorably. although all
are fearfully injured.
The Wilson was built eighteen years ago,
and reconstructed in part last year.
She valued at $4,000 She in
sured in the special insurance which all
boats of the coal combine carry. Her
length was ia feet, thirty feet eight inches
beam.