Willmar tribune., 1904-06-01
RIVER TOWbOAT
BLOWN TO Pieces
FOURTEEN KILLED AND SEVEN
INJURED BY A TERRIBLE
BOILER EXPLOSION.
THE DISASTER OCCURS
NEAR LOUISVILLE. KY.
Wreckage from the Graft Is Thrown
500 Yards and Flag Floats from
Treetop-Cause of Accident Is Not
Yet Known.

Louisville, Ky, May 27-Fourteen
persons were killed. two fatally in
jured and five hurt by an explosion of
boilers which totally demolished the
towboat Fred Wilson, off Riverview
Park, Thursday.
The dead: Capt. Joseph Price, Pitts
burg; William Holland, Braddock, Pa;
William Quinn, steward, Pittsburg;
Albert Miller pilot, Pittsburg; Sherman
Shively, second engineer, Pittsburg;
first cook. name unknown; Joseph War
rem (colored) Middleport, Ohio; Will
liam Thornton (colored), Middleport,
Ohio; Patrick. portion of body
found on coal boat; four white deck
hands, names unknown. Cliff A. John
pital at noon
Fatally injured: Emma Williams,
chambermaid, burned; J. Lettercouth,
deckhand, Wellsburg, w. Va, scalded:
The Wilson was the property of\the
Monongahela Coal & Coke company,
and left Pittsburg last Friday with six
barges, IL coal boats and four flats,
bound for Louisville. She arrived here
about midnight, and proceeded down
the river and was about to tie up when
the explosion occurred. The cause of
the accident is not known. The boat
had just put about to back into land
ing place when the explosion occurred.
Physicians Hurried to Scene
Henry Shively, second engineer, was
blown through the side of the Wilson
and landed 25 feet away on top of
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 and hospital ambulance and the
automobiles of the morning newspapers
carried corps of physicians and nurses
to the scene, which is four miles from
the heart of the city. The injured were
taken to the residence of Co.. John II.
Wha]len until they could be better pro-
vided for at the city hospital. Mr.
Whallen's house, which is about $50
yards from the river. was badly damaged
by the explosion, but none of the family
was injured. The front doors were
splintered, 1he chandeliers in the draw
lng-rOOm were shattered and nearly
every window ia the house was broken.
Col. Whallen sent the first word to the
city, and he used his private yacht in
rescuing those blown from the boat.
Boat Blown to Pieces.
The Wilson was literally blown to
pieces and her hull sunk in 18 feet of
water. Two heavy pieces of her boiler
were found almost 500 yards from the
bank and her flag floats from the top
of tree near Riverview Park, where it
was blown with piece of Wreckage.
The Wilson was built Is years ago and
was reconstructed in part last year. She
was valued at $4,000. She was insured
in the Special Insurance" which all
boats of the coal combine carry. Her
length was ia feet; 80 feet inches
BEAM
Capt. Price vas river man all his
life and was considered one of the best
masters in the employ of the river COM
pany. He was worthy captain of the
American Association of Masters and
Pilots. His wife is seriously i'll at their
home at Braddock. and it is feared his
death will seriously retard her recovery.
Alleged Defaulter Arrested.
Chicago, May 27.-Herman e. Haas,
auditor of the Corn Exchange national
bank, who disappeared from his home
here ten days ago. has been arrested in
San Juan del Rio Querotaro, Mexico, on
charge of embezzlement He was ar
rested by private detectives employed
by the bank, who traced him from point
to point in Texas, New Mexico and
Mexico until he was arrested in San
Juan del Rio Querotaro, where he posed
as cowboy. Officials of the bank say
that the exact amount of his defalca-
tons has not yet been learned, but it is
thought that it will exceed the amount
now estimated, $17,400.