The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-01-04

TONBOAT.. DEFENDER BLEW up
WITH HORRIFYING RESULT

Ice. AS | stood on the deck. Just out
side. saw the glare of steamer,
and heard her chus.chug as she
fought ler way through the foes
Suddenly mass of flame burst
into the air. and the whole river
seemed TO heave with the force of n
terrific explosion. The next minute
the place where the steamer had been
there was nothing but huge bon.
fire
Il called to neighbor of mine, who
has boat alongside of mine. and the
two of us jumped into sldff and
made for the blazing steamer. which
was about half mile below my boat,
in midstream. We pulled hard, but
II was fully twenty minutes before
we could make the distance as the
river was at foodtide and running
swift.
side was of such horrifying nature
that l will never forget it. Several
charred bodies were floating alongside
while from the steamer itself, above
the kissing of the flames as they
struck the water you could hear the
shrieks of some poor devil who,
though still alive had nothing but "a
horrible death ahead of him. And
there we lay helpless. 1t was moth
ing short of madness to attempt to do
anything for the poor boys on the
Defender. She was a furnace, and in
spite of the zero chill of the night, it
blistered your face If you got within
fifty feet of the vessel.
II don't know how many were kill
cd, but / do know that none could
outlive the seetning furnace. Resi-
dents all over the city were awaken
ed by the concussion of the explo-
sion. which was felt as far as the
Chesapeake and Ohio depot a full
mile from the shore
Details Hard to Get.
Details of the disaster are as yet
unobtainable. AT the offices of the
Monongahela River Consolidated Coal
and Coke Company, to which the
wrecked boat belonged, no list oil the
dead and injured could be secured.
At five o'clock this morning Captain
Woodward called the Office of the
Monongahela Consolidated Coal and
Coke Company in this city by phone
and gave the following meagre details
of the accident:
1--WE were two miles above Hunting
ton on the way to Pittsburg when the
accident occurred. The trouble was
caused by two defective flues in the
larboard boiler. The list of the dead
and injured l do not know as yet. Pi-
lot Weldon is alive and only slightly
hurt. We are lying near Guyandotte
and there is three feet of water COW
ering our docks. The steamers head
is partly out of the water, her stern
being entirely submerged. She is
quartering badly The Exporter came
along about two or three hours after
the accident and picked up our tows." ;"
1t was also stated at the offices that
owing to the fact that men were hired
as they applied on the steamer prior
to her departure for Cincinnati there
was no list of those aboard except
that kept by the captain.
An official of the company said the
boilers of the company were thor
oughly inspected two months ago at
which time they were reported in per
feet condition. The examination was
was made by the government inspec.
tors. The boilers were put in new a
little over five years ago. 1t is be-
lieved that no time will be lost in
investigating the cause of the disas-
| ter. Jurisdiction in the case comes
under the Gallipolis district and must
| be conducted by the government in
spectors there. They are Captain
Edward Maddy and Captain Edward
Morgan.
Death List.
HUNTINGTON, w. Va, Jan A.
The list of dead in the explosion Of
boilers on the towboat Defender, on
the Ohio river in front OF this city last
night will. according to the statement
made by Captain woodward, reach
ten, with some fifteen or more wound
ed. The list of dead or missing ac-
cordfng to Captain woodward fol
lows.
PERRY SPENCER. of Point Pleas
ant, mate.
THOMAS DUFFY. Of Pittsburg.
fireman.
fcontinued On Fourth Paae.)