Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1905-01-06
EIGHT LIVES LOST BY
TERRIBLE EXPLOSION
Boiler of Tow Boat bursts With
Disastrous Results.
-URIO oLARE LIoArsn up IKE

No Information Regarding the catas.
trophe Is obtalnsbls from Those
Who Were Reseusd-Unknown Wo.
man Among the injured.
Huntington. W Va, Jan AT II
O'Clock last night the people OF this
city were startled By a terrible explo.
sion, followed almost Immediately by
lurid glare which lighted Up Che
heavens for miles aroual !nN 1stigA.
ton showed that the boders OF the low
boat Defender exploded just opposite
this city and the boat aid numnsr of
the barSes IN tow we're n flames.
The work OF rescuing. the dead and
injured was soon beguh ana II was
soon found that the lofs OF life had
been great. or the tmrty-eight men
on the boat only nine escaped serious
injury.
Several dead bodies hag ebeen recov.
cred
Five others are so badly burned ana
scalded that their lives danot be saved.
Six more Of The crew cannot be nc.
counted Tor and il Is believed that their
lifeless bodies now lie at the bottom
of the Ohio
A partial list Of the dead aud miss.
ing follows.
Percy Spencer mato Poin, PIeds
ant. w. Va
Horace WetEol fireman, Pltlsburg
James Case. lamp Qmmer PITTS
burg
Thomas Dllaly. Scot Hampton. Jas
d @ fireman, Piteman. Piushurg
supposed to have burned TO death
William Wetzel. George Kidd. David
Adkps deck hands, pittsburg
The Blurred;
John Wilson. cook OF MlddletoVn. ..
Theodore Hand. Roustabout, Pitts.
burg.
Ira Ellis. second engineer. Pltt53l,s
john Francis, Pttsbu
Pat C0uley. second ,Jlk. PlFbme
Richard Conley prrlufR
The Defender was owned By a Pitts.
burg Tosbual company and Was ORE
OF che biggest towbuala an the river
She had been ono OF the frst boats
out % Pitfs2nrg on ibe scsat rise. 1
and lOwed a heavy line OF coal anrees
20 the Cincinnati martN she wGs
returning 10 piitsburg 10 cOmpsny with
the ioNboat Victor. N the Same CON.
pany, and The Statement "a made that
these two biz steamer Werc meIpg
az the time The explosion occurred. The
Victor Has about IN le ahead 0f the
Defender 90 the time and her crew
knew nothing Of tho wafu disaster
that had befalien her
The burning ~ the Defender was
witnessed By thousands Of people,
many OF whom we're owned 10 night
robes The work OF rescue % ths
victims was dlnicult owing 20 tbe DARK
hess aud li seemed bat oniY = feW
gaHis could be- secured 90 70 to M
scene Captain W0nirun ~ che De
fender uus picked ur 90 yards from
.he steamer by some small boys gho
'oWed in q yaul from che ohio shore
md be vas taken b. thaf side N fhs
aver De % nos ser JBsiy injured
0ns ricfim aas found hair q nile
5elou the scene ciHcblhF q p0riioa
y me srrckaEe be.fr 20 chilled that
be- could 30. SPEAK
The bnai almost Immediately anefI
De- erploalon saHs ~ ~ bottom. noi
more ihan 81 yards from fte West
Virginia shore To bafret in toa .
we're soon au afamr oct ines we're
.gf a.oaf sad fhey .osfe1 dosn ms (
stream afamf TseY eeFe GnaHgl
aHfof snd thc aamf etrar4iesel bg u
he nff fepanmfEf
Jhe seaf holt 70, Ib0nas Drrg "a
'iushs ffrnhu ar ,he weamff. utt (
'ne ~ fhf fuf iaksr ffen tfs areek /
To- adf ~ awen Et0rn ai
.Jane Fat COZ nf rratrrrf Hei
lfn az Cert rBai.s. ga
It0.e feneI fnn fat sfsansf ere
p faat lteF elH Ftai
% rfmw g laf1asn1a ffnf ~
o. rrr el
aanG afle fa sqer $50 60
.ft 600 uaF rtogefr
tngas ta sla eaa nema1
- Eaeas b