Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-09-11
CANAL BOAT FAMILY
SCALDED BY STEAM
Boy and Girl Dead, Brother
Dying, Mother Frustrated,
Father Burned.
POWERHOUSE EXHAUST
POURs INTO THE CABIN
Capt. Spong Injured in Going to Aid.
All Taken to Emergency
Hospital.

Two children are dead. another is
probably dying. the father injured
and the mother Frustrated by shock
all the family Of Capt. Samuel
Spong-the result OF scalding by steam
which poured into the cabin of canal
boat at about s o'clock this morning
from a powerhouse exhaust pipe. The In
jured are at Emergency Hospital.
Capt. Spong commands canal boat
No. "A of the Consolidation Coal Com
pany. His wife is Mrs. Nina Spong.
old: John, thirteen years old. and
Sarah Spong, six years old. The little
girl died about four hours after the
accident, and her brother John died at
1910 o'clock.
Family Asleep in Cabin.
The boat, loaded with coal. arrived
at the foot of Wisconsin avenue.
Georgetown, about S o'clock this morn
ing and tied up to the sea wall of the
Capital Traction power house. Capt.
Spong was on duty. His wife and chill
dren were asleep in the cabin.
The window of the cabin was open
and within four or Eve feet of a six
inch steam exhaust pipe coming un-
foreground from the power house ana
leading into the river. About O'Clock
steam was turned into the pipe to blow
of one of the boilers.
the pipe caused fange on the pipe.
where it turned downward into the
water, to blow of. The escaping steam
went directly into the cabin of the boat.
The sleeping occupants had no time
to escape, and were awakened by the
scalding steam blowing over them. The
cries of the mother and children at
tracted the father. who was on another
part of the boat. When he went to
their assistance he was burned on the
back.
An employe of the power house heard
the cries Of the boat occupants. He
called to another employe to shut of
the steam.
All Taken to Hospital.
The mother and children were rushed
to the hospital There it was found
the children were burned over their
entire bodies. Mrs. Spong was suffering
from shock. After she arrived at the
institution her condition became worse.
Capt. Spong went to the hospital later.
When the police heard of the acci-
dent Detective Hughlett was sent from
police headquarters and Detective
Scrivener from the seventh precinct to
make investigation. An inspection was
also made by an Official of the public
utilities commission.
1t was stated at the power plant that
1t is the custom each morning to blow
off" the boilers before the fires are
started up at full heat for the day. 1t
was when this was being done that the
accident happened.
Officials Make Investigation.
John H. Mills. representing the public
utilities commission. made a careful
examination of the pipe where the
break occurred. Detectives Hughlett
and Springmann and Precinct Detective
Scrivener also examined it and will re-
port the result of their examinations
tomorrow at an inquest that will be
held at the morgue at 1880 o'clock.
Virgil r. Walker, night engineer at
the power plant. and Edgar Rollins,
on the steam this morning, were ques-
toned at police headquarters by In
spector Grant. Walker was directed to
appear at the inquest as witness, and
Rollins was formally placed under ar
rest. He was required to furnish $500
bond for his appearance.
Coroner hewitt viewed the body of
the dead child at the hospital and
visited the scene of the accident. He
conferred with the police who investi-
gated the affair and directed that all