The sun., 1918-09-22
16SCALDEDBY
BOAT EXPLOSION
$50 Shipbuildcrs in Peril on
Staten Island Sound as
Steam Pipes Burst.
so RESCUED FROM WATER
The Julia Stafford, in U. s.
Ship Board Service, Is Able
to Reach a Pier.

Fifteen shipbuilders were scalded. five
so badly that they may die. when three
steam pipes exploded last night on the
Julia Stafford, an excursion steamboa:
chartered by the United States Shipping
Board to ferry them from the shipyards
on Shooters Island to Thirty-ninth
street. Brooklyn.
The explosion occurred at o'clock
when the vessel. with $50 aboard, was in
Staten Island Sound Fifty Of the ship
builders leaped into the water. some
with and some without life preservers.
Ten or a dozen swan the half mile to
Bayonne. ". j.; as many reached
Sailors Snug Harbor on Staten Island,
an equal distance.
One who swan to the institution was
Joseph Nelser. 3S. OF 237 Forty-sixth
street. Brooklyn. He was the last Of
the men to go over the steamboats, rail
and when he jumped he already had
been badly burned about the face. arms
and body. both by water and steam,
Nevertheless he was Bile to reach shore
before some OF the others who had no.
been touched. He. collapsed when he
was pulled out, however, and is one Of
the Ave listed at ST. vincent's as having
small chance to recover.
TuEbOats Make Rescues.
Twenty-Five OF the men who jumped
into the water were picked up by tugs
and other craft that hurried TO the as
sistance of the Julia Stafford. None of
them was any the worse for the duck
ing.
As soon as the explosion occurred
Capt William J. Smith signalled to
Engineer Matthew Mccormick to put
on full speed ahead. II that were pos
sible. 1t was. since the pipes that burst
were not vital to tho working OF the
engine. and in less than two minutes
after the last of the three pipes had
burst the boat was headed for the pier
at Sailors Snug Harbor. which she made
without much difficulty
Persons on the Staten Island shore
who saw the men diving into the water
and who heard plainly the reports of
the triple explosion telephoned to Staten
Island police headquarters that the
Julia Stafford had blown up and that
more than u hundred men had been
killed. The police notified all of the ISL
and hospitals. the New York Navy Yard
and Harbor Police Squad A, as we'll as
the Staten Islani Red Cross Chapter
and the Richmond Bor-
ough Ambulance Corps, which Is operated
by women ambulance drivers.
Victims Taken to Hospital.
DR.. Alnschies, from st. vIncent's Hos
pital. reached the Sailors Snug Hsrbor
pier first. however. just as the Julia Stat
ford was being made fast to a pier. He
treated all o' the injured, and then
turned the Ave most seriously burned
o .er to the lady ambulance drivers to
be taken to st. v!ncents Hospital The
rest OF the intured also were taken to
tho hospital nfter receiving nrst aid at
the pier.
Besides Neiser. the men whose condi-
tion 10 considered critical are Alexander
81. OF 20s Twelfth street; Al
fred Munser. 81, 34Ii Beverley road
John May. -. of 256S Aibemarie road.
and George Anderson. s6. OF 6ss Thirty
seventh street. all of Brooklyn.
After the injured had been taken from
the Julia Stafford Federal inspectors
examined the burst pipes but were un-
able to detsrmine the cause OF the ex-
ploslon. The boat was towed back to
Shooters leland 20 that more thorough
lLysstigatisn may Dc made