Year: 1871

Telegrams have already given the par.


ticulars of the Westiield ferryboat ex'
plosion. The scenes that followed this
appalling disaster are fully described in
the New York papers of Monday. We
copy as follows from the Times:


HORRORS IN THE STREETS.


The scene along Broadway, from
Whitehall to Centre street, during the
conveyance of the mutilated victims of
the explosion to the hospitals, was har-
rowing in the extreme. Soon after the
dreadful accident occurred every avail
able vehicle in the neighborhood of the
disaster was pressed into the service,
and trucks and carts, coaches and
wagons, filled with the bloody, scalded
sufferers, writhing in all the agonies of
intense pain, were hurried on to their
destination. Policemen could be seen
carefully holding cushions in their arms,
upon which lay little innocents, some
piteously wailing for their mammas,
while others, far beyond the reach of
human aid, we're growing cold in death.
Some Of the victims who had suffered
comparatively slight injuries, we're OBJ
served walking along the streets, sup
ported by friends. Most of the poor
fellows presented CHASTITY appearance,
and their liyid paleness looked more like
walking dead men than beings Of this
world Their clothes were almost in
tatters; many had received severe contu-
sons from flying splinters; and all were
more or less seriously scalded. Every
drug store along the route to the hospital
was miniature dispensary, where the
failing strength of the pitiful sufferers
was either revived by strong stimulants
or the poor victims's energies were be-
yond recuperation, when the resting
place became his last on earth. To say
that Broadway was crowded would poorly
express the immense throng of sympa-
thizers, mostly Of the poorer classes, who
had gathered to witness the panorama OF
agonized suffering as it hurried by; and,
amid all that was so heartrending and
horrible, it was pleasant to notice the
expressions of real heartfelt sympathy
that were uttered in the most touching
accents, by the very lowest classes, for
the sad fate of the victims Of the shock
ing catastrophe. The hospital on Center





multitude, eagerly scanning the injured
as they were brought in, trembling with
fear as victim after victim passed. lest
he or she should be father, mother,
sister, brother, or some loved one equally
dear. The anxiety and eagerness of the
crowd were absolutely uncomfortable, as
they pressed forward to the ambulance
to view the injured, and it was long after
the last sufferer had been carried in, and
late at night, before the throng dispersed
to their homes, or wended their way to
the Morgue in dread lest they might find
the objects of their searches within its
repulsive walls.


SCENES AND INCIDENTS AT PARK HOSPITAL.


As soon as the first rumor of the acci-
dent got circulation, an immense throng
of people assembled about the Park
Hospital. As each ambulance and ex-
press wagon arrived with its ghastly load
of victims, the excitement became more
intense. People crowded around, fear
ing that some of their relatives might be
found among the killed and wounded !
The police formed Gordon around the |
building and kept back the anxious
crowd. In the hospital there we're a
number of surgeons from all the police |
stations in the city, and several volun-
teer surgeons who came to assist their
brethren. The scene pre-
sented inside was most heartrending. |
Men who had served through the late
war, and had seen many desperate bat
tie, where the field was strewn with dead
andwounded, were horror-stricken at the
fearful spectacle in the various wards of
the hospital. Men, women, and children
could be seen literally strewn on the
floor of the hospital, suffering in various
ways from the catastrophe. In the
treatment ward men might be seen stand
ing stark naked, with their skin scalded
from their head to their feet Some bore
their suferings with fortitude, but the
means Of others were most distressing
Passing through the wards, the reporter
of the Times saw some scenes which
we're enough to ourdle the blood in the
most hard-hearted. Here laya boy with
the whole flesh scalded off his back. He
,roc 1vin0 m, his face sy...., faifaouclx