Year: 1871




passengers took possession Of that part Of the boat
forward OF the wheelhouse. Those who could not
find room on the benches. and who were able to
capture stool, took up as comfortable position
as they could get just in front OF those
on The benches. In two minutes after the
gates on the pier had been thrown open, the for
ward part Of the boat was literally packed win
men, women and children, so much so that
it was quite impossible for a person to get
around from one side of the hurricane deck 10
the other without getting passage made through
the crowd by the removal OF an entire line OF the
movable seats Those who had been unable to secure
a seat of any KIND, in looking upon the laughing
CAV hearted crowd that filed the small space
near the wheclhouse as they good naturedly joked
about the unfortunates who had been too slow In
the rush up stairs 10 get even stray box 10 sit
upon. little thought how thankful they would in
hrie, moment have reason to be Tor their misfor-
tune.


IL was now lacking three or four minutes OF the
hour of starting. The children were running about
the deck amusing themselves in game OF tag. A
little group of joly-looKng fellows accom-
panied by several women who sat beside
them, closely hudded together right in the
middle OF the thickest of the crowd, had already
opened series of jocose story telngs, and a loud
roar Of laughter every once in while from
the listeners told how they were relisning
what they heard. In fact everybody had
%
as possible for pleasant time Of 1t during the sail
down the bay, and not one OF the laughing crowd
ever gave thought that within few feet OF them
was huge mass Of plate iron, hidden from view
beneath the deck. which in second was to carry


DEATH AND DEsoLATIoN


to many a happy home. The engineer started at
this moment from the pnothouse as the bells were to
be rung to Ego sheadn The lines were cast Oh, the
gang planks drawn in and the pilot stood
at his post, when OF a sudden there was
loud crash, a sound OF kissing steam, and the boat
shook from stem to stern though she had been
struck by an iceberg, and In a second the forward
decks were thrown high into the air and
fell in all directions in a thousand pieces. The
boiler had exploded. The scene that ensued
beggars description. The wheelhouse was
thrown high into the air; the hurricane deck
IN front OF 1t and alongside Of it was
torn into shreds and scattered in every direction.
The deck beneath, near the bow, was rent asunder
by the force Of the conclusion. The boiler crash
ing into the forward part Of the hulk, carried
with 1t everything that lay In It's way.
The heavy timbers Of the deck were
entire hold was laid open, and down into the midst
of all the heap Of broken iron and broken rails
away down IN the hold, from which the steam was
gushing in thick, sufrocating clouds-lay


STRUGGLING MASS OF MEN,


women and children-each in MS or her agony tear.
ing blindly at the other to reach place OF safety.
Some Law on the edge OF the broken part Of lower
deck, crushed and mangled almost out Of all sem.
blance to humanity, while in the water, near
the steamer were crowds of the passengers strug
all sides to the rescue.


The hurricane deck forward OF the sha It was
hurled in fragments into the air. every person 1t
being hurled along with it and falling either dead
or horribly manRled on the lower deck or into the
waters beneath The smoke stack fell at the
same moment the wheelnouse crashing down
at the same time and the combined weight Of the
two crushed in what little renamed OF the decks
down with 1t every unfortunate who had not been
nung into the river by the explosion. A bystander
states that he actually saw two men fall into the
water headess, and three others without the slight
est vestige Of an arm or leg.


the scene was one OF heart rendng horror.
Shrieks rent the air upon all sides, and
above the din and confusion made by the groans
and moans Of the wounded was heard the shril
shrek Of some woman, wao beneath a mass OF
broken timbers lay writhing and struggling.
In a vain EFFORT to get free. The Police boat and
boats from Governors Island were soon on han d.
and their crews worked en- ergeucally to save those
who had been thrown into the water by the ex-
plosioD, or who had. In the terror OF the moment
sprung overheard. very large number were


SAVED BY THE BOATS,


and everything done that could be done to alle
viate the sunerngs OF the wounded, VINO were
brought ashore and laid upon the wharves In a
short time after the dreadful accident the streets
near the pier began to fill up with an
excited crowd. An hour after the occur
renee there were fully FIVE thousand people
in the vicinity OF the Battery, and IL was as much
as the police could do 10 keep them back from the
slip where The shattered boat was Ling. Az
quickly as could be the wounded were taken in
wagons and ambularces to the nearest sta.
ton house-tbat in New street-where they
received all the attention that the surgeons could
bestow upon them, and we're afterward sent 10 the
hospitals. Some OF the dead were frightfuliy mutt
lated. Many Of the bodies brought 70 the sta
ton house Immediately after the occurrence
Thev