Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2014 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== EAST SHORE NEWS PENTWATER, OCEANA Co., MICH. VOL. I, NO. 29 Friday, 4 August 1871 TERRIBLE EXPLOSION IN NEW YORK CITY. A Ferry-boat is blown up - Ninety-seven Bodies Recovered - One Hundred and Fifty Wounded. NEW YORK 30. - The Staten Island ferry-boat Westfield, crowded with passengers, exploded her boiler at 1:20 to-day in the slip at White- hall street. The concussion was terrific, shattering the forward part of the boat and killing and scalding a great number of people. The hurricane deck was carried overboard and fell over a large number of persons in the water, who were drowned. THE SCENE was beyond description. Men were struck dumb at the loss of their wives and little ones; women were distracted at having lost husbands and children were crying for their parents who were lost. The boilers was suddenly blown out, landing in the bow thirty feet distant. The forward part of the boat, the upper cabin and all, was instantly shivered and split into a thousand pieces. As an eye-witness expres- sed it, the forward part of the boat was lifted fifty feet in the air, the smoke stack fell, and then everything was buried in the hole. Passengers, chairs, stools, horses, benches and life-preservers drop- ped into the hole fronting the huge boilers, which poured out a deadly volume of steam. Many persons were blown overboard. A father and mother had their children blown from their arms. The water in an instant was alive with men, women and children struggling for life. The after part of the boat, which had escaped the force of the ex- plosion, would have been safe for the uninjured, but they were panic- stricken, and leaped overboard without regard to consequences. AID FOR THE SUFFERERS. Captain Ullner, of the New Street police, hearing the explosion, was promptly on hand as fire alarm was sounded; Dr. Shine was at the scene of the disaster within ten minutes, well provided with medicines and bandages, cool and calculated. He saved several lives by his pru- dence. Within twenty minutes inspector Jannison was on the ground, directing the efforts of the police and keeping back the multitude. Many persons were drowned. The harbor police boat came to the rescue, and gentlemen who were in a row-boat near the battery saved several lives. The firemen also went to the rescue, and bravely did the work. The debris in the force part of the boat was first removed. The cries of the poor, half-boiled victims were heart-rending. Stimulants were given them as they struggled beneath the beams, and oil poured upon their burns. As fast as the wounded were recovered they were borne to the deck of another ferry-boat moored alongside, where they were ten- derly cared for by Dr. Shine. Within twenty minutes ambulances from Center Street Hospital were at Whitehall. The scalded victims were placed in ambulances and driven to the hospital at full speed. Pri- vate carriages and express wagons were also brought into requisition. The insurance patrol wagon bore several loads of moaning human beings to the hospital. Some died on the way, and others were delirious with pain. One ambulance was filled with children whose eyes were closed and their whole faces swelled beyond all recognition. Their little feet and legs were cracked and their tender muscles laid bare. AT CENTER STREET HOSPITAL. By four o'clock over seventy wounded persons had been received in the Center Street Hospital. Five of them died within an hour. The scenes were heartrending. THE DEAD. Twelve dead bodies were removed from the boat. Four have since been found in the water, and five have died, making, so far as known, twenty-one persons killed nearly outright. Many of them in the water clung to the piles until they were rescued, but others sank before aid could reach them. At least thirty-five persons must have been killed and drowned. This is basing it on the lowest estimates. THE WOUNDED. The wounded will reach one hundred. Many of them were placed in carriages and driven to their homes. The drug-stores in the neighbor- hood were filled with them. Among the injured was Sheriff Madden, of Brooklyn, who was driven to his residence. Over 15,000 persons gath- ered at the battery within an hour of the explosion. REMARKABLE ESCAPE. John Magee, the pilot, was thrown from the forward pilot house twenty feet in the air, falling on the boat and escaping without a scratch. CAPTAIN AND ENGINEER. John Freeland was captain of the boat, and Harry Robinson, the engineer. The latter is a colored man, and the indignation of the passengers against him is tremendous, though his friends claim that he is not to blame. The boiler was inspected by John H. Mathews, United States Boiler Inspector, on the 15th of June, and pronounced safe. STATEMENT OF ROBINSON. Robinson, the engineer, makes the following statement: I live in Stapleton, Staten Island; am about 40 years of age; have been an engineer for twenty years; have been employed by the company for sixteen years. I got a certificate and passed an examination. I did not bring my certificate; the company did not require one on this ferry. I had entire charge of the Westfield boat. It is a half-hour boat, run on Sunday between regular trips. I was on the boat when the explosion took place. I had just come off the dock. It was then twenty-five minutes past one. I went down into the fireroom. One of the engineers, Patrick Finnegan, was in the room. I said "Patrick, how is the water?" and he replied, "All right." At this time I approached the boiler and tried the third cock. I found that the water touched the third cock. The boiler has only three cocks. I then went up to the engine room, and, passing the door, went in. I found that the boiler carried twenty-seven pounds of steam. I then went on the dock two minutes. I went again on the boat and into the pilot-house. The captain was in there at the time. Just as I was going down stairs into the engine-room the explosion took place. From where I stood I knew I could not get through the door, so I opened a trap door. As I did so I saw the fireman, Robert Crosson, coming up the trap. The boiler had been in use nine years. It was considered a good boiler. I cannot tell what caused the explosion. The boiler had a patch on the cylinder part when the explosion occurred. The boiler was overhauled last winter, in fact the boilers of both the Westfield and Northfield; I examined the patch last Thursday; it seemed to be in very good condition. I went on duty at 12 o'clock, noon. I relieved the engineer, H. Brown. Robinson appeared perfectly sober, all rumors to the contrary not- withstanding. He gave his statement of affairs in a cool and collect- ed manner. EXCITEMENT. The excitement in all the lower wards of the city of Brooklyn and Staten Island is intense, and the streets are thronged with anxious crowds. Extras from the Sun and Times offices, with full details of the affair, were published about dark. ANOTHER STATEMENT. One of the two firemen on board the Westfield, named Robert Craw- son, was in the fire-room at the time of the explosion. He says that fifteen minutes before the accident he was on the head of the cylinder wiping it off. Then he went into one of the cabins for a drink of water, and thence into the fire-room. While there he heard a hissing noise proceeding from the rear of the boiler, and went to see the cause. He had gone but about half way the length of the boiler when he found the steam so dense that he could proceed no further, and turned to come back, when he was struck in the face by a flying splin- ter and knocked down. He made his way to the deck as fast as pos- sible. THE BOILER. This hissing noise which Crawson heard must have been the starting of the plate patching of the boiler, and the first premonition of im- pending disaster. A cursory examination of the boiler as it rested on the bottom of the boat revealed the fact that the explosion occurred at the rear, and that the piece, about four feet long and two feet wide, was torn out of the jacket and thrown a distance of about one hundred (illegible portion) was thrown directly forward into the bow of the boat. New York, July 31 - 1:30 A.M. - In Bellevue Hospital, at 12 o'clock, there were twenty-four bodies in coffins and ten on slabs, all presenting the appearance of having been frightfully scalded. Large patches of skin were torn off in places. The surgeons at the different Hospitals say that a majority of those in their charge will die. An immense crowd, estimated at 15,000, is congregated around the Bellevue Hospital, and a like crowd around the Park Hospital. New York, July 31 - 2 A.M. - The most reliable returns of the casualties by the disaster give a total of killed fifty, and wounded about one hundred and twenty. LATER. - The World publishes the names of 71 killed by the explo- sion, and says there are eighty bodies unknown. The Herald gives the number of killed even greater. The names of 127 injured are also published. The majority of the killed and wounded are from this city, Brooklyn and Staten Island. It is believed that many more bodies will be taken out of the water, and, of course, others will never be found. PAINFUL SCENES. The most painful after-feature of the tragedy is the appearance of anxious and half crazed people at the hospitals and station houses, inquiring after missing friends and relatives. One poor fellow Michael Finley, who lost his wife and child by the explosion, has gone mad and attempted yesterday to commit suicide by throwing himself into the river. THE GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATION. Inspector Mathews and Bole commence the investigation to-day at their office, 23 Pine street, by order of the Secretary of the Trea- sury. Captain Belknap, United States Supervising Inspector General of Steamboats, has received a telegram from Secretary Boutwell, directing him to make the most searching investigation into the cause of the ex- plosion, and report the result to him. A TERRIBLE CONVICTION. is settling upon the populace that the halocast was yet more awful than has been ever suspected. Several bodies have been taken out of the water this morning, making a total of 97 already secured. It is now said by those best informed that the number of injured will ex- ceed two hundred. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- EAST SHORE NEWS PENTWATER, OCEANA Co., MICH. VOL. I, NO. 33 Friday, 8 September 1871 The indictments found against the President and Superintendent of the Staten Island Ferry Company, and the engineer of the Westfield, are for manslaughter in the third degree. The indictment against James K. Matthews, United States Inspector of Boilers, is for man- slaughter in the fourth degree. Another of the injured of the Westfield explosion, Francis Haggerty of Brooklyn expired on the 3d, at his residence in that city. ==========================================================================