The New York Herald Newspaper, July 31, 1871, Page 8

Terrific Explosion at the Battery. The Staten Island Steamer Westfield Bursts Her Boiler at Whitehall Forry. fler Upper Works Shattered Into a Thousand Atoms, FIFTY PERSONS = KULLED. Qne Hundred Wounded. oft Over 3Complete List the Victims. ‘AGONIZING SCENES AND INCIDENTS, 4 ‘Men, Women and Children Hurried Into Eternity. Exemciating Sufferings of the Burned, Scalded and Bruised. ‘Desp:rate Struggles and Miracu- lous Escapes in the Water. Harrowing Spectacles at the Hospitals. THE MORGUE AT BELLEVUE. Corpses Laid Out with Lighted Tapers. Narratives of Survivors and Eye Witnesses. STATEMENT OF THE ENGINEER. Full and Graphic Report of the Tragic Occurrence. 4 MOURNFUL JULY SABBATH One of the most appalling catastrophes which @ver took place in this city occurred yesterday afternoon, at the foot of Whitehall street, by which large number of persons were killed and a still Jarger pumber were maimed for life, The laboring Masses «and others, who toll from morn wll | og wiz days in the week, without a single day’s te, make Sunday a day of ont-of-town excur- yns in the summer time. Among the many places by which they resort to for a breath of fresh ‘air. Staten Island, Jt is only A PRIEF HOUR'S BAIL to the island from the city, and hundreds every Sun- @ay make it a sort of duty they owe to thelr wives Aud litie ones, who during the week are pent up in Joul-emeiling tenements, 1 go to the isiand and #pend ap hour or two awar from the heat and dust Of the city in the miast of shady grooves and cosey Bookeries close by the sea. ‘The weatner yesterday was everything that could ye been desired for a pleasant sail down the bay. About noon it became too warm for comfort im the close streets, yet on the bay there was a refreshing breeze "Which proved most grateful to the excursionist just emerged from his suffocating tenement or dingy attic. Every boat that had paddied its way to the island during the forenoon had been crowded in vevery pari, and nothing occurred to mar the general pleasure of the day until THE FERRYBOAT WESTFIELD lid into ber slip about a quarter past one. She ed but few passengers on board when she arrived, Dut she had taken down to the island an hour ‘before Sully seven hundred persons. This time an Wmmense crowd of excursionists were 1mpa- ‘ienuy awaiting her arrival bebind the gateways, and even while she being made fast ‘to the pier hundreds coula be scen rashiug down Broadway ana from the Brooklyn ferries, hurrying along at the top of their speed, they should miss the boat have veen well had many failed to reach. Mt owas just after the dinner nour, and nearly every man was accompanied by some female relative or companion, Many had fainiiies with them, wife and chilaren. When the passengers from the tsland were safely jJandeo, the gates were thrown open, aud then vegan the rush for choice seats on the pari of the hundreds who were in the ferry house aud behind the picketea enclosure, The crowd @eemed to be unusually large, and was fearful lest which it their entire THE WOMEN AND CHTLDRRN, ae ousnal on aii = excursions, predominated ‘ap point of numbers. A great uiany, principally young men, without female companions, made their ‘way to the forward part of the boat on the lower | Meck, The great bulk of the crowd, however, went Dp stairs, Everybody endeavored to get a seat on ihe front part of the of and alongside the pilot round the base of which ran a sort of bench nailed Jost Ww the Bide Of the cabin, Along the cabins, in- boat, just in front house, would | NEW YORK HERALD, MONDAY, JULY 31, 1871.-W1TH SUPPLEMENT, \) aide, and behind them at the stern, every se at was occupied in @ very short tame; but, owing to the prospect of obtaining a better view of the surround- ing soenery in going down the bay and getting the full benefit of the breeze, the greater portion of the 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 a stool, took up as comfortable a 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 with 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 to the other without getting a passage made through the crowd by the removal of an entire line of the Movable seats, Those who had been unable to secure aseatof any kind, in looking upon the laughing, gay hearted crowd that filled the small space near the wheelhouse as they good paturedly joked about the unfortunates who had been too slow in the rush up stairs to get even a stray box to sit upon, little thought how thankful they would in a brief moment have reason to be for their misfor- tune, It was now lacking three or four minutes of the hour of starting. The children were running about the deck amusing themselves ina game of tag. A litte group of jolly-looking fel!ows, accom- panied by several women who sat beside them, closely huddled together right in the middle of the thickest of the crowd, had already opened a sertes of jocose story tellings, and a loud roar of langhter every once in a while from the listeners told how they were relishing what they heard, In fact everybody had already settled hfmself and herself_as comfortably ‘as possible for a pleasant time of ft during the sail down the bay, and notone of the laughing crowd ever gave a thougnt that within a few feet of them ‘was a huge mass of plate iron, hiaden from view beneath the deck, which in a Becond was to carry DEATH AND DESOLATION tomany a happy home. The engineer siarted at this moment from the pllothouse, as the bells,were to be rung to “go nhead."” The iines were cast off, the gang /planks drawn in and the pilot stood at his post, when of a sudden there was a loud crash, a sound of hissing steam, and the boat shook from stem to stern as though she had been struck by an iceberg, and in a second the forward decks: thrown high into the air and fell in all directions in @ thousand pieces. The were boiler had exploded, ‘The scene that ensued beggars description, ‘The wheelhouse was thrown high tmto the alr; tbe hurricane deck m front of it 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 concussion. The boiler crash- ing into the forward part of the hulk, carried with it everything that lay in its way. The heavy timbers of the deck were broken asunder as if they had been reeds, while the entire hold was laid open, and down into the midst of all the heap of broken fron and broken ralle— away down in the hold, from which the steam was gushing in thick, suffocating clouds—lay A STRUGGLING MASS OF MEN, women and children—each in nis or her agony tear- ing blindly at the other to reach a place of safety. Some lay on the edge of the broken part of the lower deck, crushed and mangled almost out of all sem- bDlance to humanity, while in the water, near the steamer, were crowds of the passengers strug- gling to get mearthe boats which put out from all sides to the rescue. The hurricane deck forward of the shaft was hurled in fragments into the air, every person on 1+ being hurled along with it and Jalling either dead or horribly mangied on the lower deck or into the waters beneath, The smoke stack fell at the same moment, the wheelnouse crashing down atthe same time, and the combined welgtt of the two crushed in what littie remained of the decks, the whole mass falling into the hold below, carrying down with it every unfortunate who had not been flung into the river by the explosion, A bystander states that he actually saw two men fall into the water headless, and three others without the slight- est vestige of an arm or a leg. The scene was one of heart rending horror. Shrieks rent the air upon all sides, and and moans of the wounded was heard the shrill sbrick of some woman, who, beneath a mass of broken timbers, Jay writhing and struggling. in a vain effort to get free. ‘The Police boat and boats from Governor's Isiand were soon on hand, and thei crews worked energetically to save those Who had been thrown Into the water by the ex- plosion, or who had, tn the terror of the moment, sprung overboard. A very large number were SAVED BY THE BOATS, ) and everything was done that could be done to alle- viate the sufferimgs of the wounded, who 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 bour after the occur- rence there were fully five thousand people in the vicinity of the Battery, and it was as much ‘as the police could do to keep them back from the slip where the shattered boat was ling. As quickly a8 could be the wounded were taken to wagons and ambulances to the nearest sta- tion honse—that in New street—where they received all the attention that the surgeons could | bestow upon them, and were afterward sent to the | hospitais, | lava, Some of the dead were frightfuliy muti- Many of the bodies were brought vo the sta- tion house immediately after the occurrence. They presented a horrible appearance. One man had his head blown almost completely | off, only a portion of the forenead and face remain- | fog. Among the dead was one woman apparently about thirty years of age. Her head had been crushed in by a timber falling upon her from the hurvicane deck, The scene im the streets as wagon | after wagon along, each with its cargo | of horribly mangled bodies created the great | est excitement, and in a very short time the intelligence of the horrible catastrophe was_ spread allover tne city. Hundreds of persons who had friends on board the boat hastened from up town in the direction of the Whitenall slip when they heard the news, and soon the crowds became so | great that an extra force of police had to be called out to preserve order. passed any correct idea 98 yet. It Was pateled some UUme ago, and that the new piece is sald that the botler must ha he had only twent;-seven pouuds of steam on, and “given way.” Ihl the DollerJiad Leen jp veg for ming years, Peo J Mendersgy aud Mighae) Kuowles, who gpeny tug ) Whule jis aotugs werg (pry framtis body. searoely above the din and confusion made by the groans | ‘Tue engineer states that | * 4° | sous from the water at the imminent | | How the accident oecurred no one seems to have | | | | | tion, ple must await the result of tho Coroner's inquest to get at the full facts, THE EXPLOSION. THE CAUSE OF The Westficld=Tho Engineers aud Boatmen’s Story. ‘The Staten Island ferryboat Westfield, which blew up at the Whitehall landing, was built in 1863 and measured 22) fect over all. She carried low pres- stire beam engines of ten foot, The boiler, which was tested by the United States Inspedtor, Joan K. Mathews, on the 15th of June last, was buiit by the Sissor Ironworks. THE USUAL COLD WATAR TEST ‘was applied, and, to ail appearance, there existed no tlaw. The Westfleld hat one safety valve, 28 inches area, which only allows 25 pounds pressure per square inch, In addition she was fornished with one locked safety valve, as prescribed by law, loaded to 27 pounds per sqaare ined, The object 0: the “locked safety valve” is to guard against the indiscretion of the engineer, and this end the United States Inspector seais the valve so that as soon as the steam mounts be- yond the pressure allowed it blows of. The engive is low pressure with cylinders fifty mches in diame. ter and ten feet stroke of piston; boiler twenty-four feet long and ten feet in diameter, twelve feet width of front, Last year’s certificate expired on the 19h of June, and the inspectors had been notified and examined the ship, issuing their certificate on the oth of June, A FLAW MUST HAVE BXISTED in the shell of the boiler, for it 18 very unusual for boilers to burst in the shell, most of the flaws oc- curring near the furnace or in the steam chest, the end of the shell was driven by the force of the ex- Pplosion into the hull ot the ship, but no other part of the machinery was injured. The engines are placed at one end of the boat and the boilers at the other. The force of the explosion wag not sufficient to seriously injure the hull of the vessel. Atthe moment of the explosion, halt-past one o'clock P. M., the vessel was lying in the dock just preparing to move out, the end of the boat where the engines are situated was towaras land, with the boiler end out towards the water. As 1s usual, the majority of the passengers bad passed through m order TO CATCH TNE COOL RIVER BREEZE. during the passage, and when the explosion took place it spent its force in the direction where the least resistance was offered, blowing the hapless crowd of pleasure-seekers into the air. The explo- ston was not loud, nor was its force very great, 8S the upper and hurricane decks only are blown away, the solid hull of the steamer escaping without much injury. [0 a moment the water was covered with fragments of the decks and THE PALE, FRIGHTENED FACES of men, women and children were turned appealing for help toward the shore. Many of the poor people who clung to pieces of the wreck had received serfons injuries durmg their fall, and the blood poured freely from their wounds, Those whose good fortune had kept them in the rear part of the | steamboat, rushed back to the landing stage in terror for their lives; but as soon as tne panic had abated many of them returned to afford assistance, Atthe moment the boiler burst men and women and pieces of the wreck could be indistinctly seen high up tn tne air threngh the clouds of steam that -for a moment obscured the view. In a instant the steam Cleared away and revealed THE SCENE OF HORROR. The pilot, wo occupied the pilot house imme- diately over the boiler, was blown up ito the air and came down on the hurricane deck, miraculously escaping without sustaining the slihtest injury. Captain Freeland and Henry Robinson, a colored man, who was engineer, were standing in the rear pilot house when the explsion took place, and both escaped without injury, (hough it was at first reported that Robinson had been killed. So little was the force of the ex. plosion that the Captain at first thought that one of the South ferryboats had run into him; but the cloud of steam dissipated this notion and revealed to him THE EXTENT OF TOE MISCHIEF. A plece of iron four feet in length and about six- teen inches broad, somewhat wedge-like in shape, which had formed part of the bower, was throwo on to the landing of the HERALD wharf, but fortanately did not mjare any one, About two hupared peopie were on board the boat at the time of the explosion, upwards of one hundred of whom | are supposed to have been Injured. Almost as soon as the vapor haa cleared away a member of gallant boatmen were on the spot making gal.ant efforts to Save the poor wretches who clung desperately to pieces of the wreck, or grappled or dragged for those less fortunate whose injuries RENDERED THEM INSENSIBLF. Among the men who so distinguished themselves | in the work of humanity the following deserve spe- cial mention:— James Holland. Thomas Bournan. James Condy, attached to the HERALD. Michael Quigley. John Delaney. Patrick Collins, Battery boatman, The gallant fellows picked up over fifty people aud landed them in safety. HENRY ROBINSON, THE ENGINEER, who is a colored man of a good deal of intelligence, and reputed one of the best and most reliable men in the employment of the company, states that for twenty years he has been an engineer, and that he has spent sixteen years in the service | of the company. He has the usual en- | gineer’s certificate, and states «that she has passed at least one examination. It appears that it is not necessary for the engineers employed on this ferry to have certificates, Robinson was in | completed charge of the Westfield at the time of the | explosion, Attwenty minutes past one o'clock he went DOWN INTO THE FIREROOM and saw Patrick Finnegan, one of the firemen, and | inquired how the water stood. Finnegan answered | him that it was all right, put ia order to see for him- self he approachea the boiler and tried the third cock and found the water flowed, ana therefore considered that everything was right. On quitting the fire room Robinson went to the engine room and saw that the boller carried twenty-seven pounds of steam and then left going on to the dock. Inaconple oi minutes Robinson again went on board and into the pilot house, where the captain was standing. After a few minutes’ conversation in the pilot house Rob- inson was about to descend, when the explosion took place. ‘The only cause which Robinson could assign for the catastrophe was THE EXISTENCE OF A PATCH on the boiler, which, he says, may have given way, though he says that he examined it so late as Thurs- day, and that it appeared to be then in a sate condi- Beyond this Robinson could not give any ex- planation of the explosion. The fact that Rob- juson seems to have had some doubts as to the soundness of the patch on the cyl moder of the boiler suggests some very unpleasant reflections as to the value to be placed on the certificates of the United States Inspectors, | who are supposed to have examined this boiler 80 | late as the Lith of June, which as the date of the last | certificate shown by the secretary of the company to | the HERALD reporter. If any doubt existed as to the perfect soundness of 80 important, and 80 DANGEROUS A PART OF THE MACHINERY no certificate should have heen issued, This ts a matter which will demand the closest investigation’ ‘The foilowing 1s @ full list of the crew of the West- | Meld and the injuries received by them:— Captain-—Isaac Freeland, not hurt. Assistant Pilot—James McGee, slight wound. Engineer—Harry Robinson, not hurt. Firemen—Robert Casan, slight burt; Patrick Fin- hegan, seriously injured, Deck bande—Joseph King, not hurt; Michael Agnew, not hurt Rent, slight woun Cabin boy—John Siack, uninjured. Chambermaid—Jemima Jackson, uninjured, ‘The police mention with high honor for bravery and huwanity tie names of Michae! Quigley and Patrick Collins, Who rescued over ove hundred per- risk of their own lives, Also the names of Oaaries Doane, Charles mes Holiday, noi hurt; Charies whole even'ng and night grappling for the bodies of the dead, A BOATMAN’S STORY. The following simple, straightiorward narrative is told by oue of the gallant fellows who struggled so bravely to rescue their fellow creatures from a wa- tery grave, The story is affecting In its rough, satlor like simplicity, and appeals to the heart more than the most sensational story contd do, It Is the state- ment of a man who did his duty ant seems scarcely to think that ne has done anything more: ~ . JAMES CONDY, HERALD BOATMAN, I was in the HERALD shipping office at the time of the explosion, and, looking out of the window, saw a volume of steam and ran out on the barge office dock, i jumped into a smallboat and pulied round the end of the pler in there, IT saw a number of people hanging on to the tumbers of the dock, but as there were men on the dock with a ladder shoved down, trying to get them out, 1turned my attention to the people in the water. All about the end of the pier the water was covered with fragments of the saloon works, scattered about at thirty feet distance out from the dock. In every direction men, women and chilaren were HANGING ON FOR DEAR LIFE, to the pieces of floating timoer. Nearly all of them exhibited wounds about the head and face, and ap- peared to be greatiy frightened. I saw a child lying on the top of a pretty large piece of the wood work which was floating about in the water, and I at once putled for it. When I got close I picked up the infant, which was about three months olf, When I wok it up it didn’t appear to have any life in it, T placed on one side of the boat, and rowed to where Tsaw a woman clinging to another fragment about four yards away, and when I took her in I found she was THE CHILD'S MOTHER. She was awfully excited, and when she saw her child she picked 1t up and put it in her lap. She said she had had three otner children with her, and did not knew what had become of them, The poor woman, whose name was O’Net), was dreadfully overcome with fright and seemed not to fully recog- nize her position at first, Close by these was a nice looking young girl, about fifteen years old, dressed in white, also supporting herself ona piece of the wreck, 1 got hold of her and pulied her into the boat, She cried tome, “Please take me in,” and after I had safely got her into the boat she told me her name, Mary Bauman, living m avenue C. She was in great distress for her mother, who had accompanied her on the boat, and whom she believed dead, However, when 7 ?anded her, some time after, she found her mother, who appeared to nave ESCAPED WITHOUT INJURA. When Inada tne girl safely in the boat I went to the assistance of a man who was clinging to a Piece of wood at about six yards from me. After some diMcuity I handed him into the boat. He told mehe had had aboy with him. After I landed him near the White Horse slip he found the child who was not injured, Bradford complained that his leg was injured. A little boy, about tifteen, supporting himself on the fragments, asked me piteously to take bim in, as his leg was injured and he could not swim. Several men were SCRAMBLED INTO THE BOAT without my help, and 1 put them safely ashore. I think in all I put seven ashore. A number of boats hud rowed in immediately after the explosion and were all busily engaged in trying to save the people im the water, Only for the small boats baving come in so quickly @ great many more would have been drowned. Among the bopat- men whom I notieed actively engaged in the effort to save the lives of the people, were Thomas Bresnaham, a Whitehall boatman, aud James Hol- land, Whitehall boatman. THE FIRST NEWS OF THE EXPLOSION, Mr. Edward Carlisle, of 17 Park row, was stand- ing yesterda y afternoon, with three friends, in tront of the Stevens House, Gear the Staten Island ferry. Suddenty A QUICK THUD WAS HEARD, and all eyes were turned in the direction from which the sound came. Some minutes elapsed. and no news ayrived of the cause of the mysterious sound. In a few minutes a man, accompanied by @ woman, rushed out of the gate of the fhrry house. At first it seemed as though he was laboring only under excitement, but before running far he ex- claimed, “OH, MY GOD, SAVE ME!" He fell down, and @ group gathered round him, It then became known that he was {rightfully scaled and was suffering intense agony. He had been picked up out of the water, and in the mad ness of pain had rushed through the gates of the ferry house into the street, He was taken to the hospital, but died before arriving there, It is not known whether or not the woman who rushed out with the poor fellow referred to was acquainted with him. She had hardiy got outside the gate of the ferry house when she fell to the ground. Her arms and legs were frightfoily burned, so much so that it was necessaay to hold the flesh to prevent it from falling off. The poor creature died on the way to the hospital. A HEARTRENDING SCENE. Afather had gone down to the ferryboat with four of his children to proceed to Staten Island, He, with two children, stayed for a few moments outside the ferryboat station to buy some apples. ‘The other two children had gone on board, Sud- denly the [rightful explosion took place. HUNDREDS OF HUMAN BODIPS were flung into the air. Shrieks of agony re- sounded on all sides, and the discousolate father, frantic with excitement atthe loss of his two ehil- dreo, rent the air with his cries. A SCENE WORTHY OF THE GRACCHI. At this time two young men, vhe flesh actually dangling from thelr bodies, rushed ont of the ferry gate. They were in frightful agony, but, despive all their sufferings, they clung to each other singular afiection. Their strength seemed gone, and boih were every moment on the potat of falimg, but the other, with sudden and seemingly superhuman devotion, clung to the other. The face of one was & mass of blood without burns, that of the other one of burns without blood. They staggered to the nearest drug store, and were, for the time, lost amid the terrinle excitement of this ead sce ne, THE SCENE ON THE WATER. Grappling for the Bodies ef the Victims. The gloomy river with a hissing noise having caught in its arms and folded in the mangled vice tims, resumed its wonted expression; the hearts on shore that stoou still in the terrible moment of the explosion beat quick in agony of hurror; a wail of grief escaped the widened lips of the survivors’ and all was over, No, not all. Now was to come the realization of the extent of the catastrophe. Fourteen or fifteen boats, manned by excited volun- teers from the shore, dashed into the slip and im- mediately prepared for the work of searching for the bodies, The water fronting ihe Custom House barge oflce and the river for some distance up and down, was littered with the débris of the wreck, and this mass of floating stuff too well indicated where the unfortu- nate victima hal sunk to rise no more in life, Little wicker baskets, canes, hats, shawls, handkerchiels, ves foated on the surface or were washed against the plers, Then planks and pieces of various parts of the upper deck bobbed up ana down in the tide or drifted out to the eager river, but the boatmen paid little aitention to these, They GRABBED, TUGGED AND PULLED with terrible energy, and soon the pl water bub- bied, and all the spectators on the shore, and those in the voata Axed their eyes intently on the broad. shouldered man who, standing in the bow of his skit, Was hauling strongly but slowly up from the bed of the river something that glietened white be- neath his hand. A moment of intense anxtety—an eternity of expectancy for the lookers-on, many oy whom had (riends or relatives on board the Ill-fated steamer, and the object floated to the surface, A moan escaped from te assembied crowd on the dock as the body of a iittie child was taken on board aboat, With dripping hair and arms spread out the poor innocent was laid across a thwart. Its face was dark and gathered up, as if I died in agony, Bhred rematning. But there was no time for exam- ining closely the conaition of this THE FIRST FOUND VICTIM. A shout at once startling and horrifying drew at- tention away to another quarter. On the dock, with wild eyes and dishevelled hair, a woman stood shrieking and wringing her hands wildly over her hend, “Oh, my God! my God!” she cried continually, | “where is my husband and my son?’ Oh, my son!” | She made a movement as if she intended to pre- eipitate herseif into the river, but was held back by people near by, “Look, 100k!" yelled a man in a boat, as he pulled @ skiff quickly to the opposite side of the slip, ‘Look! here he ts, here he is!" ‘The unfortunate man, who seemed to be a salior or boatman, acted as if his reason had deserted nim, Leaning over the side of the boat until his face almost touched the water he gazed with distended eyes down into the river, watching, with an expres- sion on his face of intense agony, ior that which he dreaded to see. Nota plece of dress or iron boit this time Irie¢ the strrngth of the boatmen HAULING AT THE GRAPPLING LINES, It came slowly. Something below seemed to hold it In the be.t of the river. What couid it be? “Perhaps two bogies locked together,” suggested @ boatman, “Or one imbedded in the mud,’’ said another, as he tugged at the rope. ‘The excitement of the boatmen was naturally very great, though not so intense as tose on shore, Presently the men at the rope felt that the object they had grappled was yield- jug, and soon after the water bubbled and boiled beside them; and then, to the inexpres- sible horror of all, two human feet, partiy covered and swollen, burst out of the water, The form of a full grown man was In full vie The poor sca'ded clay was taken genily but quickly Into the boat and as quickly landed, And 80 the work wenton, Boats of the Dock Department, from the shipping and from different slips in the immediate vicinity hurried to the assistance of those already at work, and so the work went on hour by hour. As the evening grew apace and the news of the ter- rible disaster spread far and wide through the city @ number of PEOPLE WHO HAD FRIENDS ON BOARD the Westfleld secured boats and rowed about the river outside the slip, anxiously waiting the result of the labors of the men grappling for the bodies, The painfully eager faces of these gricf-stricken People was reflected on shore in the horrified coun- tenances of the great crowd that had now assem- bled. With clasped hands, white faces and mo- tionless lips women stood gazing on the water, from which now and again some mangled human form emerged. Not many were recogniza- ble. Torn with splinters and swelled to an unuat- ural size by the steam escaping from the boilers, they presented a most sickening sight. The feeling of those who had reason to belleve that their rela- tives or friends were numbered with the dead can be imagine}, but no words can descriqe them, Fathers bewailea the loss of children. children fathers and mothers, aad strong men wept tears of better agony, and mingled with the grief of the mourners was wild, uncontrollabl passion. “An! exclaimed a gentieman in a boat, as | another victim was hauled feet foremost to the sur- face. “Ah! will God punish the murderers of my son? Is God just”? And he hid bis face in his bands and moaned aloud, . “Your son may not be dead, sir,” said a boatman near him; ‘he may not have been an board.”” “Let me alone, let me alone,” sobbed the gentle- man, in agony, “I Know he is dead; I feel it, MY GOD, MY GOD!" At half-past six the body of a litue girl, apparently eight or nine years old, was recovered immediately m front of the Barge Office. She had on a white frock, embroidered on the front, near the neck, hig) laced shoes, white stockings, fastened with red and white garters, The eyes were of a light blue hue, hair dark brown and luxuriant, worn plain. The face and hnmbs were bloated and slightly discolored from the effects of being in the water. The body did not seem to have sustained any injuries with the excép- tion of two light bruises on the forehead, probably caused by striking against some of the devris, or coming into contact with the spiles about the barge piers, as the body was swept along by the current, It was taken on a stretcher to the First precinct sta- tion house. Shortly after the recovery of this body a giri’s slipper was fished up, with a large square silver buckle on the front, together with a ladies’ parasol of black silk with pink ups and white handle. This was THE LAST BODY TAKEN UP before darkness set in. The men in the toats were exhausted with tneir jabor and had to be relieved by others. There were volunteers by the hundred Teady to take their places, and there was no delay on that account. But it became necessary to have lights, and these were svon procured. Owing to the fact that the eudying current pre- vented the bodies from Moating out into the river, the search was more snccessful than at any other time of the tide, The killed and drowned were kept by the tde within about fifteen yards of the spot where the disaster occurred, and it 18 quite pos. sible that all have now been recovered. But the search was continued far into the night, Lights glimmered on the river, and the dip of oars and the heavy splash of grappling trons fell ais- mally on the ears of the throug stil on the Battery. THE WIND SUNG A LULLABY on the solemn water, the tide washed monotononsly and mournfally against the piers; while the s*ars threw a sickly, uncertain light down on the scene of human misery and human woe. REMOVING THE DEAD AND WOUNDED. The promptitude of the hospital oMcers was com- mendabie. In about twenty-five minutes after the expiosion ambulances from the Centre Street Hos- pital, from the several police stations and from Headquarters hurried at tui) gallop to the scene of the disaster. Their arrival was greeted with cheers by the great and excited crowd assembled at tie Battery. With THE AMBULANCES AND CARTS, the former for the injured and the latter for those of the victims who were past all human aid, was a large and efficient starr of surgeons, with a plentiful supply of bandages and medicines indispensably necessary on such an occasion. The ambulances drew up before the ferry frst, the surgeons leaped from their seats and went to work with awill, Theirs was a terribie work, The groaning wounded—men, women and children shattered by splinters aud scalded with steam—writhed on the ground belore them. To take them gently and put them in the comparatively easy ambulances was the work of @ few minutes, But every moment there were others coming. The dead claimed attention. Heads or feet foremost, up they came, stark, staring, and with swollen limbs and torn flesh, stiff in the embrace of death, with eyes staring from their sockets and their faces contorted in the agony of the moment of dissolution, they were lifted on the Battery and from thence to the carts, Nothing but #OBS AND WAILS OF GRIEP. were heard on every side. Relatives and friends of the agonized occupants of the ambulances followed up Broadway, chilling the hearts of the spectators oi the mournfal corwge and eliciting mourn- fal and = heart-rending cries. The carts roiling op from the Battery with their lifeless loads of mangled human clay also had their following. With each ambulance were one and sometimes. two medical attendants, There was no lack of assistants, New York was Stirred to its centre, and never was more humane, A driver and @ single attendant was deemed “suf- ficient for each cart load of dead, aie SCENES ON THE STRERTS IN THE NEIGR- BOLHOOD OF THE BATTERY, ‘The scenes along the streets in the neighborhood of Whitehall when the explosion took place were searcely less horrible and agonizing than those ‘within the slip itseil, Every avenue leading to and from the Staten Island, Hamilton and South ferries | again in rapid and increasing succession from | through the afternoon and late into the night the | tide of human beings poured down every street and i} eeverybody must be thoroughly acquainted with the | in silent grief, or rushed madly about in a delirium: Places ana-enable them to enjoy “tne peor man" holiday” in the open air; but when THAT INFERNAL CRASTC took place the langhing and the cheerful chat sud» dedly ceased, The moving throngs stopped ag’ though each individual had been jast stricken dead. Every face turned pale witn inexplicable terror, People glauced with horror into one another's faces, afraid to ask what had frightened them, This lasted & moment or two; but as the agon- ‘wing and almost unearthly screams went up inside the gate of the Staten Island terry house, the people on the streets, as if moved by one and the same irresistible timpulse, rushed towards the scene ofthe divaster. The few policemen on duty on the spot would soon find their efforis to repel the crowd unavailing if they had not been rapidly reinforced. Those who heard the noise and saw some of the EFFECTS OF THE EXPLOSION ran down to Whitehall at the top of their speed, Everybody who saw another running followed in the same direction ani asked no questions, and s00n the crowds flied the Battery park and all the aves nues of approach for several blocks distant, The news must wave spread through the elty im an ine credibly short space of time, for within an hour THE WHOLE POPULATION seemed to be surrounding the place, How the udings could have spread so rapidly is a mystery, . sceing that not a human being moved up town or In any direction save that of the Battery, All swelled the sea ol people that covered every avail- able foot of ground in and below Bowling Green, People who nad xo inierest in the result except that excited by HUMAN FESUING AND SYMPATHY, ooked pale, anxious aud horror-stricken; but the looks and actions of those who regarded the pres- ence of some dear and near one on that boat as probable or possible, nether pen nor pencil can describe, Children cried piteously for missing parents, and parents, with their marrow frozen, remembered that their children had gone out yes terday with some friend, Who expressed an inten- tion to go on a trip down the bay. Men and women rushed wildly up to periect strangers to them and inquired after some missing darling, as though victims and Knew their fate, WOMBN FAINTED in the open streets, cutdren screamed in affrignt,. and strong men and manly boys bowed their heads of excitement aud miserable uacertatnly. The first ‘to arrive at the scene was CAPTAIN UHLMAN, of the First precinct ; olice, who did excellent work with his men in keeping back the obstructiug crowd. and aiding the earnest and skilful workers who were busy rescuing the wonnded and the dying. Soon atter came TNSPRCTOR JAMIESON, whose timely assistance was of great value. DR. SHINE > was on hand very early, and went in with a will, Many @ poor scalded and stricken victim will have toowe his life and the remission of countiess life long moments of agony to the indefatigable Doctor. THE FIREMEN came down with their usual speed ana spirit, and did noble work. THE PATTERY BOATMEN, > especially two named Michael Quigley Patrice Collins, immortalized themselves by their daring and uotiring exertions to save the lives of ther fellow beings. THE AMBULANCES from the City Hall Hospital flew down the street at afearfal rate and flew back again loaded with suffering humanity. Tne insurance patrol wagon became a useful volunteer, and brought up several loads of the scalded wretches, Several private car- riages and express wagons came to the rescue and did splendid service. When these vehicles passed the crowds on their way up the streets with their BURDENS OF HUMAN WOE and misery, moans of sympathy burst forth from the people and blessings were showered on the heads of the rescuers, As each load of boiled and scalded bodies of mea and women and tender I1ttie children passed by, people groanad and cried with horror; while the attempts of so many to peer into the wagons in dread expeciation of recognizing some loved and = lost = one, were pitiable and heartrending to see. All the afternoon, while the work of relief and mercy was going forward, the thousand-headea masses of People remaimed in the neighborhood fascinated and horror-stricken by the scenes they witnessed, and which they never can forget if they lived tity lives over. STATEMENTS OF EVE*WITNESSES OTHERS. Statement of Doctor Daniel McEwan. Doctor Daniel McEwan give the following graphic and interesting account of the accident, | The doctor was one of the earliest medical atten- dants on the grounds and did good service 'n mints- tering to the needs of the unfortunate victims. We preter to give this account in his own words, as tho narrative of the particulars of tLe various cases adds much to the vividness of the conception of the disaster, Says the doctor:— T live at the Eastern Hotel, within a stone’s throw or the slip where the accident took place. About one o’ciock I heard the explosion, Jt was a HEAVY DULL SOUND, that seemed to carry with it, even at the moment. you heard it, a peculiarly dreadfui significance. I had never heard an explosion before, but I ap- peared to Jeel at once that something terrivie had happened. 1 rushed to the window, looked out towards the spot from whence the sound had come, ana | saw the smoke rising trom the Staten Island ferry house and the crowds of people running there. At first it was mostly steam that rose up, bat soon heavy VOLUMES OF DENSE SMOKB slowly ascended in the air. I could not see the boat from my window, however—only the ferry house. As soon as I comprehended that there had been an accident, I put my instruments in my pocket and ran down stairs to the site of tne disaster, Peopie were then coming out of the terry house, some of whom gaid that they had been pas- sengers in the boat injured, put that they had es- caped, having luckily been im the after part of the boat. They were all greatly terrified and excited. Soon afterwards | met a man who had been WOUNDED, His own was badiv hurt. Splinters of wood had penetrated the fesny part of the forearm, some of which had penetrated right down to tne bone, It was bleeding profusely, and this showed that the injury had not been caused by scalding so much as by direct violence, Ihad scarcely looked at him, when a number of other persons, yet more severely wounded, claimed my attention, They were PRINCIPALLY FEMALES. ‘The most came out of the ferry house, running aw though greatly frightened and fleeing from some terrible danger. Most of the tnyurles were caused by frighttal scalds, and appeared to be rather patn~ ful than dangerous or fatal. In nearly all the cases the parts of the body which had been uncovered by clothing had been dreadfaly Injured by the steam and hot water. The skin in many cases had PEELED OFF THE FLESH, like a glove and was hanging down in shreds. The sights thus to be witnessed were piteous in the ex- treme. I noticed that the palms of the bands were: generally more injured than their backs, There was bnt litue bleeding, the absence of which is, indeed, usually © characteristic of scalis. ‘The wounded, the females espectaliy, were greatly excited and screamed with fright and called out for their friends, The crowd that had gathered round sympathized with them, but did not seem t know in what way to afford reltat ‘The worst case Tsaw at this time was a boy of about ten years of age. The STEAM SEEMED TO HAVE PENETRATED neneath his clothing and to have reached every square inch of his body, and to have scalded him alt over, without, however, producing any deep-seated injury in any one particular spot. Mis skin was in+ was crowded with light-hearted men, women and | jured from the crown of his head to the sole of childred, who were on their way to the boats that | his foot. He was clad, too, in pretty Were $0 take bhgm of reiviging ty pULprban migpauze i tWck and wale garments, though they were Dob