Submitted and transcribed by Dee Gabler Deesroots@aol.com <A HREF="http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~chesapeake/">Dee's Chesapeake Genealogy</A> http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~chesapeake/ Transcribed by Dee Gabler on June 2, 2002 Source: Microfilm held at Enoch Pratt Free Library, Cathedral Street, Baltimore, Maryland. ____________________ The Sun, Baltimore, Monday Morning, April 18, 1842 (Front Page) THE EXPLOSION OF THE MEDORA. The INQUEST - At the instance of his Honor, the Mayor, who was prompted by a desire to ascertain the cause of the disastrous explosion of the steamboat Medora, an inquest was on Saturday last held at Donohoe's Vauxhall Gardens, by William T. Rice, Esq., coroner, on the body of John R. Boon; the Mayor and City Counsellor being both in attendance; the latter by request of the former, for the purpose of aiding in the investigation. [It is proper t remark, that but one request was deemed necessary by the Mayor and the Coroner, as the immediate cause of the several deaths was matter of public notoriety, and the chief object was to ascertain the cause or causes of the explosion.] The following are the names of the Jurors: Joseph Turner, Jr., Foreman; Wm J. Wight; Chas. B. White; Joseph S. Donvoan; Samuel M. Locke; James Ferguson; James Hooper, Jr; John Wells and Charles V. Walters. The jury proceeded with the coroner to the house of the mother of the deceased, in Lee street, where they were sworn, and took a view of the body; after which they returned to hear the testimony. John Watchman, contractor for the engine, was first sworn. He was examined at considerable length, and from the many questions asked by the jurors, and some by the Coroner and City Counsellor, there were necessarily many repetitions in his testimony, which we shall endeavor to render as concise as possible, consistently with the preservation of the main facts touching the cause of the explosion of the Medora's boiler, which took place on Thursday last. On the Saturday previous, Mr. Watchman said they had tried the engine, and she worked well with 30 inches of steam on, and on Wednesday evening for about an hour, with 27 inches; and as they did not intend to work her with no more than 25 inches, he felt satisfied that all was safe. On that day Mr. Moale, the Company's agent, had given directions for a trial trip the next day, and stated that he would go in her himself. Witness knew that all was right the day before, and did not go on board till about three o'clock, or about half an hour before the time appointed for starting, when he boarded her in company with Captain Kenny and Mr. G. Brown. He did not deem it necessary to go on board sooner, having full confidence in Duncan Ferguson, engineer, in his own employ, and A. Ramsay, engineer, who had charge by direction of Mr. Moale, Ferguson assisting. When Mr. Henderson, (President of the Company,) came on board, Mr. Moale had not yet arrived, and an order was given to put down the damper to prevent the steam from being raised too high, they not being yet ready to start. He then made the necessary examination, and found that there were but about 10 inches of steam on, and deemed all right. Soon after he came on board, he tried to raise the safety valve, but found it too heavy; he could not raise it, and thinking the chord might have slipped off the pulley, he examined and found it had not. On Trial of the cocks, the third included, he found plenty of water; he then tried the fourth, or steam cock, and thought the steam was too high; he then went round to the boiler to Ferguson, who told him there were but 22 inches on In answer to a question, he said that he would not, under ordinary circumstances, have been afraid of fifty inches. By reason of a crowd around the engine, he was unable to approach sufficiently near to see the steam gauge; but having confidence in Ferguson, he turned to go aft, though not exactly at ease in his mind. He then asked Mr. Wildey for a piece of paper, to time the boat; Mr. W. told him to leave the crowd and he would find a piece for him. They then went aft, ads witness received from some person a pencil and piece of paper. Feeling still uneasy in his mind, and thinking there was too much steam on, he turned to go back, when he met Mr. Chicken and Spavin, the former of whom told him he could not get near the gauge on account of the crowd. He then remarked that Ramsay and Ferguson were both trusty fellows, and all would be safe with them; after which he walked aft, and had nearly reached the ladie's cabin, when the explosion took place, which felt to him like a gust of wind, and knocked him down against the cabin. He thought it singular that he could not raise the valve. It had been regulated to be raised by the steam at 27 inches - would bear 45 and he would not be afraid of 50. He was, however, satisfied that there must have been much more than that on her; that there must have been some tampering with the safety valve, seeing she lifted the night before with 27 inches. An extra weight might have been put on the lever, or it might have been fastened so as to prevent the raising of the valve, which would cause an explosion. He believes the valve must have been in some way tampered with, but by whom he could not know, and perhaps it will never be known. It was and is to him a mystery. The boiler was of the same kind as that of the Jewess - one foot longer and of the same diameter, with he addition, however of a "middle leg," which he was understood to say, added to her strength. His impression is that there must have been a pressure of more than sixty, as much perhaps as one hundred, to have burst her. He was satisfied there was plenty of water, and that the explosion was caused by an influx of cold water. She had made but one and a half or two revolutions, and this could have thrown in but a very small quantity by the force pump, not enough to do any injury with so much water as was then in the boiler. - Whoever may have tampered with the valve, did not properly know the consequences that must ensue; it might have been done by some of the men, from an ambitious desire to show up the speed of the boat to do the best advantage, without any design to do mischief. Witness stated that Smith, who was too severely injured to be present, informed him that while standing near, he saw the gauge stick run suddenly up to the upper deck, when he, being frightened, instantly turned and ran, and the explosion immediately occurred. On farther question, the witness repeated and explained some of his former statements, touching the valve, and the quantity of steam. He had told Ferguson to put on but 20 inches, and that after they got out they might put on 25, but much more must have been put on; and notwithstanding his uneasiness about the valve, he considered Ramsay and Ferguson so trustworthy, he left it to them as before stated. Gideon Brown, the chief builder of the Medora's boiler, was on board the boat in the forenoon, and left her at nearly noon, to go to dinner, at which time there was no steam in her. At about three o'clock he returned with Mr. Watchman and Captain Kenny. There was then very little fire. He examined the boiler with a view to discover leakage, if any, but could find none; opened the fire doors and saw but a few sticks of wood in, and at that time there were less then three inches of steam on - not so much - the gauge showed less. Ferguson ordered a light fire to be made, which was done. He examined the third cock, and found plenty of water and also saw Mr. Watchman do the same. Mr. Moale came on board but a few minutes before the explosion. Witness examined the fourth steam cock, and thought there was not then much steam on; and from the appearance of the boiler, when he made his examination, but for the heat "he wouldn't have been afraid to go to sleep on it." He knew every rivet in it. It was like that of the Jewess, varying only in having a middle leg. - It was the strongest boiler they ever built. When he left the fire room, he had no apprehensions of any danger; and he left it to go above, because he saw strangers there. He did not know them, but he thought that perhaps they might have been employed by the Company as fireman. He thinks and will always think, that there was some tampering by someone who had no business there. When the water is heated, steam generates very rapidly. Fifteen minutes before the explosion there was but very little fire; more was made by Ferguson's order; witness saw it done, and one of the men remarked that she burned wood very fast. The witness described the construction of the boiler, especially as to its braces, with much minuteness, and with a readiness and facility that proved him a perfect master of this subject. He showed that it was braced fore and aft in the best possible manner, and stated that it was utterly impossible for it to explode under ordinary circumstances. He did not examine the valve - it was out of his line, but he examined the boiler to see if it leaked by any of the rivets, as new boilers sometimes do, but found no leak, and he was certain there was plenty of water in it. Alexander Spavin, an engineer, was on board on Saturday and Wednesday, and witnessed the trials spoken of by Mr. Watchman, and on the latter day saw her blow off steam at 27 inches, with regular weight on the lever of the valve. He had been employed by Mr. Watchman, but was not at work with him then, but on Wednesday he "Saw her work all right." On the day of the explosion he went on board the Medora with Chicken and Lewis, (a boy who was killed.) On their approach to the engine, Chicken said there were too many there already, when Spavin turned to go aft, met Mr. Watchman and left him and Chicken together, while he went still further aft; and immediately after, the explosion occurred. He had not examined the cocks, nor gone into the fire room. There is nothing, he said, in answer to an interrogatory, in the action of the engine, to indicate to a spectator the quantity of steam - the gauge, if in order, always shows that. Capt. Chaytor, of the steamboat Constitution, then some thirty-eight or forty feet from the Medora, was on board his own boat, when the explosion took place. He had frequent opportunities of seeing the boiler and machinery of the Medora while they were putting it in; considered them to be the strongest he had ever seen, and made a public expression of his opinion frequently. >From the strength and volume of the boiler, he had often felt the impression that if ever an accident such as this should happen to her, the consequences would be terrible. From the afterdeck of his own boat he saw the Medora back out, and witnessed the explosion. He was thrown by the concussion about twenty-five feet, and when he recovered his feet and his faculty of perception, he saw two men lying near to him, wounded and bleeding, who had been blown off the Medora. The steam had previously been escaping from the Medora, without noise, and like a thin light vapor. He thought something was wrong about the safety valve. The steam was not blown off with a loud noise, such as is usual just before the starting of steamboats, and the unusual silence seemed to him ominous of disaster, and before he could remove from his position in consequence of his apprehensions, he was stricken down as stated. David Hardester, and engineer of the Constitution, was on board the Medora at the time of the explosion; was there when Mr. Watchman came on board, and immediately after, saw him try the water in the boiler. Went on the main deck, and saw Mr. Ramsay come up to oil some part of the machinery. Saw Moale come on board. He thought the steam was too high, from the circumstance of seeing some of it escape from some small leaks in the main pipe - a connecting pipe. It was very blue - "as blue as indigo;" if the steam were low, it would be of a light color and vapory appearance. On looking up he saw the steam passing slowly out of the blow pipe. He became apprehensive of danger, turned to run, saw the boiler rising, flung himself behind the wheel-house, and escaped unhurt; after which he made a fruitless effort to save a man whom he saw in the water, by throwing him a piece of plank, which the drowning man failed to secure, and sank. He thought the safety valve had been fastened down, and described the way in which it could be done, by extra weight and otherwise. If the lever was propped to the upper deck, the valve could not be raised; or the stick of the steam-guage might have been broken off unseen by any person, and as the steam would not then be Indicated correctly, this might lead to an explosion. A short time before, he asked Ferguson how much steam it was intended to put on her, when the latter replied, thirty inches, but that when they should get out, they intended to put forty inches on her; an amount which witness thought she could bear while in motion. Alexander Watson, an engineer, was on board, and heard Mr. Watchman order the damper to be put down, to wait for Mr. Moale and was there when the latter came on board and went forward. The Captain then rang the bell to back out, and after one or two revolutions he rang the "stopping bell," and just when the moment to put her in motion again arrived, the explosion took place; and thinks that at the time, the engineer was about giving her the steam. He made no examination of the cocks. He was thrown down and fell into the water, but got on board again, having received no material injury. Captain Kenny, witnessed the trial on Wednesday already mentioned. She worked well, and something wrong was righted at his suggestion and the trial continued and was satisfactory. He learned that she was to make a trial trip the next day, and that Captain Sutton was directed to have her hauled from the wharf to prevent the influx of an inconvenient crowd. He, Watchman and Brown, went on board next day at about 3 o'clock, P.M., in his boat. Soon after, the fire having been put to about a quarter of an hour, the guage showed but 3 inches of steam. The then went aft and remained there, and having seen Watchman try the cocks, he felt confident that all was right. When Moale came on board, the bell rang to start, and after about one revolution and a half, the bell to stop her was rung, and when the bell rang again to start, and while the steam was putting to her, the explosion occurred. Sam'l Buckingham, U.S. inspector of steamboat machinery, was not on board when the accident occurred; but he had frequently seen her machinery during the progress of her construction, and he thought it was about the best he ever saw. It was not his duty to go on board without orders, and if he had gone, he could not have been officially recognized. The owners of the boat were not bound by law to have her inspected before a trial trip, but they were so bound before taking freight or passengers; and a short time before, Mr. Moale, in reference to this boat, told him "he would soon have another job for him." He had not received any weak part in it; nor could he undertake to give an opinion as to the cause of the explosion in this case. Captain Tripp, of the George Washington Philadelphia Steamboat line, was not on board. He stood some forty or fifty yards off, to witness her performance - thought she had but little steam on, she having blown off such a small quantity. The motion of the engine was slow, but the action of the engine is not indicative of the quantity of steam. She had made but one or two revolutions, before the explosion. He thinks the cause of the explosion, from the testimony he had heard, was not an insufficiency of water, but an excessive pressure of steam, which might have resulted from either a wrong estimate of the strength of the boiler, or of the quantity of steam generated. Henry Snyder, proved Boon's Presence on board the boat after she was taken from the wharf, and John Hoofnagle, testified to his having aided in taking him out of the water from amongst the wreck. He, with some others, took him fro the wreck to the wharf in a wounded condition, whence some persons conveyed him home. The jury, on the conclusion of the testimony, agreed to the following verdict: "The jury of inquest in the case of the death of John R. Boon, having examined many witnesses who were on board the steamboat Medora at the time of the explosion of her boiler, and having ascertained that the deceased was on board of said steamer, after she was hauled out of the dock, and having examined those who assisted in taking him out of the water, we have agreed that he came to his death by injuries sustained by the explosion of the boiler of the Medora; and from the evidence before us, we are of opinion that the accident was not occasioned by raising the steam too high, and greatly above the guage intended to be used in the ordinary use of said machinery on board of said steamer. Whether this excess as owing to carelessness or tampering with the safety valve, the jury cannot undertake to say." ______________ Page 2 EXPLOSION OF THE MEDORA. Yesterday was a gloomy day in Baltimore in every sense of the term. The heavens wept all day, as if in sympathy with the mourners below, who were bewailing the loss of dear friends and beloved relatives, hurried rudely out of existence, without any warning or note of preparation at a moment. When health was strong and years were young, the hope was high in every breast thus suddenly and fatally smitten. And deep and general indeed was that gloom of the heart below. The first shock of the awful disaster had subsided into the serious reflections of a sober and chastened grief, save in the habitations of the dead, where the violence of distraction had not yet settled down into calm resignation to a dispensation of Providence, terrible it is true, but to which it is nevertheless the duty of the afflicted to submit with all patience and humility. - Still it is a hard task for human nature to school itself into in such a case; and it is therefore no wonder that many "natural tears" were shed, as one after another of the victims of the Medora were carried, each "to his long home," and the mourners literally "went about the streets." The memory of this great calamity will long survive the present generation: indeed in Baltimore it will hardly ever be forgotten. Among the many who have distinguished themselves by exhibitions of humanity, sympathy with the afflicted, and generosity in the administration of assistance, the worthy Mayor of the City was conspicuous. Of this we have heard several instances, not intended for public exhibition; we will therefore not particularise them; they are known to the afflicted widow, and the poor orphan, and are duly appreciated. In this connexion it is deemed proper to call the attention of the public to a few cases of particular distress resulting from this sad occurrence - cases in which true benevolence can find its subjects for its exercise. That of the widow of John Kemp, living in Thompson street, is a particularly hard one. In respect to it, we would refer the reader to the call of a Ward meeting for her relief, to be found in another column. And we would suggest the propriety of similar relief meetings in behalf of the widows and children of Robert Doyle and George Endley. They were industrious young men, but they had not been able to leave their families in a condition above dependence. Mrs. Doyle lives in Light street, Federal Hill, and has one young child; and Mrs. Endley, who is in bad health, has three small children, and resides in South Charles street, one door from Henrietta street. Those who have the disposition and the ability to aid the distressed and afflicted in their day of tribulation, are earnestly recommended to seek out those bereaved families and bestow on them a portion of their abundance. There may be other similar cases, but if so, we are not informed respecting them. All the particulars we have learned since our last, are subjoined except the inquest on the body of Boon, which will be found on our first page. Miscellaneous information - Late yesterday evening, we learned that Capt. Sutton was better. Joseph Craig, who lives in Light street, near Hill, was very low, and little hopes entertained for his recovery. George Hoofnagle, who was supposed to have been little injured, and who, after being thrown overboard, swam ashore, procured a boat and saved another individual, was yesterday morning confined to this room. After walking about two or three days, scalds were discovered which he himself had not suspected. The skin came from the right shoulder and from his face. The sight of one eye is nearly gone, and that of the other very indistinct. His physicians prevailed upon him, at last, to take his bed, and submit to such regiment as is deemed necessary. We learn also that Patrick Collins, machinist, who was very badly scalded, is likely to recover. James Jenkins, inspector in the custom house, who was slightly injured, is now doing well. Died Since our Last - John Haley, a German native of Strasburg, died on Friday evening. John Speedy, ship joiner, on Fell's Point, died on Saturday morning. John Yeager, engineer Lanvale Factory, died on Saturday morning. Jackson Reeder, machinist, Federal Hill, died on Saturday morning. John Boston died on Friday evening late. This, if our accounts be correct, brings the list of the dead up to twenty-eight, all told. The Injured - We have heard from nearly all who were injured, and the general report is that they are doing well - with a fair hope of recovery. Fortunate Escape - Samuel Boone, a painter, in the employ of Samuel Glenn, was on the Medora, on Thursday last when her boiler exploded. He was standing in conversation with others over the boiler, and near the forward wheel-house, and the first intimation he had of the explosion was finding himself 40 or 50 feet in the air, among the flying fragments of the shattered boat. He fell in the water 30 or 40 yards from the boat, and sunk to the bottom; then raising under a part of the deck, he with difficulty found his way out the edge, by means of the cabin. He then assisted an unfortunate sufferer to get on the floating fragment, in company with two others, who were all taken off by a boat. After remaining awhile on the wharf, surveying the heart-rending scene, he was landed on the north side of the basin, and assisted by a friend to his boarding house. He received only a few bruises and scratches, was scalded a little about the arms and face, and on Saturday was able to visit his employer, complaining however of soreness in the right thigh and shoulders. Funerals - The burial of three comparatively young men who were killed by the recent disaster of the Medora, took place on Saturday afternoon at 4 o'clock. Their names are John R. Boon, James Mitchell, and Lemuel Boston - the first a resident of Lee street, the second of Light street, near Lee, and the third of Montgomery street. They were attended to their resting places by an immense concourse of persons, as evident of the sympathy felt by the community in the irreparable loss sustained by families who regarded these young men as their only stay. As they were all members of the Watchman fire company, most of the companies turned out in great strength in their appropriate dress, and with their particular banners clothed in deep mourning. Without being very particular as to the order of the ceremony, we noticed the Typographical Society in front, as a mark of respect to John R. Boon, a brother printer. This was followed by the Association of Odd Fellows, accompanied by music. Next followed the corpse, and immediately behind the various fire companies, the Watchman being at the head. The following companies succeeded - the Mechanical, Union, Friendship, Deptford, New Market, Columbian, United, Washington and Howard. In the immense line of pr ocession the corpses of James Mitchell and Lemuel Boston occupied points remote from one another, attended by the Clergy who were to close the ceremonies by a service always solemn, but which was particularly so under the circumstances. Some of the clergy may have escaped our notice, but we observed the Rev. Messrs. Purviance, Coffin, Guest and Shane. Arrived at the Methodist burying ground, Light street, Federal Hill, the entire line came to a halt, opened, and the corpses passed on between and entered the enclosure nearly at the same time. After interment and appropriate services, the line was again formed, and returned in the same order. Captain Henderson was interred in Christ Church burying ground, on Saturday last, attended thither by an immense train, and buried with appropriate services. John Kemp was likewise interred yesterday morning in the Methodist burying ground, in the eastern part of the city. The corpse was accompanied by the following Fire Companies: - The Friendship, with band and banner, the Mechanical, with band and banner, Union with banner, Liberty, Independent with banner, Vigilant with banner, New Market with banner, Columbian, First Baltimore Hose, Washington, Patapsco with banner, Howard with banner, United and Watchman with banners. Jackson Reeder was also interred, and not withstanding the inclemency of the weather, was accompanied by a large number of the Fire Companies with appropriate music and banners in mourning. John Speedy, a member of the Columbian Fire Company, was also interred in the afternoon of yesterday, in the burying ground on the Bel Air road, attached to the Universalist Church, which ground is beyond the limits of the city. Owing to the inclemency of the weather the various companies attended the corpse only part of the way and returned. The Mechanical, Friendship, Columbian, Depford, Independent, Liberty, United, First Baltimore Hose, Franklin and Howard Fire Companies attended their unfortunate brother to the limits of the city. The corpse was accompanied by immediate relatives the remainder of the distance and interred with appropriate ceremonies, which were performed by the Rev. Mr. Shrigley. Duncan Ferguson, was in a similar manner, attended to this grave by most of the Fire Companies, by relatives, and numerous other citizens. As we were not present, at all of these funerals, we are not acquainted exactly with the order of procession, nor with what ceremonies took place, but presume the exercises were, in general, similar and appropriate, and the numbers who attended them were indeed great, if we take into view the state of the weather. An Omission Supplied - In the list of medical gentlemen in attendance on the day of the explosion, that of Doctor Durkee was accidentally omitted - an omission which we supply with pleasure. Correction - John Mitchell, reported on Saturday as dead, is yet alive, and hopes are entertained for his recovery. ______________ We are requested to say, that the ship-carlenters who built the ill fated "Medora," had fully completed their contract, and had some time previous to the explosion given the vessel in charge of persons designated by the owners.