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Show DEATH ON A STEAMER. Six People Killed and Eleven Injured Near Slockton, California. Ssockton, Cal., Nov. 28. The most disastrous accident in the history of Stockton occurred near Fourteen Mile Slough, when a part of one of the boilers boil-ers of the river steamer T. C. Walker was blown out, killing six and dangerously danger-ously wounding eleven persons, while probably fifteen or twenty others were more or less badly hurt. The T. C. Walker is owned by the California Navigation & Improvement company, and ran between San Francisco and Stockton. The majority of the passengers were in bed when the explosion occurred, and were awakened by the report, which was as loud as a cannon's roar. People rushed from their rooms in" their night clothes, and found the whole forward portion of the steamer's upper works blown away. The electric lights had been put out, and the escaping steam enveloped the front portion of the boat until it was impossible to see how much of the boat had been carried car-ried away. Captain John Tulan was blown from his bed against the door of his stateroom, state-room, receiving injuries which prevented pre-vented him from moving, and he was literally roasted to death where he lay. Chief Engineer Henry and his wife were blown through the roof and died a short time afterward, both suffering horribly. W. A. Blunt, a passenger, was instantly killed, while Jerry Daily, the fireman, was so severely scalded by steam that he died a few hours later. Underneath the lower deck, where the deck hands slept, groans and screams were heartrending. The unfortunate imprisoned men received the full effect of the steam as it came from the boilers. boil-ers. Eight of them were almost roasted alive. Those who were able made their way to the deck as best they could, while the more seriously injured in-jured were unable to get out.' The arms and faces of those near the main entrance were frightfully scalded. W hat caused the explosion will probably prob-ably never be known. The steam drum burst with terrible violence. It had split completely across the upper portion and the whole sheet turned outward. The four walls of the engine room were demolished by the force of the explosion. The lower deck, hurri-can hurri-can deck and Texas deck were wrecked m the portion directly over the engine room. The direction of the flying debris was upward and outward toward to-ward the bow. If it had been the other way the loss of life would be much greater. |