From the Chillicothe Constitution, Chillicothe, Missouri dated October 5, 1891:
DEATH IN AN INSTANT
FRIGHTFUL BOILER EXPLOSION ON A TUG.
Seven Persons Killed Outright and a Number Badly Injured —- Four of the Victims Spectators on the Bank.
CHICAGO, Ill., Oct. 5. — A boiler explosion aboard the steam tug C. W. Parker killed seven persons and seriously injured many others in the neighborhood of Archer Avenue bridge on the south branch of the Chicago river yesterday.
The tug C. W. Parker, in company with three other tugs, was engaged in attempting to tow the coal steamer H. S. Pickands out of the draw of the bridge when the explosion occurred.
Three of the killed were employees of the tug, and their bodies have not yet been recovered. The other persons killed were standing on the bank of the river, to which a number of spectators had been drawn to witness the removal of the steamer, which arrived Saturday from Buffalo with a cargo of coal and had run aground in the bow.
The list of killed so far as can be ascertained at this hour is as follows:
James B. Carter, captain of the tug C. W. Parker.
John C. Moore, engineer, of the C. W. Parker.
Samuel Armstrong of Manistee, cook of the C. W. Parker.
An unknown man, killed by a fragment of boiler while standing at the east end of the Archer bridge.
Mrs. Mary Rice of 3013 Archer avenue.
Barbara Rice, her 18-year-old daughter.
Samuel Sawyers, laborer, 3425 Blume street.
The wounded are as follows:
Joseph Cullen, fireman of the W. C. Parker, will probably die before morning.
Henry Bell, deck hand, badly scalded and leg paralyzed.
Charles Keirtin, citizen, wounded by missiles.
Frank Wagner, arm broken.
Joseph Bomorazk, skull fractured, may die.
George Juell, captain of the tug Van Schaack, leg and back hurt.
Louis De Mass, deck hand Van Schaack, back sprained.
James Cunningham, cook Van Schaack, scalp wounds.