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Associated Press
Staten Island Ferry terminal
Staten Island Ferry terminal
On this Day: Staten Island Ferry Explodes, Killing 125
July 30, 2008 11:00 AM
On July 30, 1871, the boiler onboard the Staten Island Ferry boat the Westfield exploded, destroying the ferry and killing 125 passengers.
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The Westfield waited in its slip at South Ferry Terminal on Staten Island as more than 200 commuters boarded the ferry headed for Manhattan. Many stood unknowingly above an iron boiler “24 feet in length, 10 feet in diameter, with 12 feet front,” that was about to explode.
The cause of the explosion was never officially determined, but the ferry’s engineer believed the plate that patched the boiler on the bottom became loose and gave way.
The result was devastating. The deck above the boiler “composed of thick plank, was torn from its place as if it were mere paper. … In this mass of broken timbers, were over a hundred person scalded, mangled, and presented a more hideous spectacle than ever did the bloodiest battlefield in human history,” The New York Times reported.
Though early projections estimated 40 fatalities, when all passengers were accounted for the number reached 125. It stands as the worst accident in the history of the Staten Island Ferry, which began service in 1817.
Charges of negligence were brought against the ferry’s owner, Jacob Vanderbilt, and the boat’s engineer, Henry Robinson, who was responsible for keeping “in complete subjection the terrible engine of death.” Both were later acquitted.
More recently, in 2003, “a Staten Island ferry slammed into a pier as it was docking … killing 10 people.” The pilot was determined to be at fault.
Today, Staten Island ferries transport about 60,000 passengers daily, using five boats that make a collective 109 trips a day.
The cause of the explosion was never officially determined, but the ferry’s engineer believed the plate that patched the boiler on the bottom became loose and gave way.
The result was devastating. The deck above the boiler “composed of thick plank, was torn from its place as if it were mere paper. … In this mass of broken timbers, were over a hundred person scalded, mangled, and presented a more hideous spectacle than ever did the bloodiest battlefield in human history,” The New York Times reported.
Though early projections estimated 40 fatalities, when all passengers were accounted for the number reached 125. It stands as the worst accident in the history of the Staten Island Ferry, which began service in 1817.
Charges of negligence were brought against the ferry’s owner, Jacob Vanderbilt, and the boat’s engineer, Henry Robinson, who was responsible for keeping “in complete subjection the terrible engine of death.” Both were later acquitted.
More recently, in 2003, “a Staten Island ferry slammed into a pier as it was docking … killing 10 people.” The pilot was determined to be at fault.
Today, Staten Island ferries transport about 60,000 passengers daily, using five boats that make a collective 109 trips a day.
Headline Links: ‘Apalling Disaster. Explosion of a Staten Island Ferry-Boat Boiler’
The New York Times offers a detailed description of the entire event, including an analysis of the explosion’s cause and numerous accounts from those aboard the ship. “At this moment the fireman Carresan heard a peculiar hissing sound, as if made by the escape of steam from the … boiler. He listened for a moment; it was an ominous sound, full of peril.”
Source: The New York Times (free registration may be required)
Jacob Vanderbilt, the president of the Staten Island Ferry Company, James Braisted, its superintendent, and Henry Robinson, the steamer’s engineer, were charged with negligence resulting in the deaths of 125 people. The New York Times presents the judge’s statement to the jury and the jury’s subsequent decision, “after some hours” to bring no charges against the accused.
Source: The New York Times (free registration may be required)
Background: ‘Staten Island Ferry Through the Years’
The Staten Island Museum briefly describes the history of the Staten Island Ferry with pictures taken through the years. “Since the 1600s, ferries have operated from Staten Island to Brooklyn, Manhattan and New Jersey. The first ferries were rowboats, although sailboats were used at times. The early 1800s saw flat-bottomed sloops moving farm animals and produce, as well as people.”
Source: Staten Island Museum
The official Staten Island Ferry Web site offers “Ferry Facts,” usage statistics, schedules and more. “The Staten Island Ferry is run by the City of New York for one pragmatic reason: To transport Staten Islanders to and from Manhattan. Yet the 5-mile, 25-minute ride also provides a majestic view of New York Harbor and a no-hassle, even romantic, boat ride, for free!”
Source: Staten Island Ferry
Later Developments: ‘NYC ferry crash kills 10, injures dozens’
In 2003, a Staten Island Ferry crashed into a pier while docking, killing 10 people. The ferry’s pilot fled the scene. “At least 10 persons were killed and 34 injured, said Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, making it New York’s worst mass-transit accident in nearly a century.”
Source: The Washington Times
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