A VESSEL BLOWN UP. EXPLOSION OF COAL GAS.

Evening Post, Volume XLVI, Issue 20, 24 July 1893, Page 2

A VESSEL BLOWN UP. EXPLOSION OF COAL GAS.

AN OFFICER KILLED AND THREE PEOPLE INJURED. [UNITED PBKBB AB6OCrATJON. I SrnNKT, 22nd July. A groat sensation was caused to-day by an explosion on board the German barquo Argo, of 985 tons, wliiuh reci ntly arrived from Hamburg. The Argo bad diaoharged ber inward cargo, and, having taken in some li'.O tona of coal, was on the point of sailing for Valparaiso. Tbe captain was ashore concluding the final arrangements, and the crew were getting everything in readiness to depart, when a tenific explosion ocenrred The report was beard for a considerable distance, and there was great speculation as to what had really hapj.oned. Tho explosion oiiginated low down among the coals under tho foic-batcb, and extended right aft. Tho cabin poop was blown clean up, and tho wholo deck hoisted bodily, and there is a gap of 20ft in the deok. The port boat waß blown half-way up tho maiuuiast, whore it caught. Tho starboard boat was tbrovn | into the water. Tho vosscl appears to have boon damaged below the water-lino, as she is making water. As tho explosion occurred a dense volume of amoko and flame arose, with a report like the oxplosion of a powder-magazine. The chief offlcor, Mr. Arfsten, was thrown with terrible force against some object and killed outright. A passenger named Chamberlain was thrown overboard, but caught the wreckage of the starboard boat, and floated until rescued. Mr. Kloplarch, the second officer, and Pfeifer, a sailor, have been taken to tho hospital, together with Mr. Chamberlain, who lies in a critical condition. The men who were aloft unfurling the sails were shaken off the yards. Many of them jumped ovorboard, »ud were rescued. The fire department wcro quickly on the scene, but their extinguishing apparatus was not required. A detachment from tho British gunboat Lizaid did splendid work on board tho wracked vosscl. The explosion was undoubtedly duo to a large accumulation of gas, which fonnd vent and was ignited near the galley. Tho vessel is insured in Hamburg, but the amount is unknown. The cargo is not insured.