1866 — Sep 29, Steamer Julia, steam drum explosion, steam release, San Francisco, CA– 10

— 10 Blanchard estimated death toll.*

— 11 New York Times. “A Ferryboat Blown Up.” 2-28-1888, p.1.
–9 immediately
–2 later from injuries
— 10 Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats. Annual Report of… Oct 1867, p. 298.
— 10 Morning Oregonian, Portland. “Our San Francisco Dispatch,” Oct 17, 1866, p. 1.
— 9 Morning Oregonian, Portland. “Our San Francisco Dispatch,” Oct 9, 1866, p. 2.
— 8 Shasta Courier, CA. “Dreadful Explosion.” 10-6-1866, p. 3, col. 1.

* Blanchard estimated death toll. While we show a New York Times report almost 22 years after this event (when the same vessel experienced a boiler explosion and fire), which notes eleven deaths, we choose not to use eleven deaths as the death toll. The accounts of the time do not indicate nine immediate deaths. Most noted four or five immediate deaths, with five or six others dying from scalding injuries later. Thus we accept the Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats report of ten deaths, which is also the number of deaths reported in the Morning Oregonian of Oct 17, 1866, p. 1.

Narrative Information

United States Steamboat Inspection Service: In October, 1866, the steam drum of the steamer Julia gave way soon after the steamer left the wharf at San Francisco, by which four of the crew were instantly scalded to death, and six more afterwards died from injuries received from the escaping steam. No passengers were injured, neither did any damage occur to the boat. This steamer was provided with four cylinder flue boilers, and the steam drum was of cylindrical form and placed vertically over the boilers, and connected with each other. From this drum the engines were supplied. The ends of the drum were flanged in the usual manner (as in the case of a boiler head) to receive the rivets which secure them to the cylindrical shell. These ends were well braced, and it was found after the explosion that these braces had prevented the head from being blown completely out, although one or two of them were broken. The explosion resulted from a portion of the flange of the lower end or head breaking off, and it was discovered that this flange had been defective and cracked on the inside at this point, the crack extending through the iron nearly to its outer surface, the iron retaining its original thickness.

“It was held by the local board to be purely accidental, and that no blame could be attached to the engineers of the steamer, as the most careful scrutiny could not have detected the defect before it was developed as described. Such cracks in boiler flanges are no uncommon occurrence, but in general they are discovered by slight leakage, and are immediately remedied by patching over the crack, by which means the strength of the part is fully renewed. Unfortunately in this case there was no such warning of the defect, and the only remedy which can be suggested is superior bracing, instead of trusting to so great an extent to the strength of such flanges, which, when in place, it is impossible to inspect with any certainty that such defects will be discovered, even when they exist. These cracks are generally the result of bad workmanship in turning such flanges at the boiler shop, but cannot always be discovered upon the closest examination, and are only afterwards developed by the expansion and contraction of the parts when in use.” (Burnett, William, Supervising Inspector First District. Annual Report of the Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats. Oct 1867, p. 298/

Newspapers

Sep 29: “San Francisco, Sept. 29. The steamer Julia, when leaving her wharf at 4 o’clock this morning for Stockton., burst her steam drum, killing five of her crew and badly wounding the remainder. The Second Engineer and Purser are badly scalded.” (Morning Oregonian, Portland. “Our San Francisco Dispatch,” Oct 1, 1866, p. 3.)

Oct 1: “San Francisco, Oct. 1. Two more persons scalded by the explosion of the steamer Julia, died yesterday. Several others who were supposed at first to be slightly injured, inhaled steam to such an extent that little hope of their recovery is entertained.” (Dubuque Daily Herald, IA. “From San Francisco,” Oct 2, 1866, p. 1.)

Oct 9: “Andrew Akstrom, deck-hand on the steamer Julia died in the hospital yesterday, making the ninth victim of the late disaster.” (Morning Oregonian, Portland. “Our San Francisco Dispatch,” Oct 9, 1866, p. 2.)

Oct 15: “State Items.”….

“Thomas J. Cotton, who was scalded so badly on the 29th of September, by the explosion of the steamer Julia near San Francisco, Cal., died on the 15th of October. He was formerly a resident of Green Bay.” (Semi-Weekly Wisconsin, Milwaukee. “State Items.” 11-10-1966, p. 1, col. 4.)

Oct 16: “John J. Colton, purser of the steamer Julia, died at his residence on Clay street yesterday afternoon [16th], from injuries received at the time of the steamer’s explosion. This makes the tenth victim.” (Morning Oregonian, Portland. “Our San Francisco Dispatch,” 10-17-1866, p. 1.)

Feb 28, 1888: “The record of the Julia is a bad one, and this is not the first terrible accident on the steamer. In September, 1866, the head of her boiler blew out, instantly killing nine of the crew and scalding the clerk and another officer of the boat so badly that they lingered alive for only a few days.” (New York Times. “A Ferryboat Blown Up. Between Thirty and Forty Lives Known To Be Lost.” 2-28-1888, p.1.)

Sources

Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats. Annual Report of the Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats. New York: 10-23-1867; Pp. 293-324 in Report of the Secretary of the Treasury on the State of the Finances for The Year 1867. Washington: GPO, 1868. Accessed 2-1-2021 at: https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/annual-report-secretary-treasury-state-finances-194/report-secretary-treasury-state-finances-year-1867-5511/annual-report-board-supervising-inspectors-steamboats-329416

Dubuque Daily Herald, IA. “From San Francisco” [Steamer Julia Explosion], Oct 2, 1866, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=36110497

Morning Oregonian, Portland. “Our San Francisco Dispatch” [Smallpox]. 9-9-1868, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=19205383

New York Times. “A Ferryboat Blown Up. Between Thirty and Forty Lives Known To Be Lost.” 2-28-1888, p.1. Accessed 1-31-2021 at: https://www.nytimes.com/1888/02/28/archives/a-ferryboat-blown-up-between-thirty-and-forty-lives-known-to-be.html

Semi-Weekly Wisconsin, Milwaukee. “State Items.” 11-10-1966, p. 1, col. 4. Accessed 2-1-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/semi-weekly-wisconsin-nov-10-1866-p-1/

Shasta Courier, CA. “Dreadful Explosion.” 10-6-1866, p. 3, col. 1. Accessed 2-1-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/shasta-courier-oct-06-1866-p-3/