Kenosha (Propeller), exploded boiler, 26 Jun 1860

KENOSHA Prop., exploded her boiler on Lake Michigan, towed into Milwaukee, nine lives lost.
      Buffalo Morning Express
      March 11, 1861. (Casualty List 1860)

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      BLOWING UP OF THE SCREW STEAMER KENOSHA
      A CLEVELAND MAN KILLED.
A private despatch, received this morning, states that the screw steamer KENOSHA has blown up in Lake Michigan, killing Curtis Benton of this city. The despatch gives no particulars. The KENOSHA was owned by her commander
Capt. Lacey and her clerk Mr. Benson above mentioned, both of whom resided in this city. Mr. Benton was formerly a member of the well known West Side firm, Benton Brothers. He was about 38 years old and leaves a family. The KENOSHA ran between Collingwood and Chicago.
The following despatch confirming the previous news we take from our afternoon report. CHICAGO. June 27.---The propeller KENOSHA from Collingwood to Chicago exploded her boiler in Sheboygan yesterday morning. Curtius Benton, Clerk, Cleveland, and Michael Carey, 1st.Engineer, Buffalo, were instantly killed.-- Three deck hands and a hambermaid were dangerously injured.
The KENOSHA was towed into Milwaukee this morning by the steamer HURON.
      Cleveland Plain Dealer
      Wednesday, June 27, 1860

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      EXPLOSION OF SCREW STEAMER KENOSHA
      Milwaukee papers contain some particulars of the recent terrible disaster on board the screw steamer KENOSHA.
She exploded her boiler on Tuesday morning at 10 o'clock while backing out of her pier at Sheboygan. The cause of the explosion was super-heated steam in the boiler.
The accumulation of super-heated steam burst through the furnace top, on the opening of the throttle valve, and the reaction of the escaping torrent threw the boiler (which is a verticle one, of the shape known as the "Bee Hive") out of it's place, and against the steam pipe.
The clerk was in the office at the time of his death. The office and the adjoining part of the boat was completelt torn to pieces, and what seems almost incredible, the displacing of the boiler did not even start a plank in her hold
and she came to Milwaukee without taking in a drop of water.
The real cause of the accident was, as we have stated, the steam becoming super-heated by means of the iron stay bars which support the top of the furnace. These bars were covered with a coating of lime sediment, which render them essentially non-conductors in the water, but obviously conductors of the heat from the top of the furnace or crown plate to the steam above.
The first motion communicates to the water by the opening of the throttle valve--under the pressure of this super-heated steam converted into steam instantaneously, with the fatal result we have seen.
      Cleveland Plain Dealer
      Saturday, June 30, 1860

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THE KENOSHA DISASTER - Milwaukee papers have come to hand with details of the loss of the KENOSHA. Her crew consisted of twenty-two hands, and there were nine passengers at the time of the explosion. The deaths so far have been Curtis C. Benton, clerk, Cleveland; Ralph Shepard, 1st. engineer, Buffalo; Margaret Sharp, chambermaid, Cleveland; Michael Hines, fireman, Buffalo; Denny Mahon, deck hand, Buffalo; Daniel Carry, fireman and one deck hand, name unknown. Robert Crocker, 2nd. mate, one fireman and a passenger were injured.
      Buffalo Daily Republic
      Monday, July 2, 1860

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