Explosion of the Steamboat 'Montour', 1901

 
On Saturday July 13 1901, The Steam Boat Montour Exploded at Sunbury, killing 3 and injuring 4.  

The Montour was a canal boat frequently seen between Sunbury and Danville.  With the canal closing, a group of investors formed the Sunbury Boat Company charter, and purchased the old canal boat, intending to use it for chartered tours. Those listed on the Sunbury Boat Company Charter were: H.A. Reed, Harry Guyer, H.E. Davis, W.L. Dewart, and Dr C.H. Peters. 

They paid  $4,000, the equivalent of about  $145,000 in 2024, and at the time of purchase, they had the boat, and particularly the boiler, tested.  All was in good shape.

The Montour had been taken out in early July on a test run for the new charter business, and all went well.  It looked to be a promising new venture.

Superintendent E.B. Westfall, of the Pennsylvania Railroad,  chartered the Montour for the day of July 13th, inviting  a variety of prominent men to join him for a day of fishing.

The Montour had just returned from Shamokin Dam earlier that morning, and Wendt and Gaughler were making the steamboat ready for it Westfalls excursion.   Once everything was in order, Engineer Wendt left the steamer to secure some waiters from the hotel in town.  

A group of young boys gradually arrived, planning a day of fishing themselves.  A flat boat, rigged up as a coal digger, was  beside the Montour, making not only a good fishing spot for the boys, but a nice vantage point to view the new tourist steamboat.

Also nearby was another excursion steamer with 100 people on board,

The Harrisburg Telegraph later reported a series of remarkable coincidences that morning.

Several trains were running late that day, delaying the outing. Westfall wired his friends and asked them to wait for him at Sunbury Station, delaying their arrival to the boat. 

Not all chose to wait, however.

Former Congressmen Monroe H. Kulp had left the party at the station, saying he would go ahead and board the steamer awhile. But on his way, he met former Congressmen Simon P. Wolverton, and the two men engaged in conversation, delaying Kulps arrival.

Postmaster Mann had also started for the boat, but upon meeting a wagon with some of the provisions,  learned that something had been forgotten, he returned with the wagon, delaying his arrival as well.

Grant Peifer wasn't among the invited guests that day, but, as an engine inspector at the shops, he was well acquainted with engineer Wendt, and naturally curious about the newest attraction, stopped to see the boat and chat with Wendt.    Peifer boarded the boat, and Frymire gave him a short tour, but since Wendt was not on board, Peifer headed back into town.

The other excursion steamer, "steamed out into the stream from the side of the Montour", and Peifer stepped off the dock headed back into town.  

Just then, there was a loud boom, and the ground shook as if there was an earthquake.  

The Montour had exploded.

11 year old Roy McDonald recalled:  "I heard a loud noise and when I turned to look to see what was wrong I saw a boy which proved to be Allen Fetzer going up in the air. He went as high as the trees along the bank and fell in a pile of wood. Pieces of wood and iron fell in all directions and I saw several other boys fall in the water, but it came so sudden that I didn't know what happened until the men came."

"By the time we reached the ground an awful sight was ready for our view. The entire roof and side walls of the Montour had been blown to atoms and ruin was to be seen on every side. The contents of the boat were scattered among the pile of debris and the machinery on a nearby digger was twisted into an almost useless mass of scrap iron... We got Frank Keller out from under the engine on the coal digger and the other boys were taken from the water. The body of Allen Fetzer lay along the bank about 25 feet away. We heard him groan once, but before we got to his side he was dead." 

"The scene was an awful one. Lying on the ground, writhing in great agony, suffering untold tortures and staining the grass with their life's blood, lay five young boys, while about 100 feet away, lying near the water's edge, the shattered remains of what was once a steamboat told the awful tale of what had occurred." - Williamsport Sun Gazette

It took two days to locate  George Frymeyer,  the steam boat pilot, who was blown more than one hundred feet out over the river. A party of more than fifty searchers, including two of Frymeyer's brothers,  and divers dragged and dredged the river with hooker poles and grappling irons all day Saturday, without success.  One of the divers, William Neitz severed two arteries in his foot on the sunken boiler, while assisting with the search. 

The remains of the steamboat pilot weren't found until Sunday afternoon.   Newspaper descriptions of his remains were graphic.

A coroner's jury was unable to find the cause of the explosion. Numerous experts  inspected the wreckage, but none could find any cause for the  boiler malfunction. 

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Those killed were:

Charles Keller, Age 14

Alem K. Fetzer,  Age 14

George Frymire Age 43

Those injured included:

Frank Keller, Age 8

Arthur Fetzer, age 11

Harry Reed, Age 12

William Pulen, age 17

Frank Keller, Badly injured in the explosion, went on to serve in the World War.

He died in Harrisburg, Age 49, in 1941

Franks brother Charles was killed in the explosion.  His sister had died two months prior, in April of 1901.

Arthur Fetzer, whose brother Alem was killed in the explosion, recovered from his injuries.  He also went on to serve in the world war.  He died in 1942.

The Miltonian, 1901

Danville Morning News 1901