1932 Press Photo William McGuire, inspector of hulls, at Observation inquiry

Ship Blasts Kill 38, Hurts 70 20 Missing As Boiler Explodes On Vessel With 120 To 200 Men Aboard East River Scene of Confusion as Bodies Hurled 40 Feet Into Air and 500 Feet Away; 92-Foot Boat Mass of Wreckage as Rescuers Start Frantic Search for Injured Divers Seek Dead on Bottom of Stream. New York, Sept. 9 (A.P.)-With an ear splitting roar, the wooden steamer Observation was blown to bits in the East River today, killing 38 and injuring at least 70 of the workmen who swarmed its decks. More than a score were still missing tonight as floodlights illuminated the scene where divers and rescue squads sought bodies of victims. George Forsythe, pilot of the boat, was among the dead. His son, Alexander Forsythe, the captain, was put under police guard as a material witness while he lay in a hospital bed with a fractured leg and internal injuries. Start Investigation on Blast. Three separate investigations were begun immediately, one by the department of commerce, one by police, and a third by the district attorney. The 44-year-old craft, which served as a labor ferry during the week and a sight-seeing boat week-ends, was transporting between 120 and 200 men to RikersE™ (sic) Island, where a $9,000,000 penitentiary is under construction. It was 25 feet from shore when, without warning, the boilers exploded. Those on the dock saw one of the steel drums hurtle into the air like a giant sky rocket. The steamer was lost to sight in a cloud of steam and smoke. Torn bodies were tossed in all directions. One was hurled 500 feet. When the steam cleared the only sign of the 92-foot Observation was a mass of floating wreckage and two spans, marking the spot where the sunken hull lay.

Photo is dated 1932.

Photo measures 6 x 8.25 inches.