Filed Under Rikers Timeline
1932: Steamer Carrying Workers Explodes
As the Rikers penitentiary is being constructed, the steamship Observation transports laborers to and from the island six times a day. On Friday, September 9th, just after Labor Day, the ship explodes moments after embarking on its early morning dispatch. Witnesses recall the horror of seeing carnage and debris flying into the air. The disaster claims the lives of 72 workers, and 30 survive by clinging to debris after being hurled into the East River and waiting to be rescued. It will later be remembered as one of the worst industrial steam disasters in New York City history. Creator: This timeline is a collaboration between visual artist Isaac Scott and historian Dr. Shana Russell. Date: 1932
As the Rikers penitentiary is being constructed, the steamship Observation transports laborers to and from the island six times a day. On Friday, September 9th, just after Labor Day, the ship explodes moments after embarking on its early morning dispatch. Witnesses recall the horror of seeing carnage and debris flying into the air. The disaster claims the lives of 72 workers, and 30 survive by clinging to debris after being hurled into the East River and waiting to be rescued. It will later be remembered as one of the worst industrial steam disasters in New York City history.