Westfield
Ferry · United States · Lost 1871 · New York Harbor
A Staten Island ferry's boiler exploded at her Manhattan slip just after departure, killing scores of passengers crowded at the bow.
Become Captain of Record
The Vessel and Her Loss
Westfield was a wooden sidewheel ferry operated by the Staten Island Railroad under Jacob Vanderbilt. On July 30, 1871, pressed into unusually heavy Sunday service, she prepared to leave her Manhattan slip with passengers gathered at the bow, over her coal bunkers and boilers. Shortly after 1 p.m. a boiler exploded, killing dozens instantly and injuring roughly 200 more, many of whom later died of their injuries. A federal investigation faulted unsafe operating practices and an unlicensed engineer.
Vessel
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- Wood
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- Steam, sidewheel
- Staten Island Railroad (Jacob Vanderbilt)
Loss
- July 30, 1871
- Mechanical failure
- New York Harbor, at the Staten Island ferry slip, Manhattan
- New York Harbor
- Manhattan, New York → Staten Island, New York
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- 66
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The Wreck Today
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Position
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- Whitehall Street ferry terminal, Manhattan, New York Harbor
Evidence
Overall confidence: Partially documented (65/100)
The vessel's construction year and total final death toll are given inconsistently across period and secondary sources.
Patell and Waterman's History of New York
Narrative of the disaster, casualty figures, and federal investigation findings.
