A partial collection of people, places and events that have made
Chesapeake City the unique and desirable location that it has become today.
1952 - Special to Sunday American
Blasts Hurl 8 On Cruiser Into Canal
CHESAPEAKE CITY, Md.
Two explosions blasted a forty foot cruiser to pieces and hurled eight passengers into the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal at Chesapeake City Saturday afternoon.
Several thousand (?Several dozen) persons gathered on the banks of the canal about a quarter of a mile east of the U.S. Route 213 bridge and helped pull the eight men out of the water.
TAKEN TO ELKTON. The victims were taken to the Union Hospital in Elkton where four were admitted with minor burns and four were treated for burns and bruises and dismissed. The hospital listed those admitted as Robert E. Foulkrod, Jr., Harold Y. Jones, Charles A. Allen and Wendell A. Simonson, all of Philadelphia.
The canal was littered with parts and debris of the cruiser and what was left of it was grounded near the bridge. The hulk (? hull) will not obstruct the channel of the canal which recently was closed to large ships for more than three months due to a fire and explosion which sunk a tanker near Summit, Del.
The cruiser was owned by Mr. Foulkrod, known as a frequent sailing visitor to Chesapeake City and portions of the canal and Chesapeake Bay. It was called the Bobwoody III.
SPARK CONSIDERED. Apparently a spark ignited gasoline which had spilled into the bilge when the yacht refueled.
About 25 gallons of gasoline overflowed and some attempt was made to pump it out before the cruiser left the wharf, John Schaefer, proprietor of a ship chandler's yard which serviced the craft, declared.
Schaefer said it was amazing the explosion didn't occur when the cruiser was tied up at his dock. He added: "These things normally happen when you first touch the starter, but for some reason she didn't (catch) fire until after the motor had been running and she was out in midstream."
RACE TO SCENE. Outboard motorboats and other craft raced to the wreckage and the eight men floundering in the water were placed aboard the houseboat "Delsart" of Craig Danby, Wilmington. Then they were transferred to ambulances.
Nearly all (Many of) the residents left in Chesapeake City and many from surrounding areas rushed to the canal to see what the explosions were all about.
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