Roll of Honor
Ziba H. Nickerson
Incident
Customs Inspector Ziba Nickerson and Customs Inspector Charles Atwood were killed in an explosion on Pier 47 at the Mystic Wharf in Boston, Massachusetts.
The inspectors had taken a box of blasting caps from a steamer Bethania and placed them in a storage shed. Inspector Nickerson was attempting to open the box with an axe when the contents detonated, causing a massive explosion.
Inspector Nickerson, Inspector Atwood and a wharf watchman were killed and several longshoremen and other civilians were injured.
Inspector Nickerson was survived by his wife.
Survivors
Inspector Nickerson was survived by his wife.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-FED-3A473ED1- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Customs Inspector Nickerson served with the United States Department of the Treasury.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Customs Inspector Nickerson.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Customs Inspector Ziba H. Nickerson is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In DC, 454 of 1,419 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 32% of this state's fallen. That is 1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At United States Department of the Treasury - United States Customs Service, 44 of 94 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 46.8% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Ziba H. Nickerson's cause is highlighted.
How Ziba H. Nickerson Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Ziba H. Nickerson is highlighted in Jul.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
93 officers from United States Department of the Treasury - United States Customs Service are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
