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Shocking Steamboat Disaster

Shocking Steamboat Disaster image
Parent Issue
Day
5
Month
May
Year
1865
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The fullojjjpg iH ttio Mewphis Bulletin' acouiuit of the lucid of tha stearaer SultaQti : "Thesteamer Sultnna, Capt. Mason, arrived frum Xow Orloans, iaat nigh't, the 2GU), with about 2,200 people on boerd, ],934, of whom were excbauged Federal prisoners froni Vickeburg, the balance beiug rofugoes and regulnr paafengcr.s frotn various poiuta aloDg tho livor, proceeding towardfi St. Louis. - Sho lel'l the coal pile about one o'olook thi? morning, nnd had uiade lomu uight or ten miloe, when an exp'osion of olio of hor boilers ocourred. The boat, with iis masa of liviug frutghf, took flre in the vicinity of tho cugines, andina short time siie was burnod to the water, nd now lies on a sand bar uear Foglemau's Landing, Bothiug visible but her charred reniainrf and jackstafl' standing orect. Tlio seeno following theexplosioa was terribla and heart reuding iu the extreme. Hundreds of people were blown iuto tho air, and dcscendmg into the water, snme dead, sorno with broken linibs, some scslded, wore borne under by tho rt'iiiB.lest current oi the great river, never t rise Bgain. Tho íurvivors represent the 8crtíai8 as ngouizing bejond precedent. Si'jne clting to frail pieoes of the wreek, as drowning men oliüg to straws, and untained thomsolves fun ft few momonta, bat fiually becaine exhausted and sunk. Only the best of Bwimmer,i, aided by fragmenta of the wreek, were enablcd to reach tho woods, and there take rofuge, until reecued by boats seBt from the landittg hero to their assiatauoe. There weie nbout fifteen women and obildren aboard, and as near as can be nsoertained, uot more than two or three had been found at tho hour when this account was wrillen. Somo of the wretohed people were borno by tho current as far down as the levee at this city, und this was tho first intjjiation the officera of the boats in pon received of the terrible disaster. A ywl was iminediately eent out from tho Marble City, and in a few minutes aeveral poraous were pieked oui of tho water and brought ashore. Two wero aftorward iound cliuging to the whec-1, and thcy were also aavetl. Upoo boing brought to a rcalization of the calaraity, the ofBccrs of the boats in port, under notification of Capt. Seuior, of the Rivor Guard, fiteained up, and in a short time wero at tho burniug eteamer, whero Luudreds of people wero pieked up and brought to this landing, arrirjug about daylight. They were met by a number of citiiena and ladies, tvhosupplied them with abundance of uew clothing from the Quartermaster's Department and from various stores. At this limo it is impossible to give a oorrect statemont of tbe oauso of the aeoident, and number or namea of the lost and eaved. Ëvarything is in the great est confusión, Jlr. Rawberry, the first mate, was on the watch, and standing in the pilot house with Capt. George Clay Vn, who was at tho whee! tho time of the exploiirn He ouly rouiMpbers the ghoük, that he was blown 'flffo the air, and was afterwards taken from the wft-1 tr. He aaw the lower deck in flames and knows no mora. He oan give no idea of tbo causo of the accident, and saya the boat was oing at ordiaary fipeod, and all seeined well up to the mo ment the explosión öccurred ; that tbo 2d engineer, a eober, reliable tnau named Cíemeos, was at the enginea, and that uothing more than common was in progress. Captain Clayton was aso hurled iuto tho wreek among the broken boilers and rabbish, sustaining slight injuries. - Ho immcdiatoly jumpad overboard with a door, by whioh he was eoabled to reaoh the Arkansas shore three miltía below, where, striking a sapling, he seized and olung to it until savea. Clemens, the engiueer, was badly burued andsoalded, and can hardly recover. Mr. Johif Pogleman, residing on the Arkansas ide, on beÏDg arousod by the noiso, and eeiDg the buruing steamor, hastily contructed a rude raft, and in this way was the means of aviog about one hundred ■ ves. In the woods, among the drift of the wreek, the offioers of the Rose Hambleton found a faniily Bible, oontaiuiug tha records of a family namod Spikes, of Assumption Pariah, Ls. The namee recorded are Samuel D. Spike, and Elethia Spike, marriod Oct. 31st, 1837. The reoord ehows there were twelve in the family. It was eubsequently learned that the father, mother, tbree daughters, Iwo brothers, and a nipce, were lost. Several of the bodie were recovered. Thie family had $17,000 in gold all of which was lost. Tfce 8teatner Beatona, No. 2, Captain "Yatson, was coming down stream from Cincinnati when the explosión ocouired, and rendored very valuable assistanca; saviug. many lives. The Pooabontas, Silver Spray, Marble City, the gunboat Essex, Rose Hambloton and others also rendered muoh service. At th timo of the explosión Captain Maeon had retired from watcb, and was in bed. He was afterwards seen throwing ehutters and doors to the assjstance of people in the wator, and hero all traces of him vanished. Clerks Gamble and Stratton are also missing. Among the soldiers on board were thirty commissioned ofBcers. The troops wero of v.irious regiments, and nearly fill eschanged prisoners. They belonged priucipally to Western regiments. At the hour of writing only 500 or 600 persons had boen saved. Not less thau one thousand lives were hurled into eternity by this most wonderful of all river disasters. W. D. 8now, member of Cofigrees from Arkahsas, was on board and escapod uninjured.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus