The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-08-02 00:00:00

EXPLOSION ON BOARD THE EDNA.

The following particulars are from the St. Louis Bulletin
and Republican of the 4th instant.
The Edna reached the mouth of the Missouri river about
1 o'clock on Sunday morning, and landed on the outside of
the steam-boat latan, which was lying at the mouth. At
daylight both boats made preparations to start, but the Edna
lay in such a position that it was difficult for the latan to get
away from the shore. After waiting nearly or quite half an
hour, the latan, with some difficulty, got away and proceeded
onward. The Edna shoved off immediately afterward, and
the bow was about 100 feet from the shore when both flues
of her larboard boiler collapsed, scalding 63 persons, and
blowing overboard some two or three. The flues collapsed,
one at the forward and the other at the after end of the boiler,
sweeping the decks fore and aft. The latan immediately
dropped back to the Edna and towed her to the Illinois shore,
when the Annawan took her in tow, and the latan came to
the city with 26 of the wounded in the cabin. The Edna had
been working her engine out of gear, full half an hour pre-
vious to shipping her wheels, and it had not been stopped
more than ten minutes at the outside, when the accident
happened. The conclusion is irresistable that the water was
obstructed in the supply-pipe, or that the force-pump was
out of order, so that the boilers became short of water. Cap-
tain Eaton states that he is fully of opinion that the steam
was not unnecessarily high, as he heard it escape from the
safety-valve, and it did not make that appalling noise which
invariably attends the escape of high steam. Captain Eaton
is disposed to think that the accident is mainly attributable
to the unfitness of the iron of which the flues were made. He
says that an engineer, a good judge of the quality of iron,
had given it as his opinion that the iron was much too brittle
for flues. As the latan and Edna were lying together, and
both bound up the river, it might be supposed that the
accident resulted from a desire on the part of the Edna to
beat the latan up. Captain Eaton informs us that it was
the express instructions of the captain of the Edna not to
race with the latan, and for that purpose suffered the latan
to go out ahead of her—and as the latan was light, or in
good running trim, and the Edna heavily loaded, it is not to
be supposed that the Edna would have selected a time for a
trial of speed when she laboured under such disadvantages.
Whatever blame (if it was the result of carelessness) is to be
attached to this unfortunate disaster should be attributable,
in our opinion, to the engineer on duty—who, in neglecting
to try the guage-cocks, was solely culpable. He has paid the
forfeit of his life for his neglect, if it was an act of care-
lessness.
P.S. 11 o'clock, P.M.—We understand that 33 of the
scalded have since died.
The unfortunate sufferers by this accident were chiefly
German emigrants ; a few of the crew of the Ed9a were
scalded, among them the second engineer, who is badly
wounded ; many jumped overboard, and from the confusion
and distress which prevailed yesterday, it is difficult, yet to
IN
tell how many were lost, or who they were. one of the
cabin passengers were injured. The number ascertained to
be badly scalded were 36 men, 13 women, and 14 cluid!en—
one boy killed. It is the opinion of some of the physicians
that a majority of them will die.
They were chiefly from near Dusseldorf, on the Rhine, and
what renders their case one of peculiar hardship is, that this
accident, so fatal and serious to all, should have occurred
when they had braved the hour of separation from their
friends and kindred, passed the ocean and its storms, and
were upon the last boat, within about 150 miles of their new
homes.

THE CANADA DISASTER.
(From the Montreal Herald of Tuesday.)
We have little to add to our yesterday's account of the sad
disaster on the lake above Lachine. The coroner empan-
nelled a jury yesterday forenoon, when a full investigation of
every matter connected with the accident took place. The
result was, that a verdict was returned of "accidental death,"
and no blame was attached to the proprietors or crew of the
unfortunate vessel. We subjoin the portion of the evidence
which was material. Several passengers were examined, but
nothing was elicited from them beyond the fact of the sobriety
of the captain and crew. Mr. Henry Roebuck, of Coteau
du Lac, who has an intimate experience in lake navigation,
bore testimony to the soundness of the Shamrock, and the
good working of her engine, so far as an unprofessional per-
son like himself could judge.
Thomas Halliman, captain of the steamer Shamrock, being
duly sworn, saith,—l have been captain of the Shamrock
since the 9th of June. She left Lachine between 6 and 7
o'clock on Saturday morning last, with three barges in tow,
one of which was laden, and the other two were empty. The
wind blew freshly. Two of the barges were alongside of the
steamer, and the third behind. We were in the habit of
having more barges in tow than three, and we have had as
many as six. The crew consisted of myself, four sailors, two
engineers, two firemen, and two pilots. There was no more
than the usual quantity of steam on the engine, which is
estimated by two weights which rise when the steam escapes.
I had not left the deck until within ten or fifteen minutes
before the accident took place, when I went to the cabin.
I saw the boiler tried about ten minutes before the acci-
dent occurred. The first intimation I had of it was the
breaking of the skylight window and the rushing in of the
water. I rushed on deck and saw the barge with the pas-
sengers full of water, and I then assisted so far as I could in
saving the passengers. The Shamrock was a new boat,
built in Upper Canada, and the engine was in good order to
the best of my belief. The boiler leaked a little when the
steam was off, but not to any extent. The engine was new,
and I never heard that it was condemned. It was built at
Niagara, and the leaking of the boiler in no way affected its
safety. lam of opinion that the bursting of the boiler was
the cause of the accident. The engine was on the high pres-
sure principle, and was of 32-horse power. The first engi-
neer was on the watch at the time the accident occurred. He
is a sober man, and I have never seen him intoxicated, but
have found him very attentive and careful about his business.
I certainly cannot attach the imputation of negligence to any
person on board. I cannot account for the bursting of the
boiler. I saved only my vest, shirt, and trousers, which I
happened to have on, and could not preserve even my shoes
and stockings. The engineer was always at his post to obey
the bells.
Thomas B. Benedict, the engineer, gave a similar testi-
mony. He had a young man under him, whom he was in-
structing as an engineer, but he never intrusted him to any
extent with the working of the engine. On the first trip
which the boat made, he perceived a defect in the guide of
the safety valve lever, which he remedied. About two mi-
nutes before the accident took place, he examined the boiler
and found the water to be above the third cock, at which
time the engine was working satisfactorily. He was stand-
ing near the cylinder when the accident took place, with his
back toward the boiler. When the explosion took place
he turned round, and saw smoke and fragments of the vessel,
which began to settle at the bows, whereupon he rushed to
the promenade deck. He has been an engineer for four
years. and considered that the engine of the Shamrock was
a good one. It was purely accidental, in his opinion. Ac-
cording to the directions of the builders of the engine, he was
allowed to carry 851bs. of steam, and at the period of the
accident there was not more than 701bs. of steam.
LIST OF KILLED, MISSING, &C., OF THE ENGLISH PORTION.
1 Mrs. Wales, Ormotherly.
2 Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, near Darlington.
2 Mr. and Mrs. Buckon, Westerdale.
2 Mrs. Thuckray and child, Stockton.
41
WilliamMrand Mrs. York and 2 children, Pickering' -
tldyri, Cleaveland.
1 John Watson, Stockton.
1 Daniel Watson, Cleaveland.
7 John Coverdale and_ 6 children.
9 Named Pearson, Rosedale.
3 Mrs. Lincoln and 2 children.
8 Mr. Cousins and 7 children.
1 James Hugill, Swainby.
1 *William Easton, Tryupdale.

, Orlsniootherly ; James
43
and
de
daughter,Pearson,
In the Hospitra—John Wailes
Hutchinson, near Richmond; Thomas
y ; Gweobp, and son,
, ditto •
Middlesborough ; George Hagar, Danb
nkray
two brothers and two sisters, Sarah Pearson
Rossdale ; Hannah Coverdale, Cleaveland ; John Th
John Southern.
At Lachine—Mrs. Cousins, Cleaveland ; William Sher-
wood, ditto ; James Allanby, ditto; John Hugill
William Garbutt, ditto.