State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1831-1836, 1836-04-12


genuine; but we guessed" it was not att
thcntc.
The TEXANS have abandoned Copano,
and fortified Lnhadie or Golad, higher up.
There are now 700 men stationed there,
well prepared with artillery and ammunl-
ton and disposed to play checkmake with
the wing of the Mexican army, under Gen.
Urea, lately encamped at San Patricio
DrendfW Steamboat explosion and loss of
tires at Mobile. On Sunday, 18th ult. the
boiler of the steamer, Benjamin Franklin,
Just ms shc was starting from Mobile for
/ Montgomery, and had got into the stream,
some twenty PAGES from the wharf, foot OF
I Dauphin street, burst with the most tire.
mcndous explosion which ever happened
on the Alabama waters. Seven persons
were killed, viz. Robert Brintly the pilot,
Isaac Williams Of Wilcox county, Dutch
( Bill, fireman, Robert Singleton of Bald
win County and three others, names not
ascertained; ten are missing: and seven
teen IRE wounded, several of them dan
gerously The Benjamin Franklin was the
tusleSl boat OH the river and great iayoritc,
carrying passengers only.
! A letter published in the Commercial Ad-
| vertser, says, 81 was standing close at the
/ the rivers brink, and saw the whole fore
part of the deck, with large pieces of the
boilers carried to an immense height, with
the pilot and one of the hands. The pilot
fell into the dock Mt the distance of one
hundred and fifty yards, having been thrown
into the air near three hundred feet, and
was drcalfully mutilatcd. | saw the bodies
of two or three persons who were killed
| instantly, and of many others, who were
seriously, perhaps fatally wounded. The
explosion was dreadful. The upper deck
| from the wlreelhouse forward, was carried
to great height"
The Mobile Register describes the report
of the explosion as like the dull sound of n
heavy piece of artillery, followed instanta-
neoisy by sharper report, and still all
other in quick succession.
J The forward part of the boat adds that
paper,) including the boiler, boiler deck,
| pilot house and chimneys, were seen blown
out, as if from the mouth Of vast mortar,
and among the flying fragments human
bodies were wheeled through the air TO an
| immense height One boiler had exploded
| forward, the others rccoiled, were forced
over the side Of the boat, and exploded be-
fore they reached the water. As they sunk
with n loud Kissing, volumes of yapor en-
veloped the Inflated boat. The sound of
the explosion was heard with Irregular
distinctness in the stiffness of fine Sab
bath morning, throughout the city, and its
nature was universally understood. Every
avenue was instantly filed with crowds
thronging to the whaWes, filled with dis
trcss and alarm for the fate of hundreds
who were on board. 4 most dismal omen
Of what was to be expected, was soon seen
in the fall into one of the docks, Of the
mangIed Eody of one of the passengers,
which had been projected to an incredible
height, some say, who saw il, two hundred
feet, came down bloody and disfigured
mass, close by the Dauphin street wharf, at
least hundred yards from the beat. Others
were struggling i'll the water. Large trag-
mems Of the boilers reached the shore
smaller pieces were carried quite into the
street. One large piece fell upon the deck
Ola barge at the nearest pier, aud broke It's
way through the matches. Boats were
Immediately put off to pick up those in the
water, and give aid to the boat; and though
the destruction on board was not so wide
as had been apprchondcd, the scene dis
played was of ghastly horror. The cabins
had escaped entirely. The explosion was
confined to that part of the boat directly
above and before the boilers. The victims
were chiefly the hands of the boat, and sucl
passengers as were at the time immediate
ly around the engine, or upon the boiler
deck. Only a small part ot'thc boiler was
found-the whole mass of iron had beer
rent, and scattered, and the fragments thai
did remain were torn apart like wet brown
paper. The boat exhibited mass OF black
and smoudering ruins, as if vast cavity
had been followed out by gun-powdcr
and then partly filled up with broken and
charred beams and fragments of burning
iron rocking with clouds of stealning va
por. Those who were most seriousl
hurt were Immediately taken ashore, anC
the wreck was towcd to the wharf. In the
hurry and horror produced by the eXplo'
sion the extent of the destruction of life
was at first greatly magnltied.
i. S. james Flemming, of French:
Landing, and Capt. Scuddy, Of Clark Co
Ala. two of the wounded in the explosion
of the Franklin at Mobile, died OH the 10th
ult. The bodies of three others, persons
attached to the boat, had been found. The
fatal list is now complete: none of thu
others who were wounded are considered
in danger. The whole number Of ascer'
tanned deaths from this dreadful calamity
is ten
Steamboat disaster. The Nashville Re-
publican of March l7th, received, bring,
intelligence of the burning ofthe steamboa
Randolph, at that place on the day prcrl
Gus, attended with the loss of three lives