Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1838-05-17
AWFUn sTEAM BOAT DISASTERS

+. - y a. - Lam DOAl DlSAS ILRS.
The New Orleans papers OF the 2lth.inst
Conrain an account Of a most dreadful steam
boat disaster. From the Bulletin we cory
the following particulars:
The Steamboat OromOkO, Crawf0rl, mas
ter, hence Oh her passage To Louisville, col
lapscd one OF her boiler nues Oh Saturday
morning last ut > o'clock while taking in
some passengers at Princeton, aud out of
seventy deck passengers only one escaped
being scaldcd 10 death or dangerously
wounded. Many jumped overheard after
they were sculirL, thinking, no doubt. to
obtain relief, ana were drowned. Several
were left at Princetorfs ut least 10, dead or
horribly manslcd.
Only one cabin passenger, Mr. Brown.
was LOST. Mrs: Myers and her child, from
Vick>burG. were scaldcd-tlle latter died
Immediately. aud little hopes are entertain
cd Of the mother. Out of thirty three who
before she returned to Vicksburg, and pro-
badly, but five or six of those rernainiir.,
would survive twenty four hours. Amon@
the dead is one of the engineers, Mr.. Pow
crs, who during his last moments. asserted
that the fault was not his, as there was u
sufficient supply Of water in the boilers at
The lime Of the accident.
The greater portion OF these unfortunotc
Individuals were taken OIL board at Vicks
burg, and their names and destination. had
not, nor could not be asccrlainetl, neither
WIS the cxaci number un board known. but.
doubtless, seventy five individuals suffered
by the expulsion, but few Of whom can sur
>ive.
From the >.ew Orleans Picayune of the
10th inst, we extract The following additions
al particulars:
luE ORoHoKo.-Thc number of those
who pcrished or were badly wounded, is
not exactly known-it is variously cstima-
ted from 50 To $50. OF 90 wounded left a,
Princeton, l3 have since dicd-and of 30
brought to Ficksburs, lG have died. The
inhahitants OF these two places attended
with Il great deal of kindness To the sufferers.
II Is stated that the steamer Peru, passed
up shortly alter the accident, and although
hailed ny every signal ofdistress,-not only
ny ringing the bell, but by some hundred
persons running 10 and from the bank, way-
ing their handkerchief and exhibiting
sheets, from the hurricane deck of the Oro-
noko, she kept he: course without render
ING any assistance whatever, and after as
sI>'anca was obtained from The steamers
New Albany" and "Indepcudence," src
returned, and without Offering any assistant
hand, obtained all the passengers she could
and proceeded on her way.
The inhunanity of the commander of the
Peru, is stated i'll the las, paragraph depends
altogether upon vague report. 1t is thought
TO be i nlis-s,aiement.
The cause of The accident it is said, was
the worn- out state of the bnlers. The
other part of the boat Yas thoroughly new;
| the boilers, however, had been taken from,
! an old vessel, and were totally unfit for ser
vice. Ii has been stated. (says the Bulletin
of Wednesday, by ole Of the oldest boat
men now on the river, tha, the boilers Oh
the Oronoko originally were the Amcrica's
boa, which sunk at Plum Point, some time
in 1879 or 1926. Her boilers were carried
10 Pitts5urg and there remained until 1881
or 1882. They were them put on board the.
steamer Michigan. and from her removed
10 the JronoAu where the explosion occur
red' These are startling facts if true; re-
gard to The safety OF the travelling worIi
requires tha. they should be siftcd 10 ,I.
bottom. '0
II mas been asserted that nine accidents
out OF ten on orr waters arises from the usc
oi oi'l boilers III new boats. Suc,, an asscr-
tion Is scarcely credible. We arc UNWILLING
10 pehevc that the cupdity of steam bont
capitalists could so far gain the asccndancv
over their better feeling us to induce then,
TO sport with the lives ot their tcllow-c;-
lizcns.
The True American says, that amour
inc Victims to this calamity was one wh,
ny ms owh acknowledgment Justly meritet
MS 'ooih. f.c was known hIacklcc. and
III inc extremity OF agony in which he died,
confessed himself The ncendiary who lately
fired the piuhard House, with the fcnd;sI
nope OF burning up the city Of Vicksburg.
Revenge for tho acts nv wh;ch III; t,I,a'..
gamblers were routed out. he yo,vcL IN H.,
The cause that influenced him.