Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1843-09-23
DREADFUL EXPLOSION
rsrnucrloN or rnr sreANEa CLWrra

Destruction of rnE STEAMER Cblrrrp.
GpgAr Loss on Llrr,.-lt has become
our mournIul duty to record ono of the
most terrible catastrophos, which has cy,
or happened on tho Mississippi Ycstcr
day, at about Il quarter past ~ o'clock
as tho steamer Clipper No was back
ing out from her landing, she blew W
with an explosion that shook earth, ali
and heaven, as though tho walls Of the
world were tumbling to pieces about our
ears. All the boilers bursting smuton
eously--machinery vast fragments OF
the boilers, huge beams of timber, lurpi
iure and human beings in every degree
fmulilation, were alike shot up perpen.
dcularly many hundred lathoms in the
air, On reaching the greatest height,
the various bodies dverged like the jets
oil fountain in all MISUNDERSTANDING to
the earth, and upon roofs Of houses in
some instances as much as. two hundred
and fifty yards from the scene OF destruc,
ton. The hapless victims were scalded,
crushed, torn, mangled and scattered in
every possible direc tlon-maGy into the
river, some in the streets, some on the
other side Of the Bayou, nearly 800
yards, -some torn asunder by coming in
contact with pickets and posts, and 9th.
ers shot like cannon balls through the
solid walls Of houses at great distance
from The boat. All in front ofthe wheel
houses appears as though swept by a
whirlwind. But anything like an ade,
quate description Of The scene Of wreck
and ruin is utterly OUT Of the question. -
What remains of the hull has been firm
ly lashed to the shore, but it seems to-
have broken in two and partially sunk
She had just taken on board, at the Rail
Road Depot. about 80 bales of cotton,
nearly all Of which, together with the
money chest and most Of the cabin fur
nlture, we are glad TO learn has been saw
ed.
On reaching the spot under whip and
spur, we Immediately bent our steps to-
wards the temporary hospital has lily
prepared for the reception of such as
might be found to retain spark of life
The scene was such as we hope never to
look upon again The floors of the wo
large warerooms were literally strewn
with the wounded and dying, and others
pouring in as fast as it was possible to
convey them--praying, grooming, how
ling and writing in every possible con
torton of physical agony. In the midst
OF this confusing din, up to their arm pits
in oil and cotton and bendages, we found
our praiseworthy physicians-like good
Samaritans doing good-quietly and 81
lently, but with the energy and activity
apparently of fifty pair Of hands--now
washing burn, now dressing wound,
and anon spIintering fractured limb
Indeed our citizens generally, every man
and mothers son, appeared only anx-
ious as 10 how they might render most
service to The poor sulferers-white and
black, without distinctions.
The following are the most important
particulars, as far as we have been able
TO gather them:
The crew consisted of l captain, mate
9 clerks, 3 engineers, pilots, carpen-
ter, Waterman, chambermaid, 5 stew
ards, 3 cooks, Is fremen, deck hands.
PAssENGERs-L. Thomas missing; T.
B. Montamat, commission merchant, New
Orleans; and one small boy wounded
Deck Passengers, wounded, not hurt.
Capt. Laurant escaped unhurt, Mr..
Bessy, chief clerk, missing, and the Cd
clerk killed. John Tyson, chief engin.
eer, badly wounded. VIM. Sumter Cd
engineer, thrown $50 or 900 yards
through the oofand gable end ola house,
into the back yard against the fence
one arm torn off, and fragments OF his
carcass scattered over the trees. VIM.
Nelson, Sd engineer, f. N. c., killed
Arnaut ]. Lavaud, pilot missing, Will
lam Wall, pilot, killed. John Peterson.
mate, badly scalded, though likely to re-
cover. Gabriel Pool, carpenter, missing.
Waterman killed. Chambermaid saved
unhurt. Stewards all killed or missing.
Two Of the cooks killed, and one woun- 6
ded. Eight firemen killed or missing IL
-Four deck hands killed or missing.
1t may be well enough here 10 state,
that all those we put down as missing, are {
dead, as every search has be en- t
IIldu0 ia TIC tlOih'ty ~ ASSOFOt tHClT
les. in vain. They have doubtless found +
a watery grave.
The remains of those picked up on t
shore,we inferred decently.
The Waterman, white man, was
thrown alive, 100 yards through the SOL
id wall of Bakers Hotel, into bed -
He retained his senses perfectly for some
time after, but the poor fellow expired c
during the evening.
v The eabinboy was thrown about 200 q
yards through the roof of shed, and 9
was picked up in nangled condition I
*Mr. Thomas, a grocer of Bayou Sara, t
but Just taken leave of his wife and fami- r
ly and stepped on board when the exPlo-
sion occurred. His wife and child, and
"a =. a n