Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1843-10-12
Dreadful Explosion.
Great Luss OF Life,

II
ing we have been favored with al exua Of
the 'L,nisinna Chroncle,' OF "Wednesday
last, which We hasten 10 lay before our rea
drr- g:
\ u has become our mournhil duty 10 record
one OF the most terrible cats.IrOphes that
have ever appe ned on the M,ssis-ipp. Yes
'rrd"y. at about quarter past 10 o'clock. ns
the steamer Chpp"r No. ! was backing oui
from her moorIngs at our landing. she hIsw
up with an explosion that shook earth, air snd
heaven, 1s though the walls ot the world
were tumhling TO pieces abeut our ears. All
he bollders bursting simultaneously ma
chinery. vast fragments Of the boilers. hug.
beams of timber. furniture and human beings
~ every degree 0f mu'ilu'ion. were alik"
.hot ny p"rpe"dlculorly many hundred faith
oms IN The AIR.
\ On reaching the greatest height. the yrri.
Gus bodice divergrd like The j'ts Of 4 knn-
tain m oil dlrrctions-ialliug to the earth,
and upon roois of h"nsrr, in some instances
as much as two hundred aud fifty yards from
ibe scene OF destruction. The hapess vic
Tins were scslded, crushed, torn. m1ngled
and scattered IN every possible dlrecipn--
many into the rvrr, som. into the streets.
some on the other side of The bayou, nearly
"
contact with pirkrts aud posts, aud %, hers
shot like cannon balls through the old walls
of houses at a great distance from The boat
All ~ front of the wheel houses apppnrs g.
though swept by q whirlwind. Bat anything
lIke an adequate description of the scene o
wreck and ruin is utterly out Of the quesiion.
What remains of the hall las oeen firmly
lashcd to the shoIe, but il seems to have
hrxL In, ,,If Al
just taken on board, at the rHilrosd depot,
about S5 bales Of cation, nearly all Of which.
together with The money chest and most oi
the cabin furniture, We are glad ~ learn ha-
been saved.
On reaching The spot VIC Immediately bent
our steps toward the Temporary hospital pre-
pared for Tho reception of such as might be-
found TO retain q spark %! life. The scene
was such as We hopo never To look upon
again. The floors nf The two large ware
rooms were literally strewn with the dead
Snd dying, and Others pouring IN as fast ~ 1t
was possible 10 convey lhem--praying, groan.
ing, bowling aud writing in every possible
cont"rtion Of physical agony.
The following are tho most important pnr-
iicnlars, as far as we have been able TO gath
pr ihem:-
j -,
2 clerks, 3 engineers,2 pilots. ! carpenter, !
watchman. ] chambprmaid, 5 stewards, 81
cooks, Is hremep. 3 dock hnnds-43
PAssENsERs.-L Thomas, missing; p.
b. M"htama,. Commission merchant, New
Orleans, and ono small boy wounded. Deck
Passengers, ! wounded, 2 not hurt.
Capt. Laurent escaped nnhuu; Mr.. Bcssy.
chief clerk, missing, and the second clerk
killed; John Tyson. chef engineer. badly
wounded; VIM. Sunp'er Cd engineer. thrown
$50 or 200 yards through ihr roof and gable
end of a house, into the back yard ngains, the
fence-one arm was torn off and the frag,
mens of his carcass scattered over the trees
WIN. Nelson Sd engineer, free man Of color
killed; ArnsnIt J. Lavand. pilot. missing
William Wall, pilot. killed John Peterson,
mate, badly scald-d, though likely to recover;
Gabriel Pool, carpenter. missing /; watrhman
killed: chanbermaid saved nnhurt steward.
ali killed or missing; two Of the cooks killed
and one wounded; eight fremen killed or
missing; four deck hands killed or missing
II may be well enough her. to state, thai
all those we have pni down ~ miss,ag are
doubtless dead, a. every search has been
made IN the vicinity Ia recover their bodies.
IN vain. They have doubtless found wa,cry
grave.
The remains of those picked up on shore
we're inferred decen,ly.
The watchman, n white man, was thrown
alive. 100 yards, through the solid wall of
Bakers Hotel, into n bed. He retained his
senses perfectly for some time after, but the
poor fellow expired during The evening.
The cabin boy was thrown about 200 yards
through The roof f"fa shed, aud was picked Up
IN manglcd condition.
p. S.-SInce the above was IN type. VIC
have learned the death Of another of the fire.
men.