The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1843-10-13
Dreadful Explosion.
Louisiana Chronicle Extra. }
wednesday morning, Sept. Goth, lS43. 5

Come oAr mournlul uuty 10 record one OF
the most terrible catastrophes which has
ever happened on the Mississippi. Yes
terday at about quarter past II O'Clock,
as the steamer Clipper No. /. was
backing out from her moorage at our Ian
ding, she blew up, with an explosion that
shook earth, air and heaven, as though
the walls of the world were tumblng to
pieces obout our ears.-All the boilers
bursting simultaneously, machinery, vast
fragments of the boilers, huge beams of
timber, furniture and human beings in eve
ry direction, were alike shot up perpen-
dicuarly many hundreds of fathoms in
the air. On reaching the great higth, the
various bodies dverged like the Jets of
fountaln-ialling TO the earth and upon
roofs of houses, in some instances, as
much as two hundred and fifty yards from
the scene of destruction.
The hapless victims were scalded,
crushed, torn, mangled, and scattered in
every possible direction--many into the
river, some into the streets, some on the
other side Of the Bayou, nearly three hun
dred yards; some torn asunder by COM
ing in contact with pickcts and posts, and
others shot like cannon balls through the
solid walls of houses at a great dlsance
from the boat.-AI in front Of the wheel
house appeared as though swept away by
whirlwnd. But anything like an ade-
quale description of the scene of the
wreck and ruin is utterly out of the ques-
ton. What remains Of the hull has been
firmly dashed 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 sc bales of cotton, near
ly all of which together with the mon
ey chest and most of the cabin furniture,
we are glad TO learn, has been saved.
On reaching the spot, under whip and
spur, we Immediately ben, our steps to-
wards the temporary hospital hastily
prepared for the rcscepton Of such as
might be found to retain spark of life.
The scene was such as we hope never to
look upon again. The floor Of the two
large ware-rooms were literally strewed
with the wounded and dying, and others
pouring in as fast as il was possible to
convey them-praying, groaning, howl
ing, and writhing in every possible con-
tortion of physical agony. In the midst
of this confusing din, up to their arm-pits
in OF! and cotton and bandages, we found
our praseworlhy physicians, like good
Samaratins, doing good, quietly and ST.
len.ly, but with the activity, apparently,
of fifty pair of hands-now washing
burn, now dressing a wound, and anon
splintering fractured imb. Indeed, our
citizens enerally-every man and mo-
theirs son--appeared only anxious how
they might render some service to the
poor sufferers, with the black, without
distinction.
The following are the most important
particulars, as far as we have been able to
gather them.
The crew consisted Of captain.
mate, 2 clerks, 3 engineers, 9 pilots,
carpenter, Waterman, | chambcrmaid,
stewards, 3 cooks, Is tiremen, 8 deck
hands.
PaSSengers-L. Thomas, missing
l.. d. Montamat, commission merchant,
New Orleans, and one small boy woun-
ded.
Deck PaSsengers-l wounded, . not
hert.
Capt. Liurent escaped unhurt. Mr..
Bessey, chief clerk, missing, and second
clerk killed. John Tyson, chief eng.
neer, badly wounded. VIM. Sample, sec
ond engineer, $50 or 200 yards through
the roof and gable end of house into a
back yard against fence-one arm torn
off, and fragments of his carcass scatter
ed over the trees. VIM. Nelson, third
engineer, killed. Arnault J. Layoud, p-
lot, missing; w. Wall, pilot, killed
John Peterson mate, badly scalded.
though likely to recover; Gabriel Pool,
carpenter, missing, Watchman, killed
Chambermaid, saved unhurt; Stewards,
all killed or missing; two of the cooks
killed and one wounded; eight fremen
killed or missing; four deck hands killed
or missing.
1t may be well enough here to state,
that all those who have been put down as
missing, arc doubtless dead, as every
search has been made in the vicinity to
recover the bodies in vain. They have
doubtless found a wa,ery grave. The
remains of those picked up on the shore
were inferred dccen,ly.
The Waterman, white man, was
thrown alive 100 yards through the soled
wall of Bakers Hotel, into a bed. He
retained his senses perfectly for some