Arkansas intelligencer., 1844-11-09
From the Cincinnati Com. Bulletin.
TERRIBLE STEAMBOAT DISASTERI
EXPLOSION OF THE
LUCY WALKER.
60 to 50 killed and wounded.

1t is with feelings the most acute and painful.
says the Louisville Courier of Thursday last, that
we record the following fearful disaster, and loss
OF SO many valuable lives. The steamboat Lucy
| Walker, Capt. Vann, left this place for New Or.
| leans yesterday, crowded with passengers When
about four or five miles below New Albany. and
Just before sunset, some part of her machinery
got out of order, and the en- inc was stopped in or
der to repair it. While engaged in making the
necessary repairs, the water in the boilers co too
low; and about five minutes after the engine had
ceased working her three boilers exploded with
tremendous violence; and horrible and terrific eff.
feet. The explosion was upwards. and that part
of the boat above the boilers blown into thou
sands of pieces. The U. S. snag- boat Gopher
Capt, l.. b. Durham, was about two hundred
yards dsant at the time of the explosion. Can't,
Dunham was Immediately on the spot, rescuinu
those in tile wafer, and with his crew RENDERING
all the aid in hls power. To him we are indebt ed
for most of our particulars. He Informs US tha,
the Lucy Walker was in the middle Of the river.
and such the force Of the explosion that pa
of the boilers and the boat throw n on Shore
Just tter the explosion, the air was filled with
human beings and fragments of human beings
One man was blown up fifty yards, and fell with
such force as to go entirely through the deck of
the boat. Another cut entirely in two by a
piece of the boiler. We have heard of many
such heart-rending and sickening incidents.
Before Capt. Durham reached the place where
the Lucy Walker was, he a number of per sons
who had been thrown into the river, drown. He
however saved the lives of a large number of ner
sons by throwing them boards and ropes, and pull.
| ing them on his boat with hooks. Immediately af.
ter the explosion, the bin took fire. and before il,
| had been consumed she sunk in twelve or fifteen
| feet water. Thus is presented the remarkable
circumsta nee Of boat exploding, burning nd sink
| ing, all IN the space of few minutes The screams
| and excamatlons of the females and those who
were not killed, Is represented as having been
distressing and awful. We believe none of the fe
| ma les on board were in niured-some. however, NAV
have been drowned. The books Of the boat were
destroyed. and of course It will be impossibIe ever
to ascertain the names of or the number of those
Killed. There were at least fifty or sxry persons
Killed and missing, ard fifteen or twenty wounded
some seriously. Capt Dunham left the wounded
at New A lbany, all Of whom were kindly and well
chfed Tor by the hospitable and humane citizens of
| lhat town. Nnpt Dunbam deserves the thanks of
the community for his humane md vigorous exer.
tons to save the lives Of and his kindaess and NJ,
ten'Ion to the sutleres. He stripped his boat of
every blanket, sheet and every thing else necessary
| for their comfort -
Mr.. John Hixon and Mr.. Henry Bebee, passen.
gers on the Lucy Walker deserve notice for their
cooness and their efficient excrons in saving the
lives OF drowning persons.
FURTHER PARTICULARS.
| We are indebted to the kindness Col p IT
White for the Louisville Daily Courier, of The
10Th ut., containing the following additional in.
'e'''gence IN regard TO the melancholy affair.
THE LUCY WALKER.
I've have with much trouble procured tho fol.
.owng list OF The kllIe d, wounded and the missing.
as wen as the saved, Of the passengers and crew
OF this Inflated boat In addition 10 those M NOD
below we understand that the New ALBANY ferry
boat returned last evening with six bodies, which
nave not yet been recognised. The citizecs of
New Albany are devoting themselves with the nj
most llberahty aud energy to the care of the
wounded and the burial of the dead. The friends
and relatives of the wounded may ros assured that
nothing Will he left undone by the kind hearted
citizens OF New Albany, to alleviate their suffer-
'nss. ABOUT hileen bodies have already been tu-
rled in the City Cemetry at New Albany.
Mr.. John AIlston, of Rapides, La, who esco ned
nnlnJured. states that he discovered some time nre
VIous to the explosion that there was at least n va.
ry gross mismano cement of the engine md ,h,,
there was great danger of an explosion: md be
mad scarcely retired to the stern of the boot and
taken seat, when the explosion took Mace r.,
the exertons of Capt. Thompson and Mr.. AIls,on
the lie OF Mr.. j. NJ Roberts, of PhiIedel,,h,'
was saved. / =
The number Of killed and missing. so far no , :.
certaned, is about fifty. The entire nun her =,
never be ascertained. as many persons mus, ba @ We
been burned alive. Many corpses also mus, bo We
been burned. Capt Thompson is of opinion TIM,
the number of persons on board. at the time Of ,h
explosion, was about 1870. including large nun.
oer OF deck passengers, whose names can. n
course, never be ascertained. ' 7 |
we are indebted to Mr.. Warren, OF New Avn.
ny, for the following list. We shall coptn,s to
publish the names of the killed and wourid as
we can procure them. WI
KiHed.-Charles Doane. pilot, Nicblas Ford,
Louisville; E A Edwards, ShebyviH Ky Sam.
uel Brown. Lexington, Ky; MpNorris, resi-.
dence unknown, supposed to be y Ky; Jacob
Meeker, Madison, la; VIM Watt, Safkville, Mis-
Rev James M'Crcary. Wilcox CO, fla James Do.
rus, Philadelphia; Phillip W4ce, Baltimore:
Jacob Nolner, Washington Cit Family al PEERS.
burg; child of A. H. Fostef fGreensburg, w /
Capt David vann, Mr. Macky ysecond clerk. Ar. 4
ansas two badly burned eics, unrecoenised
twelve slaves, and one deckand. ~
Missing james vanf berg. Lor; -
ter Hadlock. New Albant -Mr D.rd