Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1844-01-23
AWFUL sTEAMBoATAccIDENT

AWFUL STEAMBOAT ACCIDENT.
One of the most disastrous accidents,
and destructive Of human life, that has
happened on the Mississippi for many
years, occurred on board the Steamboat
Shepherdess, about three miles below
st. Louis on the night Of the 3rd Of this
month. About half past ell even o'clock
the boat struck snag so forcibly as to
cause her 10 sink in few minutes after
ward. There were about $50 passen-
gers on board most Of them were either
in their berths or about retiring for the
night; and they were, in about three
minutes after the conclusion, suddenly
apprised OF the extent of the injury done
by the ris ing Of water into the cabin;
when ageueraI rush was made 10 the
hurricane deck. After striking the snag,
the boat commenced floating down
stream, while she was sinking, frequent
ly lurching and throwing off passengers
into the river. Size soon struck anoth.
er snag, which made complete wreck
of the boat, and greatly increased the
calamity. The cabin separated from the
hull and hoated on down stream, ahc the
hull sunk. The night was intensely cold
which, together with the other circum-
stances of the uakedness Of most OF the
passengers, the drowning OF some and
the periIous condition Of the others, con-
spired to render the scene more horr-
bic than can we'll be imagined. 1t is not
known how many perished. 1t was at
first supposed that from 70 to 100 lives
were lost; but a closer estimate reducN
as the number to 40 or so. The st,
Louis Gazette thus describes the scene
on board the boat.
"Men, women and children, almost
naked, and partially submerged in the
water, were calling for their relatives, or
passing 10 and fro in chaotic confusion,
endeavoring to obtain the means OF self
preservation; while others threw them
selves into the river-and were drowned.
Manv incidents connected with this sad
affair are very distressing. A young la
dy who was suffering from pleurisJ, was
drawn through one Of the state room
doors I'D to the hurricane deck when
the boat careened; but she was so debil'
tated by pain and fright as to be unable
TO stand :-she was accordingly laid up
on one Of the Wagons with which the
boat was freighted, and upon the vessel
making another lurch, she was preciPia'
ted into the water. Four children also
perished from exposure, while being con
veyed from the wreck to the shore.-
The captain, when last recognized, was
climbing one of the irons which suPPor
the chimneys. He is supposed to be
dro Hned; also, the carpenter, who was
f acting engineer.
The greatest loss of life was sus talneC
when the cabin separated from the hull
One ofthe passengers hoated upon For'
ton of the wreck as far as Vuide POche
when he was relieved from his uncom for
table situation.
AS soon as news Of the accident reach
ed the city, the ferry boat lcelandCr wa
despatched to the place, and took from
the wreck upwards of 100 passen
gers. :.
Since the above was in type,we are in
, formed that many bodies have beel
found, supposed to have been frozen II
: death after reaching the shore. A mum
Der of the passengers we're brought Il
the city 10 enable them TO procure cloth
ing, having lost every thing by this mos
dreadful calamity"
The Shepherdess was from the Obi
river and had left Pittsburgh about s day
previous to the accident. She was own
ed by her captain, A. P Howell, who i
numbered among those who we're drown
ed. He has left wife and II children
at CovingtOn Ky. IL
The St. Louis papers publish list
the passengers saved and brought to tn
hotels in that city, Among them
"stephen Howard, Of Brown count
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