Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1844-11-07
From the Louisville Courier, Oct. q.
TERRIBLE STEAMBOAT
DISASTER
Explosion Of the lucy WcJkef =
5jr5y 10 Eighty Killed
and Wounded!!

Explosion Of the lucy Wattef =! =
Sjsrty 10 Eighty Killed
and Wounds3!!
Il is With feelings the most acute and
painful, that we record the following
fearful disaster, and the loss OF so ma
ny valuable lives. The Steamboat
Lucy Walker, Capt. v2nn, left this
place fer New 0deans esday, crows
ded 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
engine was stopped in order to repair
it. While engaged in making the ne
cessary repairs, the water in the boil
ers cot too low; and about five min
utes after the engine had ceased work
ing, her three boilers exploded with
tremendous violence, and horrible and
terrific effect. The explosion was hP-
wards, and that part Of the boat above
the boilers was blown into thousands
Of pieces.
The U. States snag-boat Gopher
Captain L. B, Durham, was about two
hundred yards distant at the time of
the ex pIosion. Captain Ddnhan was
Immediately on the spot, rescuing
those in the water, and with his crew
rendering all the aid in his power. TIE
him we are indebted for most of our
particulars. He Informs Us, that the
Lucy Walker was in the middle Of the
river, and such was the force Of the exs
plosion, that parts Of the boilers and
the boat were thrown on shore. Just
after the explosion, the air was filed
with human beings and fragments OF
human beings. One man was blown
up fifty yards, and fell with such force
as to 90 entirely through the deck os
the boat. Another was 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 ths
place where the Lucy Walker was, he
saw a number of persons who had been
thrown into the river, drowned. He
however saved the lives Of large num-
Der Of persons BY throwing them boards
and ropes, and pulling them OF his
boat with hooks. Immediately after
the explosion, the ladies' cabin took
fire, and before it had been consumed,
she sunk in IL or Is feet water. Thus
is presented the remarkable circums
stance Of a. boat exploding, burning
and sinking, all in the space of a few
minutes. The screams and exclama-
tions of the females, and those who
were not killed, is represented as hav-
ing been distressing and awful. We
believe none Of the females on board
were injured-some, however, may
have been drowned. The books of the
boat were destroyed, and Of course. il
will be impossible over to ascertain the
names of the number of those killed.
There were at least fifty or sixty per-
sons killed and missing, and fifteen or
twenty wounded-some seriously
Capt. Durham left the wounded at
New Albany, all Of whom were kind
ly and well cared for BY the hospitable
and humane citizens of that town.
The following are the names Of the
dead, missing and wounded, SO far as
we have been able TO learn them:
Killed and .Missing-Gen. J. W.
Pegram, of Richmond, Va; Samuel
NJ. Brown, Post Office Agent, Of Lex
inglon, Ky; J. r. CoriRick, Of Fir-
ginia; Charles Dome, OF Louisville;
philip Wallis, formerly of Baltimore;
Rebecca, daughter of A. J. Foster, Of
Greensville, Va; James Vanderberg,
of Louisville; Mr. Hughes, formerly Of
Lexington, Ky; Mr.. Matlock, of New
Albany, engineer Of the steamboat Ma
zeppa; Nicholas Ford, formerly Of this
c h; David Vann, the Captain; Moses
Kirby, pilot; second mate, second clerk,
second engineer, bar-keephr and three
deck hands, names unknown. -Four
negro fremen.
Woaaaed- II. PEBBLES, very
badly hurt, Nr Raines, Of Virginia,
do; first engineer do; Capt. Thomp-
son, pilot, arms fractured; Mr.. Roberts,
Of Philadelphia, slightly hart.
1t is supposed that John N.,Johnson
and Richard Phillips were on board
ifso, they are lost.
The DO was owned by Capt. Vann,
of Arkansas, and was insured.
->..&2as--
A man in New Orleans is so upright
il all his dealings, that he wont 81
Io--,. ~ 80 L,.4- -, al le