The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1848-01-20


United States was or YES not sent into
thst settlement, after General TAYLOR had
more than once intimated to the War De-
pariment that, in bis opinion, no such
movement was necessary ~ the dcicncc Or
protection Of Texas.
HORRIBLE STEAMBOAT EXPLOSION.
On the 20sh ult., about = o'clock 4. y.
the new steamer A. N. Johnson, exploded
both her boilers, on the Ohio, about ten
miles above Maysvillc, while in the act q
rounding ont IRON the shore; sitter which
she burnt to the waters edge. The num-
Der of killed is vsriously estimated from 50
to la. About 30 were scalded whose re-
covsry is considered doubtful. We have
no room fr the list Of killed, but give the
following particular.
The MaysviI!o (Ky) Flag says.
The explosion blew up the cabin-dcck,
and when many of the passengers opened
their cabin doors 10 make their escape, they
were procipitatcd into the held. end there
werc seen writhing in the flames. None
VI them escaped.
Many were blown into the river and
they sunk at once. One pour fellow was
seen holding I'm TO the wreck until il bad
burned to the waters edge, when he went
down with il.
The ladies' in the cabin wcrc uniniured,
the explosion not reaching them.
i Inns been ascertained that at least
$4,000 in money were lost.
The cause Of the disaster 10 believed TO
have been a defect in the boilers. Tho
second engineer. in his last moments, do.
clared TINT the steam was not high; TINT he
had tried the gunge-cocks and the water
was high in the boilers, and that the iron
,r0s bad.
There were - horses on board-0 were
saved. The circumstances OF the death of
the First Clerk, nrc repuied as most sinQu.
lar. lie was blown some 100 yards on
shore!--sprang up, ran some distance into
house. ran under bed, and when persons
got to him, he was just dying.
The Cincinnati Commercial says:-
Mr.. s. Sanders, of this city, who was, On
account ofthc crowded staio Of tho cabin,
lying ON the floor Of tho socinl hall al the
time Of the explosion. fell with the cabin.
on the deck, and in the Gal: the t,mbers Of
the cabin fell on his legs, which prevented
him from rising or dung any thing. Tho
boat to'k fire, which was mnmcntarily M.
preaching him, aud, while lying in this sit
nation, he saw several perish in the flames,
their hands extended Tor aid, and shriekinv
with agony and despair; but there wss
none to help them. As the FIRE approach
ed the horses, tied on The forecasiic, thew
became wild with alright, and commenced
kicking, rearing md p'unging. In this
Wild excitement, the timbers which held
Mr.. Sanders were sd removed NJ 10 libcrnto
him, when he arose md approached the sido
OF the boat next 10 the stream, and seeing
the river full Of ice, he caught up a vet
blanket, threw il around himself, and rush-
ed through the flames 10 the opposite side
aud made his escape a. the shore, which
was ovcrloskcd by high and pcrpendicu.
lar bank. After walking some distance
along the shore, he reached place whore
ne gained the summit, and seeing HOUSE
he proceeded to il. When he got In ho I'm.
going 10 throw himself on the bed. but wa.
prevented by tho woman Of tho house.
Immediately DR.. Gillespie came in and At.
tempted 10 throw himself on the bed. bu,
WINS prevented also-he sunk ON the flor
almost l'seless, and expired som after heinz
taken TO Maysville. We will here state
Tint the frishti"l appearance OF Nj. San.
dcrs aud DR.. Gillespie 90 alarmed The 90.
man, that she hardly knew wha, she was
doing, and there were two children in the
bed. As SOON as her senses rallied, she
removed the children, mado up good Ere.
and contributed TO the extent Of her power
10 the relief Of the sufferers brought there.
The scene Of heart rend;ng agony on
board the boat WINS indescriboble. There
were the dead and dying. The flames
bursting from every part Of the bnst-tho
shr'eks OF the men as they sunk into tho
names 10 rise no morc-thc wild fright Of
the horscs--nll conspircd to render tho
scene beyond the power Of language TO de.
p'ct-but the agony If those who persisted
instantly BY the explosion, sunk into flames
and were thrown into the wn,er 10 rise M
more. were short, md their fate We could
almost say preferable TO some who surviv.
cd-the'r flesh burn, to coal, and peeIine
from the bones. In the midst Of SUFFERING.
tho most acute they in their agony were
begging TO be shot--calling Er axes and
other instruments bv which they might end
their suffcrings. On the shore. and in tho
adjacent cornficld, were To Ls seen the most
ir'ghifuI spectacles. Heads, trunks, lin,be.
md every part Of the human ff~me, torn
from the other paris, and in Fragments,