Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1848-01-20
The Last Steamboat EXPLOSION.

The Wheeling Times of "Wednesday gives
the following particulars of the last steamboat
explosion on the Ohio.
II becomes our melancholy duty to record "A
scene OF the most agonlzing nature, and one,
The like OF which, we pray may never happen
again. 1t is no less than the total destruction,
with The consequent loss of life, by the burst
ing Of the boilers, Of the Kanawa packet, Blue
Ridge. Ii occurred on Saturday night about
one o'clock, when about three miles below
toWn-having left our wharf but few minutes
before on her trip To Cincinnati.
She blew up, while under way, with tre-
mendons explosion, reducing 10 perfect wreck
all of the cabin Immediately over her boilers.
The hull noated about mile and half. and
sunk, leaving the cabin anoat, TO the top of
which such Of the passengers as were saved
retreated for security As fast as possible they
were all relieved from their pcrilous situation
the cabin had iloaed some six or eight miles.
The passengers were taken to the farm houses
III the immediate vicinity, where every possible
attention was rendered to the sufferers by the
hospitable occupants.
Information OF the disaster was Immediately
sent to town, and number of our citizens lost
no time IN repairing to the scene, To render
any assistance they could. The captain, VIM.
Summers, of Wheeling, was one of the last to
leave the wreck although severely wounded by
a fracture of the knee. To leave with him
was George Beard, bar-kccpcr, and deck
hand, Daniel Smith, both of this place, and
both of whom were sadlydisabled. Their suf-
fcrlng must have been severe, as the night
was cold with snow. The owner of the boat
James Paine, Esd, was the last one TO leave
the floating wreck, and indeed did not leave
1t until he had safely moored at Eighteen
creek, thus saving most of the baggage, which
the extent and suddenncss of the explosion
compelled the passengers to leave in their state
rooms.
Many of the passengers and crew, who had
escaped unhurl, were compelled to swim
ashore, and then wander in the cold, through
the fields, in search of shelter Some were
one and two hours thus exposed.
AS to the number lost, we have not been
able to arrive at any very just conclusion.-
Say those who know best, not over twenty
We think, from the best information we can
gather, there must have been near seventy
persons on board.
The Leila, lying at Point Pleasant immcdi-
ately repaired to the scene of the disaster as
soon as she received the information and ON
Sunday evening brought to this place all OF
the wounded and disabled but two.
Along the shore, in the vicinity of the eX-
plosion, were found scattered trunks, boxes,
hats, caps, coats, pants, &C., together with
large portions of the wreck, all presenting a
most melancholy sight.
Few of the passengers saved anything, hav-
ing to go ashore in their night clothes. There
were six ladies on board, all Of whom were
saved but two.
The boat caught fire twice, but was happily
speedily subducd.
The second pilot, sleeping in his room, was
thrown on shore, a distance Of about one hun
drcd yards; and escaped with some light brui-
ses. The I'd clerk, james Summers, was
thrown into the river, and swan ashore es-
Gaping without the least scratch.
Mr.. Langley, although unnjured by the cx-
plosion, still suffered severely from frozen feet
hands, &c. lie swan ashore, having put his
life prcscrver in requlsitlon to buoy him up.
There were three horses on board, one OF
which was found on shore after the explosion
The other two were missing.
The explosion was undoubtedly caused by
defective boilers, together with an insulIicicncy
of water. The boilers had been in use nine
years las, fall.
II Is hcart-sickening business 10 record so
sud a catastrophe, and we are glad when oul
duty is over. We hope like task may nev-
er be again put upon us.