Arkansas intelligencer., 1849-12-08
From The n. o. Picayuns1
TERRIBLE STEAMBOAT EXPLOSION.
DREADFUL Loss OF LIFE-Oyg HUNDRED AND FIFTY
PERSONS KILLER
(Signed.)

One OF the most depIorabe catas,rophes that
ever occurred IN the history of steamboat exDlo.
SONS took place at our levee yesterday evening 6
few minutes after O'Clock.
The steamboat Louisiana. Capt. Cannon. bound
for 81. Louis, loaded with q valuable cargo. and
having On board large number of passengers
had Eung her last bell. and vas just backing out
from the vharfat the foot of Gravier street. when
The whole OF her boilers burst with Tremendous
explosion. which rcsOunded throughout the civ
The conclusion was so great that II shook the
hoo=es 10 their foundation for many squares DIS
tant. The Louisiana was lying alongside the
steamer Bostona, Capt. Dustin, at The time OF the
disaster, and the steamer Storm, Capt. Hopkins
had Just arrived from Louisville coming in on her
starb0ard side. The upper works of these two
boats are complete wreck, the chimnevs ho wing
been carried away, and their cabins stove in cnd
shattered IN some places 10 atoms. The violence
oI ih8 shock operating on the boilers was tremen-
dOus. i part OF one Of them, mass of consid-
cradle size. was hurled with inconceivable forcf
% lao leEee. 1t cut a mule il two. killed hors
ai'e ihe driver of dray TO which they were a
tscIsd ins-u1''s,eousiy- A H@iiNr massive aaEfie
c. TIE same, twelve feet long, and or lmmeH
vfsgEt, vas blown 70 the corner of Canal a.
Fro1t streets, 4 distance of 200 yards at lea,
prostEatIIG three large iron pillars which supPo
ed wooden shed or awning which stood befe
the cCtfee-house there Before coming II cOntE
VIE Inc 4TC0 PliltTS. tile lEdIIGeE. OF OOI
cut through several bales Of cotton. which lay
iis passage. making the staple scatter through
air as if !. had been run through cotton gjn-
The news spread Ike wild fire, and our cItizs
rushed from all directions to the scene Of Ines
asler. Already on our arrival, numbepf
bod3os,in every conceivable state of sad mutian,
bad been dragged from The wreck, which We
surrounded By the dense crowd that had asse NIL,
Hacks and furniture carts were sent for, andle
WOUNDED were conveyed away 10 lhe hOspita-
The sight of the mangsd bodies which sired
the leTee on all sides, aud the shreks of lhey
ing, were appalling. making the blood cnrdleiih
horror. We saw one man with his head oflia
entraiis out. and one leg of. Il woman, bse
long dark hair lay wet and matted by herie,
had one leg of above her knee, whilst her dy
was shockiugiy mangied. 4 large man. hug
the skull crushed In, lay corpse, his face ong .
as if it had been Painied red. Others, ofoth .
sexes, also with legs and arms OF, mere rks, /
lay about in different places Two bOdlewe
found locked together, brought by death 10 a
sudden and close embrace. But It Is uiterf,rl-
possible to describe ali tho revolving sights vch
met our view. Suffice it to say that death7as
revealed there under almost every variety OPP
palling horror. The Louisiana sunk abouten
minutes after the explosion. and II IS supEed
many who went on board 10 assist the wounded Pre-
carried down with her. This, we judge, fronhe
fact of several persons, VINO had escaped tnerst
effect OF the explosion, haFlng Jumped oVeFDT
ii the time Of sinking, and who were PROVINCIAL
" saved.
On board the Storm the destruction Of hfsyas
also terrible. Mrs. Moody. the wife of the rst
clerk, vas standing on the guard opposite ID Ia
dies cabin, and was instantly killed. The aP-
tain received 4 severe confusion IN the hcadout
was no, dangerously wounded. About twes or
fifteen persons were killed, and large nHoeE
wounded, some Of whom will probably not receer.
The confusion was so great that 1t was utriy
impossible 70 ascertain the names oil one qurter
of those killed and wounded, and most PrO5oly
| from the promiscuous crowd of strangers, PM
grants, &c, I large portion of them VIII new be
| known.
The fragments of iron and blocks of pod
which were sent with the rapidity of lignin:
from the iIl-fated Louisiana, carried death an de
strucion in all directions. sien were killed = III
distance of two hundred yards. Legs, arms M
! trunks were scattered over the levee-
Among those injured on the evee wa Mr.
/ Wrav. a clerk in the house of Moses Greeiwoo
1 & CO.. who had been on board the steamer Annz
vile, living below the ferry landing, and wasPass
ing 10 at the time of the occurrence. lie va
/ struck on sihe thigh by piece OF wood, ind 5
! badIy injured that it was feared last nign th;
anputation of the limb would be necessary.
I've understood Mat some news-boys, VINO ha
beon selling papef1son the Louisiana, and h.
just got shore. Cd sa" 'Ie &c;
f,e,1ies OF several /. zir aaIsses AZ at
unknown. Those sasas me-
tine OF tie exe.s
as high as sao h
1ts. Efs-F1