The weekly independent. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss) 1848-1853, 1849-12-01
The late Explosion at New Orleans.


The late Explosion at New Orleans.
In our last the explosion of the boilers of
the steamer Louisiana, at New Orleans, on
the 18th ulto. was mentioned and the con-
sequent destruction of large number of
lives. The latest estimates place the kill.
ed at over $50, and the wounded at about
100. The explosion is very generally at
tributed to the gross carelessness of the
second engineer who was in charge of the
boat, and to the weakness of the boilers
The whole affair is undergoing judicial ex-
animation. We can but hope it will be
thorough. Capt Cannon has been arrested
on the charge of manslaughtcr. The Sec
ond engineer has not yet been found cir
cumstances, however, render'i it probably
that he escaped without serious injury, and
has fled to avoid prosecution.
The following extracts will convey to the
reader some idea of the terrible effects of
this awful calamity and of the force of the
explosion:
From the NJ o. Delta.
| Our city was yesterday the scene of one
| of the most awful calamities that ever &C.
cured in this country. At about five o.
clock p. M. yesterday the whole city was
shaken by tremendous explosion, which
made houses tremble and windows rattle in
every direction. Everybody rushed into
the street, as fan earthquake had happen
| al H., h.,
levee we joined it. As we approache he riv-
erwe observed the atmosphere was full of
smoke and haze.
Many persons rushed by us, screaming and
wringing their hands with grief and pain-
many ofthem being wounded and bleeding
prolusely. 1t was then we learned that the
steamer Louisiana, one of the largest on the
Mississippi had exploded her boilers with
great violence, hurting nearly all on board
into eternity. Bodies were thrown many
feet into the air, and limbs and fragments of
bodies were scattered i'll every direction
Great numbers of spectators lined the
wharves, to witness the departure of the
Louisiana, and the destruction carried
among them, by the pieces of timber and
iron which were rained upon them must
have been equal to a discharge of a heavy
battery of artillery.
The wharf was strewed with the dead
the dying and the wounded; the latter
writhing i'll the most horrid agony, and ut
tering the most hcart-rendng cries. We
saw one man, whose clothes were entirely
blown off, and his limbs shattered and his
face so mangled, as not TO be recognizable;
another had his head blown entirely off -
others were all crushed and mangled-but
alas! we could 90 no further; more than
twenty poor creatures lay within a space
of forty feet with palpitatng and blacken-
ed bodies. The scene on the levee was tru-
ly heart-rending. Though many carriages
and cabs were in attendance their number
was Eot sufficient to carry OIL the wounded.
The wailing of the living, bemoaning their
dead friends, and the s!lrieks and groans
of the wounded and dying, presented Il
scene which beggars description, and
throws all previously enacted horrors into
the shade.
The steamer Bostona, lying along side
the Louisiana, had her pipes blown down,
her wheel house crushed, & her upper deck
almost entirely torn OIL Captain Dustin,
of the Bostona was seriously if not mortal
ly injured; and several persons were killed
cock had her wheel-house broken aud was
otherwise injured. The Storm, a steamer
from Louisville was coming alongside the
Louisiana, full of passengers, when the ex-
plosion OF the Louisiana blew her upper deck
to pieces, and killing and wounding a great
many.
From the N. o. Bulletin.
The violence and force of the explosion
were truly appalling. The glass was shat
tered on the Front Levee for distance OF
1000 feet from the boat, and the buildings
Of the city, particularly those in the Second
Municipality, were Jared with great vio-
lence, and the shock was felt at the very
extremites of the city.
We were in our office, at the distance Of
at least 1900 feet with solid blocks of ware
houses between us and the Levee, and our
first impression was that some building had
fallen in our immediate vicinity. When
we got into the street, we found it crowded.
the river AS we approached, the spectacle
was horrible-arms, legs. and mutilated
bodies with the cries and groans OF the
sufferers, met our eyes and ears
The first thing we saw was a foot and
ankle, tull 500 feet from the boat. The
next, at distance nearly as great, the head
and shoulders of man, without the arms
or the breast, with the skull burst asunder
in several places A human tongue, en-.
tirely detached, was picked up OH the Lee
wee all which shows the dreadful force Of
the explosion.
A large piece of a boiler was carried to
tie front of the buildings by the new Gus
tomhouse, distance of full 1000 feet, where
it struck and killed white man Instantly,
by dreadfully mutilating his head. and kill.
ell a mule in dray that was loading cot
ton, and was checked by a pile Of five bales
of cotton standing loosely on their ends,
I which were literally torn asnnder, and cut
ting through wooden post full five inches
thick before it reached the cotton. Anotl,-
or large piece Of boiler was thrown dis
lance Of 500 feet on the Levee and fiat
toned out perfectly straight. A gentleman
Of our acquaintance, who was several
hundred feet lower down OH the Levee,
stated to us that for some moments he ex-
pected to be killed by the numerous, frag-
ments that were showerel down around
him.
The Bulletin also notices some singular