Arkansas intelligencer., 1849-12-08

pIlot-house of the Bostona, making n hole tbro,gb
the panels which might be mistaken for the wo7k
of q cannon ball.
1t Is impossible TO give anything like precise
account OF the loss of life on this sad occasion
some estimate It at fifty persons, some hundred.
"iS- others assert that not less than two hundred
men, women. and children were killed or drowned
Mayor Crossman, who was on that n,r, or H.
'eSce where the Louisiana lay, little before 5
o e,ock, and Immediately proceeded thi;her when
ue heaFu the explosion. states that from obserya-
uon ana ollIgenI inquiry. at least one hundred
ano hfty must have Perished by this accident
ne "haFVes were lined with spectators. The
Storm, from Cincinnati, was loaded with n,szep.
gers, and as the destructive fragments of the IoDi-
siana were scattered in every direction, the bavo-
"hlch vas made among the crowds cannot fail
L,uch oeiow the hgure IN his Honor's estimate
he effects OF this disaster. unexaunIed in o.
former steamboat explosion at New Orleans ~
visible IN every circle of society here last even
inS- Dismay was IN every counte1ance and
sympathy for the surviving friends of those ero
thus PFenaturely hurried into etgrnitv. ard g.,
nose VINO have been mutIlated, rent every heart
never, perhaps, was there a boat which. bv the
explosive force of that subtle and terrible oro,,
steam was SO soon reduced to fragments a. The
Loaisiana-never one that III an instant came
nearer annihilaiIon We learn that before pro-
ceedInS on her way 10 81. Louis this m
boat was engaged to descend the stream 10 the
Ihlrd Municipality, TO take on boa I'd two hundred
German emigrauls- The Storm. !; is aIso st.,oJ
landed considerable number of her passengers \,
Lafayette II coming down. which circumsiancor
l'' uou''' was Inc cause OF much saving OF life.
ln'idsHts Of the Explosion.
The Engineers Of tie Lou isiGnq.-yye sts,od
yesterday what was current report. tbat the
engineer had left the boilers just before the exno
son " g nave siHce been induced to believe that
ms report Was incorrect Capt. Hopkins, of the
Storm, says he saw the engineer of the Ton;s;sDo
at his post when the explosion occurred. One
Of the engineers, who was badly wounded i ro,y
at the Hospital, and be declar res that there vr.s
not much steam in the boilers, ana he was .bo-,,
TO order lem 10 FIRE up.
Cause D the EplOsiOn.-Much difference or
opinion FeFalis as 10 the cause of the explosion.
he rla'Tity OF people, however. believe TINT the
exoioslol occurred from the wilf1l neglect of the
enginer. II Keeping up the fires without suffi.
cIencyoi water IN the boilers therein r,usir,
the fnailon Of iniiammable gas. That tbe-o
was 'ater N the boilers, seems to Be established
oy II concurrent testimony of many persons, as
to III eIec'On OF large volume of water which
feu OF some distance aroun1. Mr. Whf,a a1s,I
of nc boat, Is certain 10 this fact, so is C,,.
tai cannon, both of whom were standing with,
ocUrred.
( 1aPtaIn Cannon says that the fires were INV
a. mere was but little steam in the boilers 50 tHa
! iad just ordered the engineer to fire ID in Or.
'r 10 proceed down 10 the shipping in the Third
1nlciPaIity TO take in some eGnigran,s. Abon, -
teon minutes before the explosion. Cant. q.
Id oIrecied tue engineer to keep The wheels in
otIon 70 prevent the boat from dragging. IS the :
ater where she lay was no, deep. a
On the other hand, It IS said TIA: the boilers of Il
G Louisiana we're very od-iha, they were the q
me- taat h2d been used in ihe cid Dallas, so.ne :
aTs ago. :