Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1850-10-24
Incidents and PsrsIenIars sf The Kxp,s-
sion Of tlae Kate Fleufur.

here Saturday. The pilots at tn
wheel were Miller Ferguson and MI
10. Strander, the latter of whom, al
ter the explosion. found himself in thl
middle of the river. Ferguson feI
to the lower deck, together will
Capt. Durham and others. One
poor fellow was living beside him
with his legs and neck broken. Fer.
guson received but a slight contu.
sion in his face. Hs Immediately
proceeded to clear the wreck, aud
was the last man to leave the boat,
after launching Capt. Dunham, whose
leg was broken, into the river on a
plank, and thus swan with him to
the shore.
Capt Quarter, of the Jas. Hewitt,
who was passenger on the boat, was
blown into the river uniniured, ex-
cept having few slight wounds on
his face and head. He at once gal
lantly swan TO the stern of the boat,
and was most assIduous il his exer-
tions to save the ladies.
Phillip Hacker, pilot Of the Gen.
Lafayette, who was on the boat,
SWAN ashore with Capt. Bsntley's
trunk. Capt. Bently was slightly
wounded.
A Mr.. Thornly, of Miss, was verv
dangerously wounded, and a negro
woman OF his, who was in irons,
was drowned. The body Of a man,
supposed 10 be Mr.. Huchinson, was
found at the wreck.
The robbeTieS that were committed
were made by four Irish deck passen-
gers who got on the boat at Evans
vile from the steamer Shamrock
They rifled the trunks of several lady
passengers, as well as of others, and
cut out the pockets Of the dead, be-
sides stealing the coats and other
clothing Of persons who swan ashore.
The villains were caught, tied up to !
trees, stripped and whipped, or raih-
er lynched severely. Two OF them
in particular were very roughly
handled, but from all accounts did
not get half enough.
The explosion was undoubtedly
the result Of gross carelessness on
the part Of the engineer. The boil
ers evidently had no water in them,
and the supply pipe must have been
choked while on the bar, and the
moment the boat went into deep wa
.er and her pump had free communi-
;ation with the boilers, the sudden
current OF cold water, in boilers near
y TO white heat, caused the expIo-
ion and the misery which followed.
That there was no water in the boil
'rs is evident from the fact that Of
he lage number who were blown
'verboard, or afterwards rescued
ION the wreck, not one was found
o be badly scaIded.
The larboard boiler alone is be-
ieved TO have first exploded, and the
everest injury done TO the boat pre- I
ious to burning, was found TO be on r
hat side. The entire social hall, in ,
luGing bar-roOm, clerks office, state (
oom5, and everything over the boil
RS, was blown to atoms, and in an
lstant after the first flash Of steam a
7as seen, the whole forward part Of j
he boat, including several state L
OOms in the cabin, we're either o
lrown down upon the boilers or a
riven TO fragments in the air. The P
oai Immediately took fire, and in q
.ss than three hours was burnt to q
ne waters edge, together with the o
ntire cargo, books and papers, and b
large amount Of baggage. &c. h
Capt. Bently, Of the steamer Gen. f
with others, rescued the Il
on chest, which was opened, and 4
'und to contain everything there
sposited uninjured. Capt. B. had a
2OOO in the chest. Judge Paschall, c
Ark. had a purse containing four Ii
r five hundred dollars in gold, which
as returned 10 him. Others had 81
Mailer sums; and the boats money X
I'D valuable papers were also safe, c.
I'd not materially injured. m
Lou. Cour. m