Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1850-12-21
Steamboat Explosions.

iiWlli klpHIlDbHt tAii05tUhS dih at1s-I
denis appear to BE- the disastrous order Of
the day Of late. OH Friday evening weeks
last, tin tow.,oat ANe1o Non Man, return.
ing ID The city from d short pleasure 8 i
~eursion, having Oh board d large party of
Iadieshnd gentlemen, met with q fearful
accident from the explosion of her boiler.
The shock was tror1stldotis, lifting The
huge boiler completely from its resting
place, aud hurllng it far into the river.
Not Il paftiele Of the boiler has been
found. The wavcs Of the Mississippi
low over the terrible agctit Of destruction
as we'll as.oyer ti,e man gled bodies Of it's
Victims. Tle hullsof the boat was com.
paratively ullininred.
The following are the names Of the I'M
fortunate victims Of this tarrible caeastro-
pho.
Capt. Junius Betee, body not found.
G. b. Perry, Asaistant-I1dito of the bull
letin, Messrs, stilln,an, Storms, Mellow
ell, killed, and the mate, Drt.dy, missing
Mr.. Stephen N. Hill, 1st Engineer, has
since died OF the ~ininries received. One.
negro was also killed. There IRE sever
ii missing, and it Ii fsareds that the full
amount of destruction never will e known.
IIardiy had we here recovered from the
shock o%eeasionetl by this awful accident
when another of the same kind, occurred.
From tho Pieay,liic, of the sth instant,
we gather the following partieulars cotl-
cernlng the late explosion Of tho steamer
KNOXVILLE.
We IRE agai1 called OH to chronicle one
Of ttrosesfnost terrible disasters, ii steam
boat explosion occurring at our very
wliarves.
Yesterday evening, At a aiartot TO 7
o'clock, the steamboat Knoxville, Capt.
II. n. Harris, l,outid for Nashville, Tenn,
was about leaving the wharf, nt the head
Of Poydras street.-the captain ringing
the bell, the pilot at his post, and the
wheels having matlesthree or four reyolu-
tiena-the four large boilers exploded,
with d report equally IFS loud as that Of
the Louisiana, aud with two distinct ex-
plosio1al
The Knoxville was between the Mar
tha Washington below and#the Ne Plus
i Ultra above. One whole boiler pissed
through the cabin Of the Martha Wash
ington abaft the soeial hall, smashing her
machinery. 1t then entered the ladies'
cabin Of the Griffin Yenttnan, and lodged
there, making d %completo wreck of the
cabins of both boats.
Another entire boiler blew ont on the
levee, passing directly through eighty
barrels Of -four and a large pile Of chicken
coops, reducing tfien1 to one common
mass, and stopping In its fearful ctreer in
forty or fifty feet Of the brick buildings at
the foot Of poydras and Lafayette streets,
a distance 81 fully three hundred yards.
The side of the Ne Plus Uitfh was
greatly shattered. Capt. Phillips, her
commander wns badly scalded. Her mate
was slightly injured The bar-keerer On
the Maftia Washington was badly sculd.
ed. No one on the Griffin Yeatiiian was
injured. The IRON safe Of tile Knoxville
was blown over the Ne Plus Ultra on
the Buckeyes severely wouIding the mate
Of that boat.
Capt. Harris of the Knoxville was
thrown a great DISTANCE hi the air, but
received only q slight brfise. The mate
had his arm blown off, andswns thrown
overheard; in which condition he swan
ashore. The officers and crew, about
twenty-five in number, as far us we can
learn, appear to lie the greatest victims.
How any one escaped is a wonder. The
upper works of the boat as far back as
tile ladies' cabin are one mass or rains
The boilers were all blown out, chi1nneys
gone, and machinery dashed to pieces.
The following list of the killed ant
wounded we take from the same paper
KILLED.
One white man, name unknown.
One black man, do. do.
MI. Samuel Shields. second pilot, from
louisville.
Smith, first cook, white man.
!, James Mutt, bar-keeper.
A colored boy, name unknown.
Fl WOUNDED.
Capt. ]. i. Harris, of the Knoxville
slightly bruised. q
Capt. Phillips, Of the Ne Plus Ultrs
badly scalded.
Mate Of the Ultra, slightly injured.
Mate Of the Buckeye, slightly.
Mccoy mate of Knoxville, badly.
George Oldham, second clerk of Knox
!. vile, badly scalded.
VIM Henry, first pilot Of Knoxville
} scalded and confusion on the head.
WIn. Doughty, second engineer q
Knoxville, very badly scalded and burnt
not expected tolive.
"A negro, belonging to estate Of Mr.
PAkins, severe fracture Of the skull MOI
expected to live.
Abraham Young. second cook badly
i scalded.
J Henry Inman, third cook, arm and 1EE
scalded.
J Burrel Franklin, fireman. badly scaIded
Patrick Connolly, fireman badlyscaldeed
John Burke, fireman, badly scaldeds
! John Burns, fireman, badly scalded, ami
severe fracture Of the sculi.
Peter Mullen, freIlan; scalded.
" - - 49, ~ 1.NE# rhfNEETEE&E ~ ~ -