The republic., 1850-12-05
From he Mobile Register. NouenJtr 81.
Dreadful Steamboat ErpIosion.

We have to record another awful disaster by the
terrific powers Of steam. The steamboat Arkansas
NO arrived at this port yesterday afternoon.
about O'Clock, with the painful intelligence tbat
the steamboat A. Douglass, Captain Montgomery
had burst her boilers yesterday morning about4
O'Clock at Taips Shoals, on the Alabama, killing a
very large number Of passengers. The facts as we
can collect them, as follows!
The Douglass, which left this city week ago
last Monday, wac on her return trip from Mont
gomery. She was heavily laden, having about 1000
bales Of cotton on board, and a barge in tow with
about four hundred more. At Taits Shoals near
one hundred miles above this city, she got aground
about O'Clock yesterday morning. For three
hours vigorous efforts were made 20 get her off
Her portion on the bar prevented her pumps from
supplying the boilers with water-they working
from tho bottom. As soon as she moved, by the
action Of the engine, the cold water rushed in n
large volume through the pumps into the boilers,
and generated an excess Of steam which instantly
burst the boilers. The explosion occurred forward
and upward, tearing the front half of the boat to
pieces
There were about one hundred and twenty. five
passengers aboard, besides the officers and hands
who numbered some forty more. The passengers
were nearly all asleep at the time Of the explosion.
The front berths, however, were torn TO pieces and
the steam rushed up, and completely flied and en-
ycloped the boat. The most dreadful confusion and
alarm, mixed with the cries and the groans Of the
wounded, instantly arose. The fire, scattered by
the explosion, had now set the wreck in flames
Fortunately, the barge in tow had not been in
jurcd, aud 10 this most Of the survivors oscaped
Many however, jumped overheard into the shah
low water, and reached the shore.
II 30 happened that tho steamer Arkansas Ma. &.
which was wooding short distance above, heard
the explosion, and came Immediately TO the relief
she took on the survivors, the killed aud wounded.
from the wreck and barge the VIM. Bradstreet.
ascending the river, came along near the samc
time, and took of several Of the passengers
u " impossible yet Co tell the exact number Of
killed and wounded II is said that more than
twenty arc known to be dead, and, Of the entire
number Of passen gers and crew, only ninety FIVE
have been found.
Below present ns complete lists of the killed
and wounded ne can now be procured. a state.
ment signed by the surviving passengers qiyes nm
account Of the occurrence.
Three OF the wounded died upon the Arkanns
on her trip down When she arrived at this pert
her cabins presented most awful scene OF suffer
ingi immense crowds OF our citizens Instantly as
sembed upon the wharf, and rendered every as
sttanoe The wounded we're at once taken to
city.
As yet we arc not prepared TO enter more fully
into particulars Among the killed we recognise
Mr.. Montgomery, the brother of the captain Ed
ward McCord, young man who has been a clerk
IN ths city for some time, and is the of Colonel
McCord of Lowndes, was dreadfully scalded, and
died just rs the Arkansas landed here Colonel G.
=. Sellers was scsldcd IN the face and hands, and
took passage up the river on the Bradstreet.
u u gratifying that, Of the number Of ladies and
children aboard, not one was hurt. Most OF the
crew, including the captain, mates. engineers,
pilots, clerks, &c. escaped without injury.
Mr.. George w. Logan, Of Charleston, wac pas.
songer on board of the A. Douglass, and we arc
happy to perceive, escaped uninjured. .--Merc,Dy.
NAvAL.-Intelligence from Genoa to the 9Th.
November states, that the United State, friQate
Constitution was TO sail for New York in day or
two. The Independence, Cumberland, steam
fngeto Mississippi and the storeship Lexington,
were at spezyia Officers and crews Of all the vss-
sells were in perfect healthy " Mrror