The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-09-30
Steamboat Explosion! - Fourteen Per
sons Killed and ScaIded!


The St. Louis Republican, of the 22d inst, fur
nshes US with the following particulars of the
plosion of the steamer Kate Kearney-attended, as
usual, with fatal consequences:
We have no later information respecting the
accident on this boat, than that received Friday
evening by telegraph The steamer MonOngahea
arrived yesterday morning. Her officers confirm
the report of the explosion, and when they passed
she lying to shore, short distance below
Canton, where the accident took place. The Mon
ongahela rounded to, ran alongside, and Captain
Ball profered any assistance in his power, but the
dead and wounded had been taken from the boat,
and her officers had concluded to remain where
they were until the steamer Die Vernon could take
them in tow to this city
The particulars of the accident as stated to the
officers and passengers of the MonoDgahela, are as
follows: The Monongahela passed Canton on her
upward trip between ten and eleven o'clock on
Thursday morning, and in less than hour alter
ward the Kate hearney came up, and landed just
long enough to put passenger or few packages
of freight ashore. After a few minutes detention,
not to exceed five, she backed out from the landing
and at the second or third revolution the sarboard
lue of her larbOard boiler collapsed, and blowing
out forward killed and scalded fourteen or fifteen
OF the crew assembled on the bow of the boat.
Five are known to have been killed almost in
stantly-iOur white men and one negro-and nine
| others were more or less injured one two dan
| gerousy The exact number had not been asCer-
| tanned when the MOnongahela left, and the proba-
| blty is that. is never will be, The injured as
| well as the dying and the dead, had been removed
| to the town. and up to the hour of leaving, but
eighteen out of of thirty-two could be assem-
bled the remainder were either killed, missing or
| scaded.
As reported by telegraph, the accident happened
Just as the boat was backing out from the landing
| Had the explosion happened while lying at the
wharf the loss of life would have been very great
| ln Eltra liyaG wi d ~ m har tor
| Several were drenched with mud and steam, and
| one or two knocked down, but no one on shore Sc.
| riausiy hurt. 4 pile of lumber on the WHAT, and
| Immediately in range with the collapsed boiler, Is
| SAID to have preserved the lives Of many, as il
| ieadened the force Of the shock, and acted as
| shied to a crowd of persons Immediately beyond
The starbOard flue Of the larb. ard boiler alone
| gave way, and all the steam and scadng water
blew out forward Many Of the injured, and num-
bers who were unhurt, Instantly iumEed overheard,
aud at one tins there were more than thirty PER-
sons in the water, some Of whom swan to the
shore, but the larger portion were picked up by
means of sklhs The shock subsidized and even be-
fore the steam cleared away, boats were p,Jcured
| and manned by the citizens Of Canon; in less
| than twenty minutes every person visible had been
| taken from the water The sCudei were taken
| directly into Ihe town, wher= every attention was
bestowed, and everything done to relieve their suE
| erings -Four unfortunate beings We're already be
! ytnd the reach of human aid, and one poor fellow
was found ia the scuttIe with one leg mashed Il
atoms his sufIsfiDgs, it was thought, could no
hal long. Five, as we have before stated, are Ger
tainly dead, and nine others more or less hurt; bu
| Of this number We have as yet been unable to as
| e, rain a solitary name. The loss and injury i
confined entirely to the crew, and, on simIla
occasions these poor follows have no names. Tn
at has not sustained material injury.
The New Era, of the evening of the 2lst, give
the following additional particulars: The eyac
number killed, blown overheard, and lost b
de explosion, is not, and probably never will b
known. Capt Morrison, of the Kate, sets dow
u e number Of killed at four or five and the wOunde
a nine, three or four Of whom cRnuo. survive thei
injuries. Six Of the boats crew, however, ar
+ missing, which raises the presumption that the los
o life is moderated. All of the killed and injure
were deck hands and tiremen, who were slandin
On the foreCase.