The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-12-07
From the Mobile Register, Nop. 81.
Dreadful Stea mbOat Explosion.

about o'clock, with the painful intelligence that
the steamboat A. Douglass, Captain Montgomery,
mad burst her boilers Yesterday morning about 4
O'clock at TAFT IS Shoals, on the Alabama, killing
a very large number of passengers. The facts, as
we can collect them, are as follows:
The Douglass, which left this city, a week ago
last Monday, was on her return trip from Mont
gomery. She was very heavily laden, having
about 900 bales Of cotton on board, and a barge
in tow, with about four hundred more. At TAFT 3
Shoals, near one hundred miles above this city,
she got aground about O'Clock yesterday morn
ing, For near three hours vigorous efforts were
made to get her off. Her position, on the bar,
prevented her pumps from supplying the boilers
with waer-they working from the bottom As
soon as she moved, y the action of the engine,
the cold water rushed in u large volume through
the pumps into the boiler, and generated an ex-
cess 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 filled
and enveIored the boat. The most dreadful con-
fusion and alarm, mixed with the cries and groans
of the wounded, instantly arose. The fire, scat
tered by the explosion, had now set the wreck in
flames. Fortunately, the barge in tow had not
been in ured and to this most Of the survivors es-
|
the shallow water, and reached the shore.
| Ii so happened that the steamer Arkansas No.
5, which was wooding short distance above,
heard the explosion, and came Immediately to the
relief. She took off the survivors, the killed and
wounded from the wreck and Large, the VIM.
Bradstreet ascending the river, came along near
the same time, and took off several Of the pas
sengers.
1t is impossible as yet to tell the exact number
of killed and wounded. 1t is said that more than
| twe Iva nd Of \ her
of passengers and crew, only ninety five have been
found
Below we present as complete lists of the killed
and wounded as can be now procured. A state
ment signed by the surviving passengers gives an
account of the occurrence.
Three Of the wounded died upon the Arkansas,
on her trip down When she arrived at this port
! her cabins presented most awful scene Of suffer-
ing. Immense crowds Of our citizens instantly
assembled upon the wharf, and rendered every
assistance. The wounded were at once taken to
different boarding houses and residences i'll the
city.
AS yet we are not prepared to enter more fully
into particulars. Among the killed, we recognize
Mr.. Montgomery, the brother Of the captain. Ed
ward McCord, young man who has been a clerk
in this city, for some time and is a son Of Colonel
McCord, Of Lowndes, was dreadfully scaded, and
died Just as the Arkansas landed here. Colonel
G.. G.. Sellers scaded in the face and hands,
and took passage up the river on the Bradstreet
Ii is gratifying that, of the number Of ladies and
children aboard, not one was hurt Most Of the
crew, including the captain, mates, engineers, pi-
lots, clerks, &c, escaped without injury.
LIST OF KILLED AND WOUNDED.
Killed.. A. Golson, Autauga Sam. Mont
gomcry, bar-keeper
Since dead-Edward McCord, Lowndes county
Ferry badly-Sam. l.. Bennett, Marengo.
Wounded.-W. Hazard Selma Adolphus Car
ter, Selma f.. r. Watts, Dallas A. G.. futile,
Pike VIM. Forester, Montgomery A. Cross
mar, Bridgeport John Cole, Marlon-supposed
morally r. II. Lockett; John Hart, Wilcox 3;
f. w. ROBBERS; S. A. Nelms, Perry; S. A.
Watts. Dallas George, negro boy, belonging to
Mr.. Martin.
Slightly pounded-W. A. Mcmillan, Wilcox ;
C. c. Sellers. Wilcox; Jno Kelly; DR.. Caldwell,
Camden; E. Parkman, Selma; T.. l.. Schroebell
A. J. Martin, Dallas; T. p. Office, lst clerk; J
A. Wemyss; Henry Adams; w. Taylor, and
Benz. Oppenhem
STATEMENT OF SURVIVING PASSENGERS.
| We, the surviving passengers Of the Inflated
steamboat Douglass, make the following state
ment in regard to her melancholy fate - =.
Between 4 and 5 clock, the morning OF
: Nov 81, while living at Tait's Shoals aground
and while the Captain and officers using ev-
cry exertion to get her off the Shoals, the Dou-
glass burst her boilers with terrific explosion
The greater part of the passengers, (some ore
hundred and twent y-fve in number, cabin passen-
gers) were asleep at the time of the explosion,
which was az terrific as clap Of thunder i'm a
clear sky. All was confusion. The steam rushed
up and completely filled and enveloped the boat.
With much difficulty the most Of the passengers
in their night clothes, escaped to cotton fiat that
the Douglass had in tow, laden with cotton. Ii
was soon discovered that the steamer Vas on fire,
(the cotton in her hold and on her guards having
taken fire. About this time the steamer Arkan-
sas, No. 5, Captain J. A. Greer, came in sight.
This young md energetic officer heard the explo-
ia ol>n tN,Ila toaI
steam and came to relief. The cotton fiat,
with number of the passengers and number of
wounded, cut loose from the burning boat and
drified down.
The Arkansas came aonside and rescued the
remaining passengers. She remained by the wreck
until the hurricane roof was enveoped in flames,
at the imminent hazard Of her own safety, until all
were rescued that could be found. The William
Bradstreet came along about the time and offered
every assistance, several Of whom took passage on
her rp the river. We feel we are not dschargng
our duty, if we did not bear willing and heartfelt
testimony to the promptness, energy, and efici
ency cf Captain Greer, of the Arkansas, No. 5, for
the relief afforded to MS and our afflicted fellow
passengers. He deserves AZ he will doubtless re-
| ceive the patronage Of the community deeply
interested in such acts Of disnerested benevolence
1t is proper to state that Captain Greer left his
two flats short distance below the scene Of dis
aster, and hurried to Mobile with the passengers
Of the unfortunate Douglass.
! N A Mcmillan, Wilcox county; VIM Wea-
yer, Mobile Phlphot, Columbus, Mi; Ro-
bert Leachmnn, Eutaw + w Moore, Texas; r
NJ Shaw, New York; Geo w Logan, Chnreston;
John Carter; James b Diggs, New Orleans; J
Bankhead, Tennessee; Aaron Ready, Wetumpka
w w Divine, Marion county, Miss; II w Car
ter, Montgomery; James Butler, Pleasant Hill,
| Ala; J WIndham, Gainesville, Ala; Duncan
f Campbell, Mobile; & G Forbes, Mobe +
C Smedes, Raleigh, n c; John p. Marsh, Will
cox county, Ala; Mckinney Thomas; George f
Stewart, Aberdeen Miss. II Bussey; NJ Wenn;
n Bnssey, Portland, Ala; c A Bell, Cahawba
| VIM Frolickstein: w II Wcher; Duncan NJ
Lang, Portland Ed L Schroebel, Mobile; Albert
Perdue; Fl Jolley, TaIboton, Ga; A Freeman,
do do; w Rolling, do do; NJ Clayton; A J
Park; r McCallister; Edwin Perdue, Greene
CO Ga; Albert + Perdue, do do do
Mrs. S Beckton, Miss Redy, Mrs c A Kyle,
! Mrs N Lovecss, Mrs NJ d Philpot, Mrs J Wren,
Miss f A Diggs, Miss NJ A Diggs, Mrs f. Ever
EFT, Mrs S AlcCalister, Mrs NJ Howard, Mrs NJ
Webster, md Mrs f JoIIey.
! FOREIGN T1rMs-Sir Francis Head has pub