The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1851-03-13

Terrible Steamboat Explosion.

LNulsNlLLE' hulOH' e.
The fue Steamer Oregon, bound town from
Louisville, while passing through chute OF Island
80. about | O'Clock Pm On the ID inst, burst her
boiler witlIa tremendous report. cnrrylng away
the forward cabin ond upper deck. killing aud
scalding upwards ofat least sixty persons. She
was heavily lideued, mud had IN board from 80 10
100 passengers who had just finished dinner. aud
were generally collecte in the hall and forward
guards at the lime Of the explosion. She took fire
immediately after the explosion, aud burned 10
the waters edge. mud being IN the channel ut the
river. aud underway ut the time, would have CON
sumed all on bOnrd but for the assistance Of The
steamer Iroquois, which was wooding within u
mile ni lle Oregon.
Upon seeing The explosion, Capt. Lee, ofthe lrn,
qnnis, guve orders Ia 90 10 her relief, which WIS
delayed but a Jew minutes by the cylinder heal
of one Of her %enginrs. In IA lew minutes she WINS
ulnpg %side-tlle lruqlOis inst reached The Oregon
ms the flames burst through the h%nrrirnue roof.
Men. women aud children were collected togclh'
er nn the after purt OF the boat without amy means
Of getting nway but by jumping into the FLYER
flames surrounding them, nd the steps carried
way by explosion. The shrieks OF women aud
plrcn2y oImen. ready to leap overheard TO nvnjd
u more horrible death by fire, aud grunns of the
scnlded aud dying, together with the pileuus low.
ingui cattle, was d scene calculated TO arouse The
deepest feeling Ot our nature
Capt Lee ordered Tho %lroquOis IN run her bow
att of The Oregon mud lHddels being placed from
the upper deck of the Oregon 10 the lower deck
Of the %lroqunis. all on board that were able to
walk were taken on bourd, but with the greatest
danger Of the Iroquois taking lire from the wreck.
Capl Montgomery was The last mnn 10 lenve the
wreck, which he did just ms the lroquois was back
ing away. The parting oftle boats caused the
ladder 10 mil. nnd Capt NJ. being IN il. was
thrown into the river, but was rescued, escaping
with several bruises.
The clerks office was entirely bmwn away, to.
grther with the books uud pupers Of Tue boat. g
Brown, first clerk was in the Office ut the time
of The explosion aud was killed. The walters in
the cabin were Ut dinner aud were al killed ex'
cept the steward. II is impossible to gives cor.
rect idea uf the loss of lie, nothing being left
whereby to ~nscertnin the names The fnnrorthe
Iroquois presented an awful sight. The Oregon
was scullled, which proved useless MS the burn
ing at The upper works caused her TO raise faster
Than the hold could allow her to sink,
The Bulletin came up soon alter The accident
o%ccurrel, aud endenvored Il, exlinguish the flames
by mruns of her engine; which, however proved
nbortive, Mr. Williams, aud other passengers on
the Bulletin, afforded much aid, und remained on
the ~lroquois until the bout reached Memphis.
where the most IN board that were scalded,
We're thken IL the hospital. The flour was GOV.
cred by persons black, aud literally skinned from
being scalded. and many in the nsonies Of death,
The %lrOqunis had ON buurd twenty five q: the
scAlded; ~eleveni Of whom died before reaching
Memphis - Ohiu STATE Journal.