The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1852-04-17
Dreadful, Steamboat Explosion

last week numerous runners were aying through
town OF a dreadful steamboat disaster NJ st. Lou
Is, but as We could obtain no particulars. Ne de-
ttrmined To await the arrival OF our ST Louis pa
pers before attempting to give IN account OF the
matter. These have since brought US full parti
culars, and from the In,ellisencer We make up the
following condensed account.
! The steamer Glencoe Capt John Lee. from y
Orleans, with heavy cargo and u large number
Of passengers reached this port between seven
aud eight o'clock on Saturday night and whilst
attempting Ia effect landing at the foot ot Ches
nut street blew up with \ dreadful report scat
ernS the entire forward par, and upper works
[ OF The boat Ia the four winds. and dealing death
and destruction around The Glencoe was en-
| dc,voriuc tn effect landing under the stem ot
! the Georgia, with the cataract on her latbuard
bow, when three, perhaps all, Of her boilers eS
plodcd, rendering the forward part of the boat
! tlshlful wreck, greatly nlurn: the Georgia, al
most trely demo,hias the cabin of the Catar
act, and hurting between forty and sixty human
beings into eternity.
J The explosion was indeed terrific Heavy i'm.
berS, fragments Of the boilers. machinery. CHM.
ncys, upper works of the boat and human beings
were hurled with fearful violence many feet IN
the air, and fell upon the surrounding boats and
ADJACENT parts Of the lcvec and ~ far back as
Commercial -. At the time "a large number of
citizens. hotel runners, Ic, were as usual upon
the arrival OF boat, hurrying aboard. and the
mrecastle an! deck were crowded with these. Us
well As passengers belonging To the boat
The shock of the explosion drove the IN iatci
steamer fairly out into the stream, and almost IN.
s,antly after she caught fire from her furnaces.
and commenced floating down, prr.rnlin; the
most horrible spectacle We ever behrld. The
entire forward part Of the boat. from the wheel
house nearly down TO acr water line WIS gone.
and the after part one mass Of timhers freight.
and human beings, heapcl together in wild con
fusion From shore, men, women. and children
were seen running from one part of the burning
steamer TO another in hope Of escaping the dread.
fgl death that threatened them and the bodies IT
several piled among the tmb.rs, some only
wounded writing in agony, aai CRYING for As
si-tancr were plainly deserted. These ns well rs
all others badly wounded or killed outright and
left on the boat. were devoured hv the flames
A. the Glencoe continued 10 drift DOWN a mum.
Der Of persons on board threw themselves into the
water several Of whom reached shore whilst
quite number Of Others in the stern managed 10
get into the steamers vawl AMI were saved Sc
yeral other yawls and skff4 visited the burning
wreck undtook of others whilst many were pick
ed up in the water The whole number .aved in
this AMI other WAYS is set down at between sixty
and seventy. The wreck lodged at the foot If
Poplar st. burned To the water, edge. and sunk
carrying down with il the freight IN the bold. and
the ashe. and bones Of those killed ard burned IN
board In drIfliug down the burning steamer set
fire TO wood boats at the levee some 5 or ten Of
which were destroyed, witt COO cords Of wood On
shore
The scene on the levee where the explosion &C.
Cured bsggars description. Some II or 5 To
dies and parts of bodies had been picked up and
taken to the Health office and all seriously woun.
dcd sen, to The hospital. Many others less nur.
ed, were running .bout on the leyee, their fac,
blackeurd and clothe. wet aud t,ttrred. CRYING
for help. Five dead bodies were taken from the
Cataract which were blown from the Glencoe.
6readiu.ly man-lrd the limbs in some instances
b,ng torn from the trunk, heads mashed, and So
horribly mutila.ed as tn defy recognition
There were over 100 souls ov board the Glen.
coe at the time of the explosion, Of whom two.
thirds were either killed or badly injured Capt
Lee was slightly bruised his wife and child
esca ped uuiniurcd but son about ten year. old
wa' killed Patrick Denny, Clerk, killed: Robt
Hughes, Pilot slightly bruised Henry Balscr, do
badly injured; Foley Engineer, do, both atrik.
ere do. barkeeper blown ashore not much hurt
George Buchanan first engineer. has not been
heard Of since the accident although it l. general
understood that he got IF the boat unin;ured and
before the explosion took place The Rcpn5ijcdr
says there Is "a very general condemnation Of the
engineer. and the case is one which we think calls
for strict investigation. II all that i said OF
him is true, he has been highly culpaLle."
Among the freight of the Glencoe were l0i
packages Of goods belonging to Walker 4 HEX.
ling Of this place amounting to $4,000. They
were mostly dry goods purchased in New York
and shipped by the southern route. We believe
they were all covered by insurance.