The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1853-05-24
0fafral ue,us.
The Explosion OF the senny Lind

SfS1SittiY l1liu, huiCllNotcuITcu wv TIC KUN ui-
li!no, on the passage from Alviso to San Fran
essc6. with from l25to $50 passengers. tap
pears tha, when of Pulgas Rancho, and while
the steamer was going at ordinary speed, Il vio-
lent iremor was felt throughout the boat, like
the concussion produced by the firing of a can
non, and, in a second after, n tremendous re
: port was heard, and the whole vessel enve.
oped in dense cloud of sca!iing steam. The
Rate-o on the after.head of the boiler had been
blown out, aud the steam and boiling water
rushed9ou. With fearful violence The bulk
head. Separating the butler, from the cabin,
which was aft, was shivered iptO thousand
d. fragments by THE force of the shock.
The cabin was closely confined room, IS
hy feet. with small windows looking cut
upon a s;.rt Of gangway that interyened be-
tween it and the ratings. 1t was just about
dinner time; the table was spread, and few
minutes before the ladies and children, and the
gentlemen in charge of ladies, had been intro
duced into the cshin, SO that they might not
be incommoded by the rush to the dinner ia
bic when the bell should ring, and wero about
seating themselves at the table vixen the eX-
plosion took place, and a dense volume Of
steam rushed into The cabin. All in the room
we're stricken as if wted by heat. They were
scalded frightfaily extsrnally, and all inhaled
the feru steam. Notone escaped. All were
cithcrskiiled instantly, or have since died.
Many Of them had their clothes torn from
them and the skin entirely burned of their
faces and bodies 80
Z The sightpresentcd was horrible beyond de
scription, not simply the scaided, but all were
more or less pangled by the fragments of the
bailer and bulk head, and streams Of blood
fowed from the matiIated bodies ~
Some few of the gentlemen managed to
groPe their way OUT Of the, cabin, crying pi-
steousiy to those above to save their wives aud
children. When some of the passengers wh"
were uithurt rushed below, a sight presented
itself, wbich. staggered them, ard some became
faint. They found the dead and dying lying
iu II confused mass upon the floor, covered
With fragments of chairs, tables, furniture aid
tiufber, snd horrible to relate, were wfithing
ID; thc5s.4lding water six inches deep on the
flssar. Poor little children were crying pite-
ousty for their mothers, who could hear, but
blinded, could pot see. Mothers shrieklng in
agotiy, and calling upon some one to save their
children. The picture even in our recollection,
is heart.rending. Such wass,he scene in the
cabin. s
The violence of the steam struck as wef,aye
said agai,ststh the buik-hcad in the rear of the
boiler. and the greater portion burst through
the cabin in its mission of death, while auo.!.,
er portion recoied. and rushed 10 the forward
part, Killing Instantly one Of the iremen, who
vas standing in front Of the, furnace doors.
mortally stalding another on the forward deck,
and killing several of the passengers who were
standing oil. the forward par, of the elower deck.
These OF the passengers standing on the for.
ward part of the upper deck were nearly all
saved, a few only were scalded, and those not
dangerously. Those about d-sli!p, right over
ihebpi;ffer, were entirety un1mured
e. 5Butihr most terrible destruction was on the
after.part of the upper deck, just over the cab
in. Here large number of passengers were
cougregated. After the steam had done its
workd destruction in the cabin, it hurst up
insthe companion way, and inan instant swept
around stood. Fifty lay PROSTATE, scalded
and wounded. sh,ieking in agony, and some
monrning ont their lat moments of life. ~
As soon as the Consideration had suhsided,
those who had escaped rushed to the assistance
of those of the sufferers, who were brought up
on deck and laid ont, so,ne Of them on Mai
trasses, aud Others on the bare planks, with the
carcaSses Of number of hogs ranged on the
decks as pillows. The cries of pain were
fearful. Some lost their senses, aud raved
madly; Others were seen staggering bindy
about. the skin hanging in threads from their
BODIES aid from their hands, like gIovesturned
inside cut.
Manysof them had their clothes literally
torn off them, and shive5ed witbthe cold while
burning Internally and crying for water. Ma
ny were literally scalped, their hair melted off
as it were BY the steam. Some who were
rushing around frantic with pain, had to be
seized to pre- sent them, from jumping over
board Their clothes were stripped from them
rs soon as possible, but horrible to relate, the
skin ffpnl their bodies peulcdoT with it.
Some one wet to assist poor fireman,
who was scalded terribly. He said to them;
Leave me and 60 to some one to whom you
can do some good-Im dead man. and in a
few moments after expired.
Mr.. James Tobin, late Of the firm of Tobin
q Duncan, was standing near tn. companion
way leading to the cabin, and talking to Mr..
Shelton. when he felt the tremor before alluded
TO. Familiar with such accidents on the Mis-
sssippi river, and knowing what it ror}'ndrd,
even before he heard the explosion. and simu
taneously with the gushing up Of the steam,
with extraordinary presence "f mind, he jerked
apart the Eastenings around his neck OF II hea
w cloak he had nn, threw it entirely over his
head, wrapped it and his hards in the folds,
and Frustrated himself to the deck. The fu-
rious volume of steam rushed over and around
him, but ne lay with his hand clasped over his