Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1853-05-17
Gbe pailp birainiau.
The Explosion ofthe Steamer Jenny
Lind.
Thrilling and Horrible details.


The San Francisco papers brings us the full
particulars OF the xploson on board the steamer
Jenny Lind, which occurred on the 10th ult..
on the passage from Al,iso to Sun Francisco,
with ffom 1875 10 $50 passengers. II appears
that when off Hulgas Rancho, and while the
steamer was going at ordinary speed, violent
tremor WAS elt throughout The boat, like the
conclusion produced by the firing of cannon
and, in second after. tremendous repor,
was heard. aud the whole vessel enveloped in
dense cloud of scalding steam. The plate
on tho afer-head of the boiler was blown out,
and the steam and boiling water rushed out
with fearful violence. The bulk head. sepa
rating the boiler from the cabin. which was
at was shivered into thousand fragments
Ivy the force of the shock.
The cabin was a closely confined room, Is
by feet. with small windows looking out up
on sort OF gangwag that interviewed botweenit
and the ratings. II was just about dinner
time the table was spread and few min.
utes before the ladies' and children, and gen
tlemen in charge Of ladies, had been intro
duced into the cabin so that they might not be
incommoded by the rush TO the dinner table
when the bell should ring. and were about
seating themselves al the table, when tho ex-
posion took place and dense volume of
steam rushed into the cabin. All in the room
were stricken ns if wed by heat. They
were scalded frghtfully externally, and all
inhaled the fearful steam. Not ono escaped
All were either killed instantly or have since
died. Many of them had their clothes torn
from, them and the skin entirely torn off their
faces and bodies.
The sight presented was horrible beyond
description. not simply the scaded but all were
more or less mangled by the fragments of the
boiler and bulk head and streams OF blood flow.
cd from the mutiatcd bodies.
Some few of the gentlemen managed 10
grope their way out of the cabin, crying pit
eously to those above to save their wives and
children. When some Of the passengers who
were unhurt rushed below, sight presented
itself that staggered them, and some became
faint. They found the dead and dying lying
in confused mass upon the floor, covered
with the fragments of chairs. tables. furniture
and timber, and horrible to relate. were writb
ing IN the scalding water six inches deep on
the floor Poor little children were crying
piteously for their mothers, who could hear,
but blinded, could not see Mothers shrickod
in agony. and called upon some ono to save
their children. The picture, even in our re-
collection, is hcart-rending. Such was the
scene in the cabin.
The violence of the steam struck, as we
have said, against tho b.lk.head in the
rear of the boiler, and the greater portion
| burst through the CABIN in its mission of DEATH
| while another portion recoled, and rushed to
the forward part, killing Instantly ono of the
fremen, who was standing in front of the fur.
mace doors, mortally scalding another on
the forward deck. and killing several Of the
passengers who were standing on the forward
part of the lower deck.
! Those OF the passengers standing on the for
ward part of the upper deck were nearly all
saved, few only were scalded, and those not
dangerously. Those about mid ship. right
| over the boiler, were entirely uninjured.
But the most terrible destruction was on the
after.part OF the upper deck. just over the cab
in. Here large number ofpassengers were
congtegated After the steam had done its
work ef destruction in the cabin, it burst up in
the companion-way, and in an instant swept
those in its way to the deck. Not a man
around stood Fifty lay PROSTATE. scalded
and wounded, shrieking in agony, and some
moaning out their last moments of lie.
As soon as the CONSERVATION had subsided
those who had escaped rushed to the assistance
oil the sufferers, who were brought up on deck
anu ItlO out, bOmo Ol LHClIl oH HdlToboco 0Hu
others on the bare planks with the carcases of
a number OF hogs ranged on the decks as pill
lows. The cries pain were fearful. Some
lost their senses. and raved madly others were
seen staggering blindly about, the skin hanging
in threads from their bodies and from their
hands like gloves turned inside out.
Many olthem had their clothes literally torn
off them and shvered in the cold while burning
internally and crying for water. Many were
literally scalped their hair melted of, as it were
by the steam. Some who were rushing around
frantic with pain. had to be seized to prevent
them from jumping overheard Their clothes
were stripped from them soon as possible
but horrible to relate the skin frcn their bodies
pealed off with it.
Some one vent TO csslst poor fireman who
was scaided terribly. He bald to him: leave
me and 60 to some one 10 whom you can do
scmo good-I'm a dead mani" and in a few
moments after expired.