New-York daily tribune., 1854-05-25
SHOCKING STEAMBOAT EXPLOSION.
THE STEAMER SECRETARY BLOWN Up.
Prom Tie san Fraucisso Herald April II.


Pom Tie san Francisco HeIsis APni Il, ~ ~,
o'clock the steamboat Secretary Capt f. W. Travis left
Broadway NLaIf for Iealuma, III SonOna County From
lie most reliable accounts she had board when she left
nlou sixty persoIs ouo-la of whom females there
bdng also several Children She followed in aquarer
of an hour by the steamboat Nevada destined Tor the
same place. Wien about thirteen miles from this city
le;wecn the Islands known as the Brothers and Sisters
the Nevada WI ,h il said to lie much faster boat came
up with her ard race, are informed by one oi tile
rssengels took Iecothe Secretary struggling TO main
lain her POSITION he two boats at this point nearly
abreast and about 100 yaid apart when At about clock
tie Secretary blown up with an awful explosion when
sent human beings and fragments Of the boat ying through
tle mir The scene j. described appalling In moment
le water was covered with the broken fragments of the
boat which the wounded and dying were seen 10 cling
II is thought the entire macnerywas blown out and what
meiIed of tie hull was quickly covered by waer-the
bow of the boat and the hurr ane-deck remained aoa
and upon the latter several persons who had not been
blown of remained while others who had been thrown OF
into the water drawn up by those already there OF
couse all CONSERVATION and confusion around and
had it not been for for the presence OF some experienced
meners the destruction Of life would have been greater.
The cries of the women and children who escaped deah
are said TO have been most heart-rendng.
As es the explosion occurred, the Nevada, Capt
H. Cornell backed her wheels, and put about TO the
wreck Tie boat lowered, and those who were still
floating picked up, while in the course OF little time
those who remained upon the wreck were removed on
bosd the Nevada This boat remained at the scene OF
the wreck for about hourlOng enough 70 remove all
the sufferers and those who had escaped aud when she
left nothing TO be seen but the bow Of the ated Sec
retary She returned 20 this city and arrived at her wharf
n, aou u clock The wounded were removed some TO
Tie Hospital and Others to their residences The follow
ing il list of the sufferer together with the saved ~
furnished by the Clerk OF the Nevada which Is as near
correct as can be under the circumstances
KmLrD-Mr Csrkfouni dead on the wreck Morgan CLARK
LosTMsj John Ebbei; George Clark Ies.e iosI H. wR
Holmes, child OF Htn Of the TemPeTanee House and
number others whose names could not snd wh IDENTITY per
comprise the cr,w Nj Bis engineer; G. P HUE hrmAn'
Mu another deck hand and the cook whose names are un
known Total. IS known.
BADLY IsJyRIO-R A Lewis, Isaac P.thsrP G , Barber
E, II. Snyder, lss boie.9 Totals III, u.. u.,. Nj,
RSdser Wn Iundy wife and c6d Js. A. Sherbo judge Terr
D coosushsn George R9bsri.op Gserse Wsa1t .n onsr
Tenl Capt +. W Travis Jas MeGiuni- James, Bruce
SAVED UsISJuErD- Mis-. Day. Chare. Miner, " DayOet
y,ndwste, Day oy Norton Jas Thompson Jesse T. Over
The Secretary or at least oneha of her was under
stand owned Nv Messrs. Geo Gordon & Stein Of the Nu
can Iron Works She has been running this ,oue for
about three weeks. She originally known as the Ga
brel Winter. but has been almost entirely rebuilt Her
engine the used in the ill-fated Sycamore, al
though her boiler quite having been built at the
Vulcan Iron Works, and completed about month since
Her engine high pressure, with tubes. We understand
that the boiler tested by the hydraulic press and
found o be able 10 carry 200 lbs There can be but little
doubt from all we learn that the boiler originally
defective that there upon It's surface pressure Of
steam greater than II could bear
Among the passengers were number of miners their
way TO Russian River and it is among these the unknown
deaths may be classed. Major John Ebbetts who was
lost Is well and vorably known Of the most
getc and experienced explorers in the State He was the
dscoverer Of the sss the Sierra Nevada which bears
lis name and has been since 1883 devotng his entire en-
eges To the exploration of the Rocky Mountains and the
mountain ranges along the Pacific coast With him lost
the public copous fund of ofnionnaton on the import
ant subject of explorations.
Tie Alta California says:
The boat was valued at about $50 900. None of The
baggage saved Although have the names Of bat
eighteen killed is supposed that the loss of life Will
amount TO AZ least thirty If be true and there can be
steam for race, fearful responsibility rests upon all
who counienHDced such The engineer has gone
to give his higher tribunal than any earth
but there Others who are guilty, II Is 20 be hoped
they will not escspe'the responsibility Of this Wholesale
murder L. is tine that means adopted he.o TO
prevent the frequent changes in the OF boats and
that some greater security should afforded the travel
ing public. Mrs Ceciis Clark -e body was recover
ed from the wreck the wife of j. u. Clark Eq aie
of Green Point " y The funeral VIII take place to-day
Many Of the wounded bruised and about the hands
and face caused by flying fragments and scald
ed -Four FIVE of the wounded were taken 10 the hos
piial, and aIe doing well.
MANY Of the fragments from the wreck Of the Secretary
were blown upon the Nevada, and brick was forced
through the piot-hcu-e
Tie explosion described by the passengers who were
saved and those The Nevada sudden ana very loud
The caused by il is indescrbabe. Bodies we're
blown into the air heads flying in direction and limbs
and trunks IN another 30 great was the force Of the ex
posion, that the boat and ali her machinery literally
broke 10 pieces. The dead diving and the wounded
blown into the water, and all who We're able seen
Cnn-iG 10 TIE utgILents OF tnt WRECK One gentleman
Mr. Cooknghsn who escaped with slight wound inform
cd that he blown distance Of forty feet and
that while in the water he rescned child from drow wling
and brought il safe piece Of the wreck which hey
clung till rescued. Mr. John Smith late second officer
the Don Quixoe, lad his cap blown of. and was himself
blown into the water and assisted in saving number OF
persons
so sudden was the shock and all overwhelmed
bv H. that the passengers who saved able 70 de-
tail but yery little Of vha: occurred AL however de-
scribe the scene a. horrible IN the extreme The Nevada
Immediately commence picking up those who il
the water But ore dead body was recovered, thai Of
Mr. Cecilia Clark. The rest who were instantly killed
by the explosion sunk, and were seen more The
Nevada az the of the explosion about AZ
hour gathering The wounded and then returned 70 th