The Shasta courier., 1855-02-03
TERRIBLE STEAMBOAT ACCIDENT!
EXPLOSION OF THE PEARL!
FEARFUL Loss OF LIFE.

Adams e. Co. furnished us, on Monday last,
with the Marysvile Erpress Extra, of the Satur-
day previous, being reprint of the Sacramento
Union Extra of the same day-containing many
of the particulars Of the explosion of the steamer
Pearl. The Laioa of Monday, the 29th ult.,
contains full account of the terrible affair.
| The high pressure steamer Pearl, Davis, mas
| ter, left Marysyille at o'clock, with nm unusual
crowd OF passengers, numbering as nearly as can
be ascertained, I43, Of whom 35 were Cinnamon.
She had almost reached the city, was just below
| the mouth of the American river, when an ex-
plosion occurred, which lifted the forward deck
| aud threw it directly over the bows. The boil
ers exploded in the forward part, and the acci-
| dent is said to have been occasioned by the want
| of water in them.
There were so or 60 lives lost, by this dread
full disaster. Nearly dozen were blown into
the air, and one or two to the height OF so or 20
feet and nearly yto the opposite shore OF the Sac
Famento. The wheelhouse was blown overheard
and the pilot wheel was broken in five or six
pieces but strange to say, the pilot was not kill
| ed although he is considerably injured.
| The upper deck was blown completely off,
and the passengers clung in crowds to it and to
the guards of the boat, the confused mass
! foated down the river. A line was made fast TO
tree opposite Cary's Mill, above the mouth of
The explosion took place in the forward part
of the boat, and those who were In that part of
the boat were most seriously injured.
| 1t is supposed that the hremen were also lost,
while the engineers escaped with but little in
jury Some of the passengers had the presence
of mind 10 fall on the floor, and the steam passed
over them without injury.
The Union of Monday says:
On Saturday evening seine was thrown
across the river just below the Prison Brig TO
intercept the passage OF the bodies. From
twelve to fourteen boats were constantly en-
gagged in dragging the river yesterday, and at
O'Clock in the evening had succeeded in recov-
ering twenty-four bodies, which. together with
those who had died at the Hospital since Satur-
day evening swelled the number of ascertained
dead to forty. Of the aggregate eighteen were
Cinnamon, several of whom were identified.
The following is complete list of the names
of the deceased so far they have been lden-
titled:
Alexander Anderson, of Nevada, native of
Shenandoha county. rginia, aged so.
Edward c. Davis, Captain, Maine, aged 33.
Samuel Randen mate Maine, aged 40.
J. G. Boyden, violinist, Marysvllle, aged
about %.
Francis Fluker, tinman, formerly of this city
G. A. Shultz, fruiterer Marysville. a.
| Jesse James, formerly of Diamond Springs.
| VIM. O. Conner, Justice OF the Peace at Long
Bar, Yuba county, formerly of Lansing burgh,
! New York. native of Ireland.
John A. Clouse, Shasta. formerly of Jasper
county, Indiana
! B. Risano, fruiterer San Francisco.
John Miller.
James Kavanagh, late of New Orleans, ma
tive of Queens county, Ireland.
| Geo. Fl. Wellington, late OF New Orleans.
James Mcclure merchant Mud Springs.
| p. G. Kenton. Shasta.
David Littlefeld, deck hand. Mississippi
Chas. Jewell. fireman, Kennebec, Maine.
Darby Carroll.
In commenting upon the terrible explosion,
the Statesman says:
The persons who witnessed it describe the
scene as an awful one--the cannon-like report
| of the explosion was followed instantly by a
cloud of fragments of iron and wood, of trunks
and furniture and clothing and OF human bodies.
| alive dead and dying, shooting into the air,
some a hundred feet and falling scattered in
every direction over the surface Of the rivea.
VIM. A. Gilman, the Clerk, was standing at
the desk in his office the time the explosion
occurred. He says that one-third OF the passen-
gers were the boiler deck, one-third in the
cabin and the remainder below.
| Mr. II. Keefer, the messenger of Adams &
Co., had gone aft to get his treasure box at the
time of the accident, and left his letter bag in
the hands OF Mr. Mcbride, the messenger OF
found in the river. Mr.. Keefer was unhur:.-
Mr.. Mcbride is undoubtedly lost.
Emanuel Levin, of Shasta, was slightly
scalded. He was Knocked overheard by his va
lise, and saved thereby from contact with a
splintered portion Of the vessel Mr.. Levin
states that six miners from Shasta were on board
and standing near him at the time of the explo-
sion.
Abner P. Soule. second cook, slightly injured;
s. S. JONES' general book-keeper Of Wells, Far
go & Co. at San Francisco, slightly injured.
The following are known to have been on
| board at the time of the accident: T. Y. Mount
passenger, missing; - Nichols, Of Policy e.
/ Co., badly hurt. Wells Fargo & Co.'S treasure
is missing as also that of Rhodes a. Co. The
| overcoat and pocket book of Mr. Mount has
been found in the river.
VIM. A. Gilman clerk, slightly injured; R. X.
NJ. Williams. pilot, slightly injured; Edward
Springer, bar-keeper, badly scalded Mr. Jor-
dan, fireman probably killed; Philip Riley, leg
fractured and badly scalded; Thomas Chadon,
| leg fractured and scalded; A. Goodman, OF Ma
| rysyille. scalded and badly bruised; Thomas
Smith, passenger, fracture of the uba and badly
| scalded: Herman Hesser scaded and bruised !;
nine Chinamen, with limbs fractured and badly
scalded
4 Mr.. Marie Meroux. of Downevile was badly
i injured and removed to the Hotel de France A
man, name unknown, died at the same hotel.
| Marcellus T. Porter. Chief Cook OF the boat,
1 and a gentleman from Shasta, who in COM
pany with Mr.. Jas. Mcbride. and a young man
named Peck, of Diamond Springs. are also mis-
sing.
Ats o'clock, on Sunday, says the Union, the
bodies of Alex. Anderson. Capt. Davis and Capt
Randall, were borne to their last resting place
| The coffins containing their mortal remains were
placed side by side. and in apartment provi-
ded by friend of the deceased. Their counte-
nances were exposed, and with the exception
| of that Of the commander of the lost boat ap
peared as life-like and natural as it they were
but in temporary rspose me .1ewIr RoI - se nlses
Of 5, culture sadness was depicted on every face.