The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1855-08-11
Prom NE cIarinnaa Times.l -
Stcamboat Disasters or Western
and SOuth-WesteFn Rivers, for

.
StcambORt Disasters OF WesGern
and Southwestern Rivers, for
I ~, ;,4. E,. 1885, =, -ss
Capt w. w. Guthrie, one Of the Local
Inspectors for this district, has prepared a
list and table showing the number ofsteam-
boats in existence, the number damaged,
the loss 10 the cargo and steamers, the num-
Der of lives lost &c, %onthe Western and
Southwestern rivers for the six months from
first Of January 1866, to June 36th, 1855,
from which we preparethe following syn.
opsis: .."3' ''a- .@-r' '. g
The aggregate number Of boats damaged
during this period was SO; Of this number SO
were totally lost Estimated total damages
to steamers, s57S, 700. Estimated total da m.
ages to cargoes, $l,229,soo WhOle mum.
Der of lives lost, excluding those by the
Lexington, 81.
In District No, /. Embracing the Ohio
river and its tributaries, there were six steam
boats sunk, and three damaged, by snags;
two destroyed by fire; one damaged by ex-
plosion or boiler; three sunk by ice, and
FIVE damaged by collision-total 90. Only
four Of this number were totally lost
+ Total number of damages for Division No. l,
$343,3OO, or 10 per cent, of the whole loss
for the Western and Southern waters.
Division No. 2, embracing the Mississippi
river and its tributaries, above the mouth of
the Ohio. Seventeen boats were sunk by
snags; two by collision; one damaged by
collision; FIVE damaged by snags; one by
collapsed aue; four damaged by fre; and
two destroyed by fire; amounting in all to
thirty-two. OF these, fifteen were totally
lost. Total amount of loss in Division
No. 2, 1896, 200, or 33 per cent of the whole
loss; and six lives lost, or l9A per cent. OF
the whole number.
Division No. 8, embracing the Mississippi
below the mouth of the Ohio, and tributaries
and the Alabama river:-Nineteen sunk by
sn0gs; eight destroyed by fire; three dam.
aged by explosion, and one damaged by
collision, amounting in all to thirty ty-one.--
Of these twenty were totally lost. Total
amount of loss in diuision No. 8, $s64,5Oo
or AZ per cent. of the whole, and twenty.
five lives lost, or 8oS per cent. of the whole.
Total loss of boats and cargo one million
eight hundred andthree thousand five hun.
dred dollars. .,..-. ....
| There we're 5l3 steamboats, inspected
under the law of 1862, up to September 80
1854; and estimating 81 steamboats, running
as freight, tow, and ferry boats, to the sam'
date, gives 600 steamboats, of all classes, OIL
the, Western and Southwestern riyers.-
Taking this as the number in existence, Jan
uary lst, 1866 l3 3:SS.iO0 per cent.
he,number totally lost, 80, has no doub
been replaced by new boats built during th,
time, and bears proportion of sl-2 per cen
to the whole number.
SUMMARY.-l2 steamboats, destroyed b,
ire--damage to merchandise, 500, ,O0G, an,
boats property, $l9s, ,oo0-total, $s9s,9sC
or As l-2 nearly of the whole loss; and Il
lives lost, or 5S per cent. of the whole
7 steamboats, damaged by ice-damage t
merchandise, 100000, and boats property
$l6,O 6,O00-total $4,000, or 2l-2 nearly o
the whole loss. 81 steamboats, sunk al.t
damaged by snags-damage to merchandis
$55s,800 and beats property, $34S'4 400
total, $902,20Oo; or 80 per cent. nearly q
the whole loss. 5 steamboats, damaged bV
) explosion--da mage to merchandise,
and boats properly, 3,OOo-total, $l3,
! 600, or ga nearly of the whole loss; /
lives lost, or 40 per cent. Of the whole.
= steambosts damaged by collision--damag
to merchandise 81 900, and boats property
$s,soo-total, $4,000, or I.4per cent. neafi
Of the whole loss.
twill be observed that no loss Of lif
whatever in Division No. H. embracing th
Ohio, is reported. The sacrifice Of human
life, therefore, seems to be mainly confne
to the Mississippi river The only fata
accident Of this year on the Ohio was tha
of the explosion of the steamer Lexington
whereby thirty persons were sacrificed.
q 1t is not centended THAT tile list is CON
: plete in number of boats damaged, ne
exact,ih amounts Of losses; while some ma
be estimated too high, others too low; b,
= on the whole, it is not fur wrong.
u Captain Guthrie says, in, conclusion, If
! there has been no explosion or collapse
9 hue or any boiler, manufactured since Il
passaged Of the law by Congress-, Of Augu
g aOth 1859, and coming under the feductit
J. of steam pressure. In every instance, Il
/ disaster have been from boilers made pr
& vious to the passage of that law. -
10 Oh, No! Don't Destroy the Trees
!. In our Notes of Visit to Trumbull Cou
, | - In.k NJ ,.,n .oo6o ~ call NJ n