Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1858-02-27
"A. s[Fsum the Fayetteville Observer.l
g THE sNHIYEHALL DISASTER.

fin party Of the xilledand wounded. We have been
unable to obtain list of those board the Magno.
liza, Supposed to number 80 4O) at the time Of the
explosion, complete list Of the ssved. Eleven
persons are known to have been killed, and one Of
the wounded negros has since died. From i've to ten
other negroes are reported among the missing, and
are believed to have been killed
The fullest statement haveseen is contained in
the annexed letter. which from its date should have
reached us in time for the last Observer but only
came to hand by yesterdays Sunday mail.
j. The general opinion here to the cause of the
disaster differs from that entertained by our cores
pondents informants 1t is most commonly suppos.
ed that the explosion caused by the rush OF cold
water upon the heated and exhausted boilers; not
by head Of steam too large for their capacity. We
have heard that the Magnolia was permitted by the
U. s. Examining Officer to carry 1875 lbs. and that
there rot on board weights to enable her to
carry more. But all these matters will of course be
investigated and is proper in the meantime that
the views of those on board should be made known,
as they by correspondent, that if erroneous,
they may be rectiied. Mr.. Lutterloh, soon rs he
RECEIVERS, Intends AZ hear, to make thorough
investigation. r. .,
ELHABETHrowN, Feb. II, 1853
MEssRs EDITORS The citizens of this community
were called upon, yesterday, to witness the most
melancholy and awful scene perhaps ever exhibited
within the borders of our State.
The steamer Magnolia Captain John M. Stedman,
while lying at the wharf at Whitehall, on Tuesday
night the 10th inst, exploded her boiler, scattering
wreck and death on every hand!
From all the information which could gather in
the hurry and confusion incident to this accident it
appears that the boat had been running under an I'M
usual pressure of steam, which was not permitted to
escape after she stopped to deliver passenger
and few articles freight. The fire in the furnace
very high, steam was fast generating, and an ad-
dtional weight having been applied to the lever
which commands the escape at the safety-valve, no
chance given it to expend its force, save in the
way it did.
At about the hour of IL o'clock there came
burst of thunder sound" shaking Earring and blow
ing into million of atoms the hull, apparel and ma
chinery of the boat and hurting for hundreds of feet
on every side human bodies. fragments Of iron. wood
and clothing, strewing and lining the shore COM
pletely with particles Of the wreck that one could
scarcely have escaped unhurt had he been standing
a hundred feet away on any side.
The report of the explosion was heard for nine
miles so distinctly as to awaken persons from sleep.
The boiler weighing two or three fhoasand pounds.
was blown at least three hundred feet over store
house some 80 40 feet high, striking in its fight
and breaking stick Of ton-tmber lsinches square.
upsetting two others, and cutting OF two trees at
least eight inches through!
OF the immense force exerted in this explosion,
can give you no adequate idea. Description is too
meagre to convey q commensurate sense of it
Bolts and bars of iron were cast as mere playthings
from its giant blast. The tree-tops round about
hung full of great sheets of the deck and arti
cles of clothing utter from the branches as though
they had been vomited from her boiling cauldron
and hung there to dry.* A portion of a door, with
the lock attached, was found at least sic hundred
feet from the wreck!
The hull of the boat is torn to fragments, and pre-
sents the idea of huge mastodonic skeleton exhum.
ed, with its big ribs alone remaining to outline its
form
One can hardly conceive that so much force and
power could possibly be shut up and confued in SO
small compass. In short, srs, the Magnolia is
generally torn into fragments. Had natural and
artificial force combined to despoil her of her fair
proportions they could not have succeeded more eec-
tually in accomplishing her end
am not at this time, sufficiently quiet in feeling
to give you particular account of all that this
presented II have not been acolstor led to look up
on deafh in such hideous and distorted shapes as
there seemed to mock the observer. Here and there
lay the dead, bruised, blacke,ed and mangled
CHASTITY wounds, exuding blood, schocked me
cry side, and my tears dried up in their very
fountain by this sirocco of death May it never
blow in midst again
Among the whites killed the bodies of the follow
ing persons have been found: Capt. Joi M. Sted-
man, dreadfully torn and disfgured; DR.. Milton
Fellows of Baden "a bar bolt Of iron entered his
throat just under his chin and passed out at
the mould Of his head;) Thomas l. Tyson, Cedar
Creek, Cumberland.
In addition, the following whites thought to
have been klIed,--Qhey were known to have been
the boat and have not since been heard from)-
James 0. West, Baden; Susan E. Leary, formerly
of Marion Court House, s. c., late Of Norfolk, Va,
Andrew Bell small boy, in company with the
above.
Among the negroes, have been found the bodies
of fce 1t is believed that from five to ten others
are lost
Wounded-Mr Lutterloh, arm broken and brus.
ed-doing we'll Archibald, son of John McRae, of
Harnett, badly scalded; George Pearman, Whining
ton slightly scalded and otherwise injured several
negroes, one MORALLY.
1t is thought that at least thirteen lives have been
lost by this explosion 1t is not for to say how
it occurred. No one tell positively where the
blame if any, should lie
I have been told that of the Captains of the
boats on the River gives it his opinion that the
boiler exploded from gas; that the boiler per.
feet and capable of resisting pressure of one hun
dred and sixty pounds of steam without danger, if
properly supplied with water. Persons who were
on the boat however, generally believe that she
carrying too much steam.
Great credit is due to Harrison Drirer, the mate,
for his very prompt and efficient services in render
ing relief Driver thrown overheard into the
River, but, with great presence of mind he swan to
the ferry fiat with which he was instantly active at
the wreck.
There is sad and poignant regret in the death of
poor Fellows. He had labored hard and seduously
against opposing circumstances in life to acquire
place IN the Medical profession, and was just return
ing from Philadelphia, bouyant and happy, to his
home and friends, when, alas for human hopes and
promisesl he was cut down at the very threshold |
Earthly things
Are but the transient pageant of an hour.
That springs to fall, and blossoms but to die"
In hasty and random way have noted some
few incidents of this calamitous mishap. 1t came
upon US "as thief in the night" Let US hope
that our eyes may never look upon ITS like again,
and that God may SO comfort the heart of the wild
and the fatherless, ere long sunshine and joy
may take the place of sadness and sorrow.
P. s. Driver, the mate, testified before the jury of