Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-06-17
Explosion OF rHE FENNsYLvAN1A.


We copy the following partioularsof the explosion
Of the steamer Pennsylvania from The Memphis
Eagle and Enquirer Of yesterdays
TfWe hgvs TO record al the present tine, probably
tbe most terrible steamboat accident and loss Of
life that ever occurred upon the Mississippi The
fine steamer Pennsy lVania, commanded By Captain
Klenfelter, and plying between the cities Of ST.
Louis and New Orleans, as she was nearing the
lower point Of BerdeaW Island, lying about seventy
miles below this city, Sunday morning last, between
the hours Of six and seven, exploded two Of her
boilers making report as Of an hundred pieces Of
heavy ordinance, aud blowing the entire front per-
ton Of the boat together with about two hundCtd
Of her passengers, both deck and cabin, hundred
Of feet into the air. Many Of them we're asleep in
their berths at the time, and were hurried, unWa-
kened into eternity Il is said the river, few
moments after this awful occurrence, presented one
OF the most narrowing scenes Of disaster ever VII
messed Captain Kleinfelser happened 70 be IN the
barber shop at the moment, and thereby escaped
sharing the fate Of the more unfortunate AS soon
as possible he ordered the anchor to be cast but the
line soon snapped, and the boat, which IL the
meantime had taken FIRE, hoated on down. WOOD
boat was hailed. The owner, Alr. Harrison, came
to the immediate rescue. The dead, dying and
wounded as well IS the living, we're put on the
wood boat save few who could not be taken on be-
fore the wreck took FIRE. At one time the Wooa
boat seemed as if adhering to the wreck, ana mueh
serious apprehension felt as to the prospect OF
some two hundred being burned up IN the wood
boat Owing however, to the energy and decision
Of purpose Of few noble and daring spirits, the
wood boat after being separated, was drawn over
20 hip and Battle Island, where they witnessed the
wreck burn up below them, in the space OF about
ten minutes, and where they remained until about
/ o'clock, when the steamer Imperial, bound for
4 New Orleans vas hailed, and tOFed the wood boat
down 10 Austin
/ A large number Of the passengers, both Of the
/ wounded and uuhurt remained upon The bank, near
the scene until about o'clock in The afternoon,
/ when the Kate Frisbee came up took them on board
| and brought them TO Memphis. The noble conduct
! of the officers Of the Frisbee has received just
tribute of expression in card from her passengers
! Four died on he Frishbee while coming up-James
Doris chief engineer; Father Deiler0p, n Orleans
/ n Bantsoher, n. Orleans John Bantseher New Or
/ leans. The steamer Diana which also came to the
place Of the accident. did hSr part nOby. She took
ten of the wounded from the Frishbee aud brought
! them TO the wharfboat here. Some she took on up
The exact cause Of this heart rending acciient,
cannot be asoertained. We had au interview with
Mr. Doris surviving brother Of the chief engineer,
who was on watch at the time, and received his
own statement, which We have reason to doubt.
He SAYS he tested the boilers few minutes before
the explosion, and found them apparently to con-
tain the proper quantity Of water. They only had
on between 1870 and 1876 pounds of steam, while
her charter permits 40 They were not firing up
] q II, ".
the Goals cut OF the furnace. Her machinery was
some seven years old, which, most likely was the
cause of her bursting. While talking to Mr. Doris
we observed the plain print Of human hands IN
blood upon one of his shoulders. 1t was his broth
ers, who then lay corps near by. Both Of them
owned an interest in the Pennsylvania Captain
Kleinfelter remained at the Island to gather the
bodies and whatever else he could from the wreck.
Thirty of the wounded and sealded now lie in the
large court room of the Exchange Buildings which,
for the present. has been converted into hospital
Two of them have died since-the little German
boy, Bez, and man. name unknown. Some ten Oh
twelve more will probably de- indeed, they are al
| most past hope of recovery. The entire medical
profession Of the city repaired Immediately to the
sufferers on their arrival here, and have continued
to give them every attention Our physicians de-
serve the highest credit.
Some Is or 20 more Of the wounded are at the
Gayoso-three of them died yesterday-a young
Frenohman named Emanuel de Generes, the bsssO
/ Of the New Orleans French Opera troupe, named
Rauch, and another whose name we could not learn.
Two of the number, left by the Diana on the wharf
boat, died there yesterday morning. Every hotel
in the city contains several Of these unfortunate be-
ings and the hospital has received all it can &C.
commodate The number of souls on the Pennsyl-
vania has been differently estimated-some think
! there we're as many as 400, others 500.
The scene upon the Frisbee when she arrived
the dead, dying, and horribly mutilstsd-was one
of the most terribly heart rending, soul sickening
that mortal ever saw and we sincerely trust it may
be the last we may ever be called upon to witness
Our citizens have left nothing undOne-they have
performed their du,y entire.
Judge VIM R. Harris, Of this city, and brother Of
the present Governor, who severely scalded and
otherwise hurt, is not expected to survive, as we
learned late last evening He is Of the Supreme
/ Judges of this State.