The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-05-24
GREAT STEAMBOAT DISASTER.
CITY OF HUNTSVILLE sUNK-AT LEAST TEN LIVES Los
PARTICULARS AND INCIDENTS

CITY OF HUNTSVILLE sUNK--Ar LEAST TEN I,l-ps 1osr
PARTICULARS AND INCIDENTS. FL. ..
From the st. Louis Democrat of the 1871 Z -..#
Geographic dispatch briefly announced on Sat
urday the total loss of the steamer City of Hunts
VILE, In the Cumberland river, attended by a con-
siderable loss of life. Since the arrival of the b.
very full particulars. --tr..fa.. =.
The disaster occurred on Wednesday night at 1
o'clock, at Palmyra, about ten miles below Clarks-
vie. She struck log, while running at her ut
most speed, and sunk almost instantly, about half
OF her hull being torn away. .I'.ar .-..r
She lies now IN the very centre of the channel,
with four feet OF water in her cabin, and will pre-
vent boats from passing, unless removed previous
to the advent of low water. a- 90 .1 ri
The snddenness of the disaster, and the late hour
at which It occurred, combined to render it a de-
plorable affair, by the loss of at least ten lives
Emmett w allace, assistant engineer, of Smith
land, n.y., and Henry jackson, are the only names
OF the lost that we could ascertain The latter was
airee coored boy, and assistant porter of the boat
Eight deck hands, Irishmen names unknown, are
known to have persisted. The first porter, when he
arrived at Nashville had with him three trunks,
which he had saved from the wreck. One of them
was marked "Mr. Brentworth, Memphis" another
Wlthout marx, was supposed to belong to Brent
Spencer, OF Nashville, who was a passenger: and
the thlrd was marked "Rebecca Davis, Tennessee -
Inc passengers saved were taken to Nashville by
the steamer Choctaw. They exonerated the officers
from blame In the matter of the disaster. The ac-
cldent occurred in chute, through which the wa
at It's present high STAGE rushes with greal We
getty, rendering the passage unusually difficult:
lwhile in here, the boat 'took sheer'' on the piot
and encountered the log, there being no possibility
OF preventing the collision. '--r.-I & -
The officers without exception seem to have done
all that it was possible for men to do under the cir
cumstances. in giving directions for the general
safety, and assisting personally The greatest con-
fusion, excitement and terror prevailed as usual in
such cases. and there much apprehension that the
loss of life is much greater than ascertained or ever
will be ascertained. =, -
Almost all the passengers had retired to their
respective berths, long enough to justify the suppo-
sltIon that many asleep. Soon after the shock
the cabin was filled with mass of rushing, excited
people, and the horror of their situation was aug
mented ny the shreking of womn and children. =
One lady, we understand, threw her child over the
guard, and it was saved by one the firemen. lt
man floating in the water was seen to make
toward plank, on which was young lady, who
afterward proved to be his daughter. Both were
saved.
The engineer, Hopkins, saved his life by clinging
to small pair of steps, with which he loated three
miles before he could get to the bank.
Sloan, the clerk, and Mr.. Bell, a passenger, Sc
cured and chung to plank, which supported them
safely to land.
The City of Huntsville was getting to be an old
boat. She was valued at $4,000, owned by
Capt. A. l.. Davis, of Nashville, and was not
insured.
She had an inconsiderabe cargo, which, together
with the boat, is lost