Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1858-06-19

| 1r. henry Epcncti ,OHc oI tHe passeNgefs
on the ill fated steamer, gives The following
account of the disaster:
| At the time of the occurrence Of the ac-
cident, which was six o'clock Sunday morn
| ing, was inside of the bar and talking
with the Captain, who had just been shaved.
! The explosion took place and the saloon
was immediately filled with steam and
| smoke. We maze our way out through the
| water closet passage and climbed on the
| hurricane deck. The Captain, with the
barber and one vi the cabin boys, at once
| launced the life-boat, while | brake the
skylight to let the steam and smoke out Of
the cabin to prevent those inside from suf-
locating, an feared they would from the
screaming. The boat was entirely unman-
ageable and drifting rapidly. An attempt
| was made to carry line to the shore, but
| without success At this moment the Cap
| tain discovered an empty hat-boat manned
and sent to the flat to bring it as expedi-
tiously as possible TO the wreck. This
prompt measure on the part Of the Captain
proved the means Of saving more than half
of the passengers, who were taken Off
The fact of the boat not taking fire for more
than half an hour after the explosion, serv-
ed to aiay the terror of the pass myers and
give them selt-possession enough to dress
many of them were in their berths There
was time enough tor them to get off, and
nearly all did sothrough this calm conduct
CT the calm conduct Of the Captain. Near
" all who where lost died from the imme-
dtate effect of the explosion. What excep-
tions there were, were deck passengers, who
endangered themselves by an over anxiety
to secure their baggage and effects. The
cabin passengers generally abandoned their
baggage and We're content to save their
lives As to the number of persons, no cor
rect list can be supplied, as the register was
lost. The cabin berthed 100, and it was
entirely full. An approximate estimate of
the deck can be arrived at only by consid-
ering the amount collected of Them which
was $416, and that on the first day out
The price of passage for each was S3 This
would make nearly 100 persons. We took
on besides 90 coalboatmen at Baton Rouge.
One of the number told me that only six of
the twenty were alive after the explosion
They were from Louisville Officers and
crew numbered eighty. This would make
in all ESQ persons on board of the steamer,
and the number is by no means overstated.
OF those saved counted lsl on the flat
Twenty-Five more were taken to the shore
by the tiatboat, part OF them from the flat
to lighen her up before this count was made
Twenty were picked up by the Diana max
ing 226 saved. and l54 lost or missing
Some Of the latter may have got on shore.
Mr. Dennis, of New Orleans, formerly
editor of the Delfo, but some three months
since established the Wagr It, aSunday jour-
nal. lie retired from this likewise, and was
on his way, think, to Memphis, with the
intention of proceeding East from that city.
few moments before The explosion | saw
him, and think he must have gone to the
forward part of the boat.
Col Talbot, from Mississippi, had ne
gro boy with him who was backing his
boots. Neither We're ever seen after the
accident.
A gambler from Texas tall, fine looking
man, who wore spectacles and was slightly
bald, was lost. Two other gamblers were
on board, and were lost, unless they got off
at Helena. thirty miles below, which they
may have done. One, think, lived there
as he spoke of his wife being there
OF the Stewards force it is remarkable
that but one was lost, and he was the sec
ond steward. Not one Of the others was
even seriously hurt They happened to be
preparing breakfast, and were about the
pantry. locality not much exposed to dan
ger. About twetty persons were under his
direction. Emory, (colored) second steward,
passed forward and was never seen again.
Another priest, besides Father Delcrosse.
lost, was so seriously injured that no hopes
are entertained of his recovery. lie was
put off at Memphis, and his cousin got off to
attend to him. He was scalded terribly,
and his lower extremities were literally
boiled and he was dying, in fact, when he
was last seen. lie was going, | think to
some college in Maryland, and was talen-
ted and learned man. He was so scorched
and scalded that he looked like negro.
The Geographic account confuses the
names as well as the fate of the LIST and Cd
engineer 1t was James Doris, the lst en-.
gineer, who was fatally injured. His Bro
Their, Francis Doris. the I'd, escaped with
little injury. The same account mentions
VIM. jackson, as bar-keeper. | was bar
keeper, and jackson who is quite lad was
my assistant lie was unhurt.
| knew the names only of those CHANGED
to come in contact with. There were very
many lost | did not know, and whose
names will never be learned. All the cab
in passengers, situated beyond the the cen
ter passage of the boat, were saved.
A gentleman and his wife, who occupied
a room forward Of the Cabin division, died
most horribly, having burned alive In the
fall of the rubbish caused by the explosion
they were caught under heap of ruins of
the fallen rooms, and boiler fell on that -
| He implored the others to extricate them.
and offered all that he was worth. The at
| tempt was made. but it was impossible to
save them, as the boat was then on fire.
One of the French Opera Troupe was in
jured so that he will die | do not know
which one. Another a large man, was in
Jured by scalds on the hands. He had o
nothing at the time but red shirt A pair
OF pantaloons were given him. He soon re-
covered his cheerfulness, and inquired of
a Doctor, with some sollcitude, when his
hands would get WELL
The wounded were transferred to the fiat
and then taken on board of the Frisbee and
Diana, where they received every care and
attention that humanity could devise. A
card was signed by the passegers of the Di.
ana, expressing their sense of the magnani-
nous conduct of Capt. Sturgeon and Mr.
Smith. the clerk, who was likewise unre.
hitting in his exertions to alleviate the suf-
ferings OF the wounded. No charge was
made against the survivors, and they were
alec provided with free tickets over The H.
inois Central and the Ohio and Mississippi
railroads to st. Louis Capt Klinefelter and
the surviving officers Of the Pennsylvania
remained in the neighborhood of the wreck
for the purpose of taking care Of all of the
property belonging to the passengers that
might come in their way.