Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-06-24
of the Explosion and
Burning of the Pennsylvania.
200 PASSENGERS MISSING!

DuTnAuk VI Suc ICuuSy ~ auhsAs
200 PASSENGERS MISSING!
Passengers rescued from the Pennsylva-
arrived in St. Louis yesterday, the 18th.
From the papers of that city of the day
following, we gather the details of the dis
aSter:
THE BOAT-wHERE BOUND-THE NUMBER
CT PASSENGERS.
The stamer Pennsylvania left New Or
leans on the 9th inst, with one hundred
and twenty-five cabin passengers and one
hundred and fifty-eight deckers. She af-
forwards took on board at Baton Rouge,
Natchex and Vicksburg, 81 passengers and
At Napoleon 10. There were 40 deck
hands and firemen; "a of the stewards
crew, and l6 officers making in all $50
souls.
Out of this number, 1872 were rescued
by a wood boat, and about 20 others escap-
ed in various ways. These numbers in
clude The wounded and scalded. About
200 are lost and missing.
THE ACCIDENT.
At about 6 o'clock on the morning of
the 18th inst, when the boat was about
20 miles below Memphis, she exploded
four of her boilers, while under way. At
the time the explosion, she was near 800
yards from shore. The cabin was torn to
pieces forward of her wheel houses. Very
few Of the passengers were out of their
staterooms at the time. The passengers
in the after part of the cabin-men, wo-
men and children-rushed out, and the
utmost confusion ensued among them, all
supposing the boat was on fire, from the
smoke and steam which came rushing
through the cabin.
We quote from letter written us by a
passenger on the ill-fated Pennsylvania, the
following passages of vivid interest:
The books were not saved, but careful
estimate of the number of persons on board
falls but little short of four hundred and
fifth sours; all were saved cannot by any
possibility exceed $50. 1t is supposed
that fifty or sixty were lost in the cabin.
The boilers seemed to be heaved upward
and forward, parting the cabin at the gang
way, and rendering the upper works Of the
boat from that point forward complete
wreck. Out of twenty-six state-rooms, all
full, only six or eight persons have survived.
Those occupying rooms aft of the gangway
were nearly all saved. When the steam
and smoke had cleared up from the wreck,
there indeed was mournful spectacle pre-
sented to the vision of the few survivors,
The boilers and smoke stacks were twisted
together like huge serpents, locking in their
hot embraces scores of human beings, dead
and dying. Some were killed instantly;
others were buried beneath the rubbish, to
await the advance of the flames which as
vet slumbcred in the hold. Small fires
that sprung up on the forward part of the
boat were promptly extinguished, and for
the time, all danger seemed at an end.
In the meantime the Captain, together
with Others, had obtained fiatboat at the
wood yard of -, and were slowly
working it toward the wreck, which they
succeeded in reaching after about half an
hours hard work. The flat was made fast
to the stern, when nearly all who were left
alive were taken in. All the fire in the
forward part of the wreck had been extin
guished, and we were congratulating our
selves as to our chances of safety once
more, directing or efforts to the wounded
and dying, when the flames burst out amid
ships, preceded only moment by a dense
cloud of smoke.
Indeed so sudden and unexpected was
the fire that those aft who had not reached
the fiat succeeded barely in escaping with
their lives. Next came n new danger, and
many who had thought themselves safe
grasped their life preservers and cast long
ing, anxious look at the muddy waters be-
meath; there were pale faces and nerves
as the huge wreck, with its leap |
ing flames, nearly kept pace with the un-
wieldy flatboat, for there were no oars but
those belonging to the skiff, and small
pieces of boards, which by some accident,
had in their hands. 1t was bad |
to 60 below the wreck, but
covers multitude of blunders.
At last the fiat was urged away from the
wreck, and once more the saved breathed
free.
Some were still on the wreck, crouching
md trying to hide from the angry heat
;toping until at last they seize some plank
Or drift, and was so sudden and so uncx-
,ected that those on the bow of the boat
lad no means of escaping except by swim
ming. 81. z.
The fat-boat with the wounded, all that
ould be reached, and those that were un-
lurt, was at last ''tied up" at "Ship Island"
which, by the way, is no island now, as the
sater covers almost the entire surface
Here we lay until nearly four o'clock in the
fternoon.
The wreck foated majcstically down the
tream, until we lost sight of her around
he point below, going, as We ascertained,
ONE mile or two down. and lodging on n
and-bar. ....-,
This is buta general outline of the dis
ster of that eyentful Sabbath. Those
vho have never seen destruction like this
annot form the faintest idea of it. One
Tas buried unhurt beneath the rubbish,
creaming and imploring for mercy and
or help-mercy which only God could
rant, and help which no earthly force could
ender. Here was one shaking the scalded
esh from his hands and arms, leaving the
'hite bones dry and naked; another striv-
ng in vain to drag huge splinter from
is sice side; another with his limbs cau't
eneath The heated boilers, screaming in ;
,ortal agony; some with their heads
lown off: some with their bowels pro-
ruding: others sleepino quietly in death.