The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-06-19
Explosion of the steamer
Pennsylvania.

Loui give the particulars OF the burns
ing Of the steamer Psnnsylvaais. The
accident occurred o'clock in the morn
ing. while msst Of the passengers were
asleep, aud while the boat YVES steaming
at slow speed against The current.
The Fl emeq s"y fhey Lad just scraped
out heir beds aud were renewing their
6res when Toe ex .,losion occurred. The
accident is attributed TO the 10 state OF
the water IN the buffers. for the fire.
had burnt low some time before the ex
plosloa. s.
AT The pin: DIS ister. the river IS a,
lcas, two mics side, The Whole clun.
try is submerged. There was no hope
Tor the very b.st of swimmers. The
RIVER swept With tremendous force
through the chute AID bottoms, aud in a
short time al, that could be seen OF the
ruia was a smoO.dering mass res milling
burning brusI, half srns thcred by water
The bursting steam from he boilers
blew outsaFd, at once wrecking all the
cen raj por.iono OF tbe boat forward OF the
wheel house. Oaly I lie bow ard slera
cabins and decks remain, I'd after TIC
exp'o-ian. There were jome ore hun
.ired snJ li';y nine deck passeng rs, and
a crew OF forty or fly deck hsnls. the
mos, o! Shvni. il is feared, must at once
hive per:.hed The Captain WIS at thr
instsn, in or near the bl rbei's room, ant
vas unharm, d. He instantly orderct
he y,wI 10 be seut 10 wood boat n esr
by, which was lowed slengsid ;, AID thus
many W r, sIved from the spreading
danes. The lady p assrngerS TAI time
to dress. ond all those 10. The. cabis- ere
coacIuledto bS SAFE. Bl, al elderly
Iady and bsfdiusp9sr, wh7- had prefer
red state rnnnsns-r iha-- forward cab
IN, must. it is tho 'gl'. al most Instant
hay.s bscn killed Very msuy sere
r'scued in a dreadfrilly soaldtd or chi
pei cotdition. IS active ex,rtions, the
fire was kept noder while the passengers
were removing fro n the cabins 10 the
a't boats. The sso,mers Dana in2s
rial and Kite F,isbi. were h,ppily at
baud, aud effected the rescue OF many
from the water and from the wreck A.
length the danger grew so imminent
that the fiat bo1t would take f~e. aud
the heat Of the buruiog vessel BEGAN,
almsstunendurOble 10 the passengers on
the Hat boat. Size was. therefore, bu,
Win extreme diff .ul,y, showed off. there
being but single steering oar by which
TO manage hsr. Scarcely any bag;
was saved. So many people were
crowded on the fli boa. that, TO throw
baggage among ,h.rn, would have been
disastrous go %
When the lit bat showed OF from
the burning wreck. more than fifty per-
sons were left on her decks, Ia any oil
them females, all of whom peri shed in
the nrnes. From las to lao persons
were rescued upon the flit boat. They
aIaied down the river for half an houl
beiora they we're taken off. A few NOR,
were saved by swimming and sustaining
themselves on driit-wood and pieces o
wreck. bat Of the $50 PERSONS who wer,
on board, not more than 200 are suppos
ed to have escaped.
One gentleman aud bis vito, as III,
explosion occurred, were precipita'ed
from their staie-room upon the mass be
low, al the same time a large portion o
the wreck was suspended over them
Upon this boiler was thrown, an
I while those above were cndeavoring t.
rescue the persons beneath, the Who'll
pile was vnveloped in aimes. and III
unfortunate couple were soon burned 1
! ashes.
| A passenger stated 10 Mr. King tha
the boat was so crowded that he had I
sleep up in 'rexas,'' in a room with fou
berihs, with the Waterman. He being i
the rear berthswas saved, but as he Ia
in bis berth parAlyzsd with terror, b
saw his room mates in the two berth
opposite go down into the river unds
the Continual mass Of wreck. -
The cabins Of the boats that rescue
The survivors presented harrowin
scene. The cabin a ,or of the Kat
Frisbie. from one end to the other, Ia
huddled togsther, the wounded, the dy
ing, aud the dead The air resouude,
with the cries OF sorr1w or of pain, an
the voices Of the dying, growing faints
and fainter. until the lips were sealed
: made an impression upon the min
never to be erased. Tae cabiu n,or {
> the Impefial was also crowded wish tn
victims Of the disaster, and prrsente