Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1858-06-26
EXPLOSION OF THE STEAMBOAT PENN
SYLVASlA.

Particulars Of the DiSaster--Near T,co HIM.
drsa Lices Lost--Host Horrible Disaster
ofhe Western Waters.
From the Memphis Eagle, l6th inst We
have to recordAt the present time, probably,
the most horrible steamboat accident and loss
of life that ever occurred upon the Mississip.
pi. The fine steamer Pennsylvania, com.
manded by Capt. Klinlelter, aud plying be-
tween the cities Of ST. Louis and New Or
leans, as she wag 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 q report as Of hundred
pieces of ordinance, and blowing the entire
front portion Of the boat, together with about
two hundred OF her passengers both deck
ana hundreds of feet into the air. -
MANY Of them were asleep in their berths at
the time and were hurried, nnawakencd, int o
eternity. 1t i5 said the river, q few moments
after this awful occurrence, presented one Of
the most narrowing scenes of disaster ever
witnessed
Caiutain Kleinfelter happened to be in the
barber shop at the moment and thereby os-
capped sharing the fate OF the more unfortu.
nate. AS soon as possible, he ordered the
aachor to be cast, bat the line soon snapped,
ana the pUhl, anu the ObAl NultH III me iHtuu-
time had taken fro. foated on down: wood
boat was hailed. The owner, Mr.. Harrison,
came to the Immediate rescue; The dead, dy
ing and wounded, as wei! as the living, were
nut on the woodboat, save few who could
not be taken off before the wreck took fire.
At one time the woodboat seemed as Il ad-
herring to the wreck, and much serious apprc.
heuson was felt as TO the prospect Of some
two hundred being burned up in the woodboat
Owing, however. to the energy and decision
of purpose of a few noble and daring spirits,
the woodboat after being separated, was
drawn over to Ship and Battle Island, where
they witnessed the wreck burn up below them
in space Of about ten minutes, and where
they remained until about one o'clock. when
the steamer Imperial bound for New Orleans
was hailed, aud towcd the woodboat down TO
Austin.
The following persons were brought to this
city bv he steamer Diana, and left on Messrs
plvai, Algep Co.'S wharf boat They viii!
all survive, perhaps, with the exception of
Xavier Rauch, Strausbourg, the baratono Of
the French Opera Troupe, OF New Orleans +;
William Ray and Wm. Howard, Ct Louis.
Vile
VIM. Woods, Pittshurg John Iadd En-
gland; Geo Blazer. Pittsburg; John Sayre,
Ohio; Isaac Wisler, Stark county Ohio
Xavier Ranch, SlFasDOurP, ol lEe reDch
Onera Troupe Of New Orleans L. Vale,
basso of the French Opera Troupe OF New
Orleans: Robert Rrotherton, Columbus
Ohio. badly 5urnsd; Jas. Mccormick, New
York s,alied and bruised; Robert Chapman
New Orleans, scaldod Captain r. Backer,
New York, scalled; Charles Ashbrook, St.
Louis. scalded Geo. Sands, New Orleans,
dangerous Capt ohm W. Fairfield, Boston
master of the Gulf Stream dangerous Hen
ry Schultz, ST. Lonis, rot dangerous, injury
Of the head Matthew Commaleere, St. Lou.
is, badly scalded
A large number of the passengers, both Of
the wounded and unhutt, remained upon the
hank. near the scene until about four o'clock
in The afternoon, when the Kate Frisbee
came IN. took them on board aud brought
them to Memphis. Four died on the Frisbee
while coming up-JaS. Derrs, chief engineer;
Father Dellcrop, New Orleans; h, Bautch.
or. do John Baulcher do. The steamer
Diana. which also came TO the place of acci.
dent aid her part n0bly. She took ten OF
,he wounded from tho Fris5ee and brought
chem TO the wharf boat here. Some she took
on up the river
The exact cause Of this heart -rending acci.
dent cannot be ascertaned They only had
on between l30 and l35 pounds OF steam
while her charter permits lao. They were
not firing up at the moment, but on th'
contrary, were cleaning the Goals out oi Tho
furnaces. Her machinery was some sever
years old-which most likely, was the cause
OF her bursting