The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-03-26
Par,ic ulars of the Explosion Of the scamer frin
From the New Orleans Delta, Of LIST inst.

Particulars OF the Explosion Oh Ills ScS"1e'
cess.
From the New Orleans Delta, Of LIST inst.
The first great calamity of the season,
which, up to this event, had been ior ou'
community unusually free from affecting
occurrences, was announced yesterday q
our population, and produced a universe
thrill of terror and grief. 1t was the explo.
sion of one of the boilers of the spendid ant
favorite Mississippi steam PACKET Princess
usually considered one Of the safest and
| best conducted of our steamboats,.
/ it was not until yesterday afternoon, when
the Kate Dale reached our wharf, that We
could learn all the facts of the disaster.
The Princess was on her way down the
liver from Vicksburg, having on board from
one hundred and fifty to two hundred pas.
sergers, a crew of at least one hundred, and
eighteen hundred bales of cotton. She had
touched at Baton Rouge, where she took or
| board several gentlemen from this city
including the members Of the Legislature.
The Kate Dale had passed, and was pro.
ceeding down the river at some distance, but
in sight Of the Princess, when suddenly 6
loud report, Us of the discharge of a whole
battery Of heavy artillery was heard, produ-
cling pcrceptibleshock, and filling the all
with smoke and fragments. All rushed or
DICK, and looking toward the Princess saw
that she was the victim of this terrific explo-
sion. thick smoke, only broken by red
flashes of fire completely enveloped the whole
steamer, which few seconds before had ex-
cited so much admiration by her grand pro-
portions and graceful movements. EXPIRES.
sions of horror and dismay arose from the
l. .I,lj IF ho sal RI
of the Kate Dale, Immediately ordered his
boat to round to, and steer towards the
Princess.
As soon as she had neared the scene, the
horrors Of the disaster came in full VIEW
Language is inadequate to depict the heart
rendlng features Of the dismal tragedy. The
force Of the explosion had thrown the bow
af the Princess on the bunk, the flames were
rapidly consuming the wreck, cutting off the
approach to the bank, and suhiecting to fur.
Their torures the manned and bel pless : the
water was alive with the wounded and UNI
hurt some swimming, others cinglng to bales
of cotton and other objects, and all prefer
ring its chances, to the more mercllcss fury
of the other element.
Some time, Mt lenst an hour had elapsed,
before the Kate DAD. had reached the scene,
and oh ! what an hour WAS that /! The air
was filled with pteous cries and groans.
cries for help and screams of agony: the
>hrill tones Of women mingling with the
hoarse voices Of men. Prompt measures
We're taken by all on board the Kate Dale
to afford every aid in their power to the
wounded and to rescue those in the river
Fortunately, there were two Physicians on
board the Kate Dale, their names Buiger
and Blaflin, whose services were most kindly
and efficiently rendered to the wounded.
Seventy or eighty persons from the Prin-
cess were taken on board Of the Kate Dale.
The news Of the disaster having reached
Baton Rouge, physicians were dispatched
who arrived in time to render their aid
soon the McKae and the Peerless arrived
and united with the Kate Dale in rescuing
the pas engers Of the Princcss-each receiy-
ing number Of them, who were carried &c
to Baton Rouge. After while the Natche7
also came up, and q number Of passengers
were taken by her.
The Kate Dale had some thirty of thc
passengers and crew, who were uninj urcd
put on the steamer Vixen, and after doing
all that was possible for the relief of tho
unfortunate steamer. those two boats pro-
cecucd on their way to the city and arrived
here about two o'clock yesterday afternoon
We were among the first On board the Kate
Dale.
The scene presented in the cabin Of that
steamer bcggars all description. On the
hnOr lay some fifteen persons badly wound
ed five of them taken on board had already
found relief in death. Some of the wound
ed rolled in agony, ntterinG the most sicken.
ing groans- others lay motijnless, hcl pless
and apparently parallzed, and all presented
that blackened, CHASTITY and horrible aspec,
of the burnt and scaidcd-,he most revolt
me aspect in which the human form can be
prcsentcd. Every relief which the case De.
m0nitd was extended 20 these unfortunatcs
Som" were taken to the hospitals, others t.
thctr o"n residences and the hotels.
As number of persons were picked W
"hlie clinging to bnleS Of cotton, and tHkcr
to the opposite shore, hope was expressed
thu! anon. them were the acting captain
William L. Jackso n, and Mr.. John CLARK
assistant cirrk /: bu; the arrival of the Em.
pres, Capt. L"ydcn. on yesterday afternoon
mad. II too certain that they were among
the lost.
1ne Princess was one Of the most spIen-
did boats on the river, having been built nj
C!nc.nnnti in 1865, and enjoyed a repu;ati"T
I for safety lever yet gained by any steamer
Il confidence which rendered the shoes
greater. ii er officers have always
been known as among the most care.
fui men on the river, and from the fact that
only one boiler exploded. it is thought that
there must have been flaw impossible fol
the most experienced eye to detect. She
WAS commanded by Captain VIM. c. Wilson,
who. fortunately for himself and family
was detained IN this city and did not 90 uT
on her.
The whole number lost and killed may
safely he set down as within seventy five
or one hundred, at the outside. and We have
reason to hope and believe that the number
may be less.
From the o. Pisayunc.
The loss by the explosion and burning OF
the steamer Princess will never be fully as
c"riaiHcd. No hooks or papers were saved.
and 1t Is impossible ever to ascertain the
exact number of those on board. Here and
scattered over the West will be vacant
seat by the hparth--the loved one lost never
being heard from. and tho lonely, desnlnte
hearts Of bereaved families left to mourn
their lost, with no knowledge Of the cIrcnm-
stances by which ii was attended.
For this reason, every new fact connected
with this mournful catastrophe has double
interest and will be eagerly sought.
by the latest Natchtz papers We have
some intelligence that has not been made
public here, which We present to our readers.
The fate of Capt. jackson is detailed by
the following paragraph from the Free Ira
der:
Capt. jackson was sitting in chair on
the hurricane deck, leaning back agalns;
the skylights, when the explosion took
with the timbcrs of the shattered wreck
was caught among them by the neck and
shoulders, where he remained, struggling.
till the flames gathered around and abou,
him. burnt the timbers that sustained hun,
and he fell tn he soon M mnr, in n tL n -, -