The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-03-09
T He DISPATCH.

WEDNESDAY AIRNlNC ..........M MARCH 9. 1859
THE CATASTROPHE
ON THE MISSISSIPPI
EXPLOSION OF THE sTEAMEH
PRINCESS.
| ONE HUNDRED LIVES LOSE-TERRIBLI
ACENES ON BOARD THE RECEIVING
SEA 4BR-7'HE PASSENGERS oNA BAR
LIST OF KILLED AND WOUNDED.
short list was published yesterday of th,
killed and wounded by the explosion and burning
| OF The steamer Princess at Baton Rouge, La, on
| the 9th ult. The New Orleans papers of the Isl
inst, contain full particulars of the horrible ca.
| tastrophe. The Picayune says:
| Four of the large, powerful boilers exploded a,
once, driving aft clearing all before them, and the
whole upper cabin, state rooms, hurricane deck
texas and all, fell in almost Immediately, aud in a
rev moments, the flames burst forth. The shock
was so sudden, and so tremendous, so utterly un-
looked for, as apparently to have bewldered the
bravest and most experienced men.
The pilot, George II. Case, who was at the wheel
was thrown into the water. He arrived here last
| evening the steamer wm. NJ. Morrison, and
rom what we could learn, knew nothing more Of
the catastrophe, than that be suddenly found
himself Il yiDg through the air, and moment after
1e the water, without having the remotest idea of
What was the matter The chief engineer, Andy
SweeDy, had ended his watch at s A. NJ when the
second engineer, Peter Hersey, went on, and was
attending to his duty when the explosion occurred
ne oeing the nrst victim. He was cut in fwo He
reported by the superior officers aud EMPLOYERS
70 be steady, reliable man, no wise intemperate
ana nrst rate engineer. He was we'll known here
we could not ascertain whether Capt jackson
was on DUTY or not at the time of the explosion.
nc was Formerly pilot of the boat, and bad been
acting az captain for several trips He ia renorted
AS among the missing. Mr. Aff1eck's letter saws
ne was Understood to be across the river. badly
nn''. Inc nrst clerk, Mr.. James IZod was in hi,
once at the time, aud was found after the expIo
sion, In space the deck below left vacant hy ,bo
bursted boilers. '"'"'' " 'oe
me force OF the explosion, or some other lucky
accident, gave the boat a turn towards the bank
ohe soon struck on sand bar that jutted ont into
the river frotn the shore and where she gron,dad
rue mate on duty, with several of the crew
jumped on the bar and succeeded in MAKING tbs
boat fast. In the meanwhile, those who were
uninJureu ousied themselves in endeavoring to
rescue their unfortunate companions buried in
the burning ruins Of the cabin and pathared in
which were many ladies aud children All who
could be moved. wounded or not, were taken on
the sand oank there to await, in a state of agony
aud horror that can family be imagined, the hand
of rescue from some passing vessel.
The companion packet to the Princess the
steamboat Nacnt8, which left here on Saturday
afternoon. was the first boat to near the disas.
trous tcaDe. What an appalling spectacle tina,
| small sand bar must have presented to the
| amazed and grief stricken beholders--the mag
nihceDt boat now mass of blezing ruins, n
which smouldered the remains of many q paae
stricken wretch; the CHASTITY corpses of the dead
| lying here and there: the groups of wounded meI
siigured and crushed by the terrible powers o.
| steam and FIRE combiued: the women aud children
| gathered in grief aud horror, with the live anC
well men, all overwhelmed by catastrophe, tn,
| the more terrible that it so unexpected, anC
| fierce flames of the burning wreck lighting uI
| this picture Of desolaton and death and misery
Well might the stoutest heart turn appalled, from
| such narrowing spectace
| The NatcheZ laid by the wreck for some hours
| her officers, crew and passengers exerting them
selves TO the utmost to give all the relief in thei
power, and soon this steamer started on her way
| up the river, her decks filled with mattresses, OF
| which rec!ined the blackened forms of those who
| bat day before, had left their homes to spend
the last joyous week of the Carnival in the Cres
cent City. The steamer Kate Dale, small boat
| from Camden, Ark, soon reached the spot of the
| disaster. She was Der way to this city, ant
her officers saw the flames of the burning boa
| when tye miles distant. Other boats-the McRae
| the Peerless the Tigress. tine Empress, the Vixen
| the Morrison, the Magnolis-came ia their turn
| at brief intervals, to lend their aid and sympa
thy, to carry off the wounded and search for tn,
| missing ones or remove the dead.
| The Kate Dale was the nrst boat in yesterday. a
this port, from the scene of the accident. Five
| bodice were already laid out on her deck. Amons
| them was that Of Colin VI. Kingston, a young mar
| ABOUT twenty-five years OF age, resident OF thi
| city. When he got on board the Dale. he was ap
| pareDtly unipjured, aud seemed 10 very goot
| spirits; but he soon after complained of bnrn.
| ing in his stomach, and died ere he reached the
| city. He has mother and three brothers here.
| The cabin of the Dale was filled with mattres
| ses, on which the burnt or scalded men we're ex-
| tended, presenting a most heart rending specta
| Gle. We have seen many such; but no experienc,
| is them can lessen the appalling effect the sigh
| OF the blsckened, dishgured, swollen forms anC
| faces produces.
| We were much panied to See among the suffer
| ers on the Dale, MIR. Cock kburn, a we'll known mer
| chant Of this city, of the firm of Oakley & Haw
| kiDs, ard gentleman much esteemed by wild,
| circle OF acquaintances and friends. He has be
fore suffered from explosion. He was last even
ing, we learned, getting along as well as could b,
| expected. His face aud hands were very muci
swollen when we saw him on the Dale.
| THE EXPLOSION AS SEEN ANOTHER STEAMER.
The Delta has the following account from ,
passenger on the Kate Dale:
| The Kate Dale had passed, and was proceedipe
down the river at some distance, but in sight {,
| the Princess, when suddenly loud report, as o
the discharge of whole battery of heavy ar,ile
ry was heard, prodncing perceptible shock, ant
| filling the air with smoke and fragments. Al
| rushed on deck, and looking toward the Princess
| saw that she was the victim of this terrific ex
pl0sion. A thick smoke, only broken by red fash
| es Of fire, completely enveloped the whole steam
er, which few seconds before had excited =,
| graceful movements. EXPIRES .ions of horror anc
dismay arose from the beholders of the sal
| scene Captain Smith, of the Kate Dale. imme
| diately ordered his boat to round to- and stee,
| towards the Princess.
| As soon as she Deared the scene, the horrors O
the disaster came in full view. Language is ut
| teriy inadequate to depict the heart ren6ip,
| features OF the dismal tragedy. The force Of th
explosion had thrown the bow of the Princess OIL
the bank, the flames were rapidly consuming tb
| wreck, cutting off the approach to the bank ant
| sui Letting to further torture the manned an,
elpiess the water was alive with the woundet
aud the unhurt, some swi wimmiug. others ciiAgins
to bales of cotton aud other floating objects, ant
| all prefsrriDg its chances, to the more nerciles
| fury Of the other element.
Some time-at least an hour had elapsed befor
the Kate Dale had reached the scene, aud oh, wha
an hour was that! The air was filled ith nj,eou
cries and groaDs, cries for help, and screams O
agony the shrill tones of women mingIipg will
the hoarse voices of men. Prompt measures wer
! taken by all on board the Kate Dale. to affor,
| every aid in their power to the wounded and t.
| rescue those in th3 river. Fortunately; ther,
| were two physicians on board the Kate Dale tbei
names Bulger and B!afen, whose services wer
most kindly and efficiently rendered to the wound
ed.
| were taken on board of the Kate Dale. The new
of the disaster having reached Baton Rouge ply
sicians were dispatched, who arrived in time {
render their aid. Soon the McRae and the Peer
| less arrived anu united with tue hate Dale in res
cuing the passengers of the Princess-each re
ceiviug pumber of them, who were carried t
Baton Rouge. After awhile, the Natchez ais
came up, and q number of passengers were take
by her, among whom was the first clerk, jaime
Izod, who was badly scalded, and Mr.. Josep
Clark, second clerk, also badly scalded.
The Kate Dale had some thirty of the passer
gers and crew, who were uniDjured, put on tn
steamer Vixen, and after doing all that was poss
BILE for the relief of the unfortunate steamer, thos
two boats proceeded on their way to the city, an
arrived here about two O'Clock yesterday after
noon. We were among the fret on board Of tn
Kate Dale.
The scene presented in the cabin of that steame
beggars all description. On the fl Tor lay som
| oftaep persons badly wounded; Eve of them take