Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1859-04-08
The Great Steamboat Disaster
on the Ohio.

on the Ohio.
The Cincinnati Garstts Of the SOth
nit gives a detailed account Of the IN
fortunate collision and sinking of the
steamers David Gibson and Nathaniel
Holmes. of which we have already had
a short account by telegraph. We make
the following extract, emitting the list OF
those lost, as It comprises no Eastern
names:
9 On Monday evening last, about
o'clock. the steamers Nathl Holmes,
hound from Pittsburg for St. Louis, and |
the David Gibson from New Orleans for
/ Cincinnati. came in collision short dis
lance below Petersburg, KY and two
miles above, and in sight of Aurora,
with such force as to sink the former IN
stantly, and the latter in few minutes.
The Holmes had heavy cargo of nails,
iron, and general merchandise. The
Gibson had over 600 hhds. sugar for
Cincinnati.
The night was dark, and the wind was /
blowing violently when the collision &C.
Cured. and it is supposed that smoke
I obseured the lights so that neither pilot
saw the approaching boat, until too near
70 nYarent the accident. The Holmes
was cut into pieces, and sunk instantly.
The Gibson swung around and was run
L for shore, but before reaching it she
sunk, the cabin floating off.
The Holmes had large number OF
passengers, most of whom were emigrants
lto Pixies Peak. She went down in the
middle of the river, and nearly every
person between decks was drowned,
while many of those in the cabin were
i. also lost.
AS soon as the citizens of Aurora
heard of the accident they did everything
: in their power to render assistance
D Every skif within reach was brought
into requisition. Men rowed with al
n most superhuman power, and load after
d load was landed upon the beach, among
Y whom were many women who had lost
their children, and children who had lost
their parents, and others who had lost all
they had.
The Holmes had sixty-fve cabin and
: about thirty deck passengers. The crew
were all saved except Mr.. Caldwell, the
g engineer, and cabin boy.
The cabin of the Holmes separated
=. from the hull and hoated down the river
with The passengers and crew hanging OF
to the wreck. The boat was not ovel
three minutes going down, and had no
the hull separated from the cabin, th'
loss Of life would have been far CREATE
than it was. No lives were lost off thu
Gibson, but of the eighty-six passengers
cabin and deck, on the steamer Holmes
forty-two are lost!
The excitement on the two steamer
. when the collision occurred was immense
:, Men, women and children rushed to tn
!. deck of the steamer, screaming and beg
assistance. The scene was heart-rend
-. ing in the extreme, and cannot be des
no cribed.
L One youth n an ed Robert Welcl
:. whose father, mother and three sister
i were lost, sprang into the river, an
IA seizing fourth sister aged five year
~ swan to shore. Another lady, Mr.
= Daniel Bishard of Cambridge, Ohio, fo
=, got her child until after she left IL
-. wreck. Captain Kennedy found the Ii
,be tie girl alive, laying between TWO ma
~ trasses, close up to the hurricane roc
,en yesterday morning, about Z o'clock, b
ing eleven hours after the accident too
had place.
hIa The passengers lost various sums,
ID all amounting to about $4,000. II
ora total loss of both boats and cargoes W
a. not fall far short of 100000, with /;
~ insurance on all of about $4,000.
soil CREvAssEs ON THE MISSISSIPPI
ard New Orleans, April 2.-There are Sc
The eral bad crevasses above, which threat