The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-05-03
Fearful Scenes at . Steam boat Ex.
plOsi0m.
BURNING OF THE CAPrAIN-DEATH OF ALI,
THE LADY PASSENGERS.

-A'N VI -" S1As AAAks-ObAIh VI ALL
THE LADY PASSENGERS,
-
Aue "o"Pus papers ofinB tnriiltHx Narratives
by those on board Of the 4t. Nicholas Of the tar.
rible explosion of that vessel. There var. .hor,
xn-.. H.. -. ..,- =, so0e
p,,, n., oA VI uen' oioeon j.
.hoW. Mr.uiimen, the second clerk, vas In hil
berth at the time Of the accident, and when he
awoke to cousciousness was on hin m.ttre.. a.. J
tng a. ~. ,,,a. h.,a..a -. ,-- :, ao~s -
~ re ~ '.o ,''' "u'..~ ys'u. ITO" tue ooat.--
ne reacnea the shore Without assistance. Though
badly scalded, he has furnished an account Of tbe
afiicsive calamity. from which va eYtr.ct ~.
A"s0' sue
'oau,hs pa''i
Aeout Two nouts oei3re the explosion repaired
20 tne omce, aad, puliing on my coat and vest,
iaid aoMn on the bed for nap previous TO arriv-
Th Tg ~ nelsns beng very neleo 5000 fell asleep
Inc explosion took myself aud bed up bodily
tnrongn tue roof dropping me at least one hun.
ored feet from the boat on the Mississippi side
The transformation was complete; my position on
the Ded hosting down the river was precisely -
when lay down to sleep 10 fancied security. My
sudden removal was not attended by the slightest
sense OF pain, aud the shock was not more than
sufficient to bring me to consciousness. At first
supposed was to the midst Of . horribls dream,
then that had accidently fallen into the river
- all was still 40 death on the boat. I called
out loudly help! helpi man overheard, but
met with no response. In another moment
the moans Of the scAlded and waiipgs of the
"omeu uuco tuo oir, ana the utmost CONFUSION
prevailed. retained my position on the bed,
not knowing how frail my support might be. For
nall an hour doated along reclining on the bed
ourst nof even turn my head, and looked con-
stsntiy 10 the direction the current swayed my
peo. sometimes was witnessing the horrors at
.euu,ss tne burning poat, tnen for some minutes
wouio oe Iacing the SHORE. In about fifteen min.
~ uss, aseSona explosion occurred, ana Immediate.
aI.eI tue Uoas seemed on nre IN every part
vomen f,r hs,,. od 1s.u tue .er.lnc erles OF the
dect c,ina,ns ,eo,ha eoe .nsm on tne hurricane
;nrnn - oeosnss' saw tnem descend and
a. sb.rs co,,s Soua see .nem cIinsing togeth'
ra.cna. 90 49,. s uoes 'uoul iM,PioHne ior
Ths .csna .as ,o.. snu Pass ron ne 20 deatn
evas .vav rnshia - ,,;sa u, "nu .uIh heu my
Hoot;n g Sss ~ "lsuo'' oI .he norors. AFTER
vater sttractad nv sttsn,ion Sp'1sns ~ Tue
hearing hu.,:n 49, ~.oa oas.lo,
Wildly taward ma 49, s nk
iumn. M a,oar ve.a th.v ~ ~ 'oniy
These cattIe we're b,own fror apR.oaon ~ s me
and thew seemed fa.tenad tnns,h. @
|smono them were two ~ throe Sh,n".as 'ome was,
and "A I raw them annrosch mo LII ,ho;
teninp ewes oIaring damon I;ha - Ih sune
ali hope of safety Was mast. nttarad ,ha ,aoss
ferye,.t PRAYER that ever e.c.nad ~ ,;rs Uss amS
awaited calmly INV fate Jnst ss the c.ttIs an-
preached INV bed. a step ladder came soo,;pa :
past, and With stick pulled it towards me. In
the meantime the cattle tried to mount nv he'd
and sunk it. With one hand 1 clung to the
ladder and with the other drove the cattle sway
u. arose 0nc0
more took seat upon it and 80 floated for an beur
longer. In the meantime q boat with four men
passed within q hundred yards of me- but refused
to take se in. I also 1oated across the bows OF
the Susq uehauua, which boat was lying to picking
nm the sufJerers. but could gain no notice from
her By this time had fioated down two mile.
below the month of the St. Francis river ,rben
INV cries for helm were responded to from the
shore and was encouraged 10 held ont a. lon .
as possjhIe A skiff mt ont from the nIantat;on
un;ded nv mr con tinnal cries and in ahont two
bonrs from the time of the explosion was nicked
nm. Oa landing found Ave others who had heen
rescued. enc of whom was the Waterman. who MAS
dreadfulIv burnt The others were cabin bows
In an hour the Susouebanpa came along. The
cantain sent some of the crew for ns. who osrried
n. in chairs throuyb a cotton match on hoard Tho
steamer where our wounds were dressed We ar
rived at Mamnhis MONDAY marniny wbara the
whole city turned ont and offered rs assistance
Nv clothes were then cut from me and. in Cannon
with the rest. was bathed in iinseed oil ~
which fortunately. three barrels were on hoard az
freight. The sufferers were ivino about on The
cabin floor soue Of them in death aaonio. ntbars
groanino and crvipo ont with na;r r. uo,o s;.n.
ening sjght. AsI Law in INV bertb 7 saw three
men ey nire before we reached Memnb;,
STATEMENT OF rHr pIrnT
ynu;r an .ha ho;,ar. ona -. A..
.,aarad suna tho.a In shs iad;.s oah; :ne s.noAe
n hnnn,oJ ,nra.h. NJ osolh ~ conster'
% OF ,sa IaS;e. n.s; . nte was lasing
n uaeH @ S".s ,h",r "a -. sooA 'nem uoWh on
sue ~ vi 80, e., u sh W JUMP ois'ahce Oh
aUeu. S gu. a.. ,hs ,o. a. sney Jampeu-
,swI for The women fonnd that ,ha o, hs .as
iui :, trarS s.;,h tha ,ne mate mao
nn, r. ire on, at the how The v..I ~ s.s ~. 70
en. puS 'nS s,iat .i,h decr hana. T,oy vas .nus
o,arh na ,wn fsmsIa dscS n..ssna 'ne aeau
,na ,suI AL Vas enna ven, hach nnon a,ns r. lug
VIZ y:.r .L .s;,n. IS - a apou suo ivo' ~
Gnu NO .hrav, ,ha ia ~. ml. Ea
S..t,ard ,,ds M s.snhans wsnt ha,a, a,u ou su9
. h,ra oo Oe 49, N'p"""' "'"' ''io"' auo
SOW WIN h.,i po ~, % baoL nm thu ,ovor ao,,
sos o M | .. e uooS eou'o not
nao tne iie poa', Ing steward nao IL under the
ss1;Ur ,h. won,sn a. ,hsv ;npnsJ r.,o ssiu, o.
hasre anv ftbs ladies conld ret tn !. ai,us
ba en s,i ~ nfwhom wars .svaS Tnar maI n,ea
~, nh,s;n ,ha i;fs host cSmhaa 49, ts o9u
cabin gnards. and cot lot of door bfinds and cave
ooo .ch 81 Tho Hva iaS;a. ho.;aas ~. saso
ia " Esa n-sssrvsr sronnd ber hoSu VIZ % .a ono
t .ha;re,o. @ H., ;mnInrod W. to q ~ uu soaL
;,,rr off :nS iat them hold IN ~ r,a Tho
me- Il thev shnnld nmn overhosrd tod ,an, o
=. 90, ~ 81 tha g. fors ,ha, -. ou ~ .t son. w,
20 s.sy uhs ;r nse af0'e 'hem 0n' or the yswi
Re- this time the Sn.ouohanna,. v.w, hod .,.r.
cd 3rom that boat N coma 70 ony heir. 80 =,
90. nr.,tv nssr to us vas AFRAID II p;oh. ",on ~
st tba Isrboard wheel honse to rescna .nnn nsop
,hera uho we're hallooinu for assistance T wsm. ..o
~ .ha wba.i 20 ;nrnr avsrho.nS oa -. s'.t VEN
~ .uo .. heva - :, hronab, 80 ,h o;s. own .pe
isdias. and bv the tina bsd aos ;n.o a. sae
a,d .wam n fsw strotas saS ,ha go, 80,
hack TO the susouobsrna' as atterwaySs nnSar.
stood. to bail her ont. Finding mvseif In tha
river. and not being able TO gef back to the ls
dies, swan around the bow of the boat; there
found stick OF wood, with which I swan back
~ .ns uses.,sn 81 the sse.n, ana iouuo tney nad
T. the % last that saw of snv Of them - sacsnt Miss
Ella Kennedy, who told me that she caught hold
OF an iron ring In the null just back OF the wheel,
and that the WIND t'a was blowing up stream, and
luat INC current, wniCu "aS TuuuibS Iastef IMAM