The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-09-04
THE WEEKLY PIONEER AND DEMOCRAT.

rum, as did all the boats in the vicinity,
from the fact that, almost Immediately af.
ter the explosion, the City of Madison
went down bows foremost. In this way
the whole amount of powder and shell
was prevented from exploding by being
quickly saturated with water. But for
this fortunate circumstance there would
probably have been one of the most fear
full explosions and loss of life on record
because the City of Madison had a large
quantity OF powder in her hold, besides a
vast amount of prepared ammunition
As soon after the accident as possible.
number of yawls were launched from
the Hornet and other boats for the pur-
pose OF rescuing any of the unfortunate
persons who might have been thrown into
the water. When the City of Madison
exploded, all those who were in the hold
and amidships were of course instantly
killed. The few who escaped were near
the stern of the boat, and at the first init
NATION OF the shock jumped into the river.
Whatever number were saved ESCAPED in
this way.
The loss of life is said to be very great.
OF the one hundred and sixty soldiers who
had been detailed for duty on the ill-fated
boat, but four were found alive, and one
of these had his ankle broken, and was
badly burned about his body. Besides
these soldiers there was large number of
the crew on board, together with negroes
and persons employed about the landing.
The explosion was so sudden, so fearful in
its effect, and so unexpected that there
was no time left for any one in the vicin-
ity to escape before the terrible work was
done. So terrible was the shock that the
cabin of the City of Madison is said to
have been blown about one Hundred and
fifty feet into the air, and the glass in the
windows on Washington street in Vicks-
burg were shattered to pieces while the
furniture in the cabin Of the Hornet,
which was some distance from the explo-
sion on her way up to this city, was all
knocked about.
Owing to the fact that the Hornet left
in the midst of the confusion necessarily
attendant on such scene, we have not
learned the correct number of killed and
wounded, nor the regiment to which the
soldiers belonged. The list of killed and
wounded will not fall much short of two
hundred, if it does not exceed that num-
Der. We shall publish the full particulars
as soon as received.
Since writing the above, gentleman
who has just come up from Vicksburg in
forms US that he was sitting on boat
short distance from the scene of the ex-
plOsiOn. He was raised, with the chair
he was sitting on, clear from the deck.
He says that the report which we have
given above is somewhat exaggerated, at
least the number killed and wounded. He
does not think the entire number will ex-
coed twenty-five or thirty. He also gives
some particulars as to the manner in which
the accident occurred. The city of Madi-
son seems to have been cut in half about
midship, the fore part going straight up
into the air and coming down again, while
the stern Of the boat was left compare
lively uninjured. Those persons who were
on the stern, or aft OF midships, were
merely thrown into the water by the force
of the explosion. The officer in charge of
the detail of soldiers was thrown some
distance into the river, and was afterwards
picked up uninjured.