, 1863-08-26
OUR FICKSBURG LETTER.
THE LOSS OF TIE STEAMER
MADISON.

Especial Correspondence to the Chicago Tribune.1
VtcKssuEa, Aug. 10, 1863
The most violent explosion that eyer &C,
CURED in this city or vicinity, since or previ.
Gus to the bombardment, took plsce this day
At 1850 a. N. The eteamer City Of Madison
wac literally blowed to atoms. In one Sec
ord after tic explosion, what was left OF
this fine steamer, e1ccptinga small proper.
ton OF her stRrboard wheel house, sank ont
Of sight. The steamer Ed. Walsh, laying
alongside, had all Of her etarboard guards,
wheel house, te1ns, pilot house and cabin torn
to ep1iutcrs. Fortunately up to this hour
4p m We have not heard OF any ons being
killed on the Walsh, but number Of badly
wounded. The City Of Madison had but an
hour previous to the explosion returned from
the olher side Of the river, where she had
been coaling prior to her departure below.
stores, clothing, DC, &c, and had nearly
completed he: loading when this terrible ex-
plcslon occurred. The facts connected with,
and the cause Of the explosion, have from
one Of the deck hands, and the only one 1iv-
irg, who Vas slowing the starboard side Of
the boat. He Gays he WIS On one side Of the
boat and his partner On the other, with
fixed ammunition, percussion shells, &C., Il
boxes, when ono Of the colorcd soldiers, let
clip accidentally from the top Of the hatch a
boz containing percussion shells, and strik-
Ing on the bottom Of the b01t with snch force,
as 70 explode one OF the she ellis. He then run
to the after part Of the boat and cr1Wled out
Ct the after hatch, and just as he Was getting
out OF the hatch the great explosion took
place os above. There were some forty colorcd
soldiers detafied to finish loading the boat,
but only portion was on boa1d at the time
Of the exp1osion. Up to this time, p. m.,
there hare been six dead soldiers taken out
from the ruins Of the wreck, and the second
Co. c, 8th Indiana, and one other soldier
md q deck hand. Also Lieut.. Mitchell.
brave and accomplished officer OF
the LIST Missouri battery, Ordinance officer
He was at the time Of the explosion Standing
on the boiler deck, in conversation With
Capt Davidson, and ut the first appearance Of
danger Capt. Davidson suggested to the Lieu
tenant that 1t would be prudent to retire to
the stsrn Of the boat, md Instantly the Cap
tain left, and within two seconds the final and
last explosion took place, aud Lieut.. Michel
was no more seen til taken from the wreck
! mangled and lifelcss corpse. Capt. Neil,
commander Of the boat, was sick, and in one
narrowly escaped with lbs Ife. lie had
one leg broken, and WIS othcrHisc injured.
The chambcrmaid WAS takcn out OF
the water alive, also 4 white lady.
Fire Of the colored o1es including q boy about
twelve years old arc etill alive, but probably
is reported that the explosion ehook the win
dows in the buildings At Big Black, thirteen
mlits from here. It knocked the windows
out Of the Prentiss House, those fronting On
the levee cash and ali, it also knocked down
soldiers, citizens and horses on tna leyee. 7
was walking down Washington street at the
time, u quarter Of mile from the scene Of
disaster, the ground trsmalcd md seemed to
fairly hcave up and down and caused alt to
stasger and reel, from the cussion. / i'm
mtdi0tely started with what resolution aud
speed was able to command to tic scene OF
disaster. In the meantime citizens and sol
diera that we On theleyee, were all making one
au crying out that the fixed ammunition,
thells, &c, on the levee in front Of the Ciy
OF Madison was on IRE, consisting Of thous.
and boxes or more. Notwithstanding ali these
reports hurried on and gained the top Of the
le|ee In front Of the wreck, and tho frst saH
infantry, on horzeback, close]y followed BY
Lieut.. Braach, both Of the Provost MarshaI'a
force, ard Moi ehoute Of the Secret Service De-
paTtmcnt, and Col McCook Of the 31st Illinois
trtanrrs. Too much praise cannot be bestow.
cd upon these officers for their vigilance aud
EATlAlVuS Ill uE!4Atk VI kub UtIu, uEluE 1uu
rounded. Col: Wilson. Provost Marshal, ct
once dispatched all Of his arailable force to the
eceEe Of disaster, and under the charge
Of that able and efficient officer Col. Sealy,
there was guard stationed around and near
the scene Of disaster to keep the croWd-who
led now commenced to rlturu-frora rushing
pfn-mell DOM to the watcr's edge and block
irE up the placc 80 it would be impossible for
officers Or men to render assistance. At the
tlmeaof the explosion !he Lieutenant Of the dc.
5nii on tho boat, Il wish knew his name, for
a braTe fellow he 1as.) jumped from the stern
Ct the boEt overheard, ard swan two hundred
yards below, AID was picked up by o1e OF the
beats y@~ls 1sEing below, and as soon as he
conld get ashore started and ran with all his
night again, AID Immediately boarded the
wreck after it c27ecned over and worked filth.
fully, rendering important eeryices. Colonel
McCook, and in fact all Of the officers ex-
czted themselves and done oil men could do,
Of ammunition, shot and shell, aud the
handles and boxes On fire, bringing water from,
the river in their caps, cups, &c, and extn'
guishlDg the fire from the ammunition boxes
on the leyce. There is supposed to be about
twenty-five more colored soldiers get In ant
about the wreck ! Just eaw one Of our gal
LIANT soldiers dive from the staging Of th'
Walsh and bring up from the bottom Of th'
river the body Of dead comrsde. On his per
son was found ffty-fiye do1lare, which b.
turned over to the Provost Marshal, remark
family who stood in need Of the money, bu
whether he had or not, he did not want 1t
Sneh soldier is worthy OF promotion.
The military authorities have established I
guard over tho wreck, and will thorough,
comD1efe tie Ee1rc3l fn-TnDYrOw