The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-07-31

Terrible 6team boat Accident.
PARTICULARS OF THE SINKING OF rHs STEAMER y
n. RUNYAN ON THIS MISSISSIPPI RIvER-oNB HUN.
DRIED AND FIFTY LIVES OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
SCENES, ETC.. ETC. se gHc .sse
In the HERALD OF Wednesday morning was printed q
despatch from Cairo announcing tho sinking OF tAs
steamer B. NJ Runyan and the loss Of fifty lives by the
accident Memphis papers a the Gath have since bees
received, the following extracts from which, IL will b.
pcrceed give the loss Of life much greater than u
IRON the Memphis Bullotn.]
BY the Steamer James White. which arrived here Ias
evening, we learn that terrible steamboat disaster
Cured at Grha's Landing, near Groenvhle, on iass
Inc steamer B. II. Ruuyau, from Nsscbsz struck
between ten and eeyea O'Clock at night, and sunk y
river, while the hull went TO the bottom.
There were board al the time four u bdred and
thirty and eight officers OF the Tenth Missouri
cavalry one hundred eleven mules sixty
twenty eight wagons three ambulauces and army forge
sea al Inc camp aod oo
belonging TO other regiments seventy cabin and thirty
five deck passengers making total OF hve hundred and
seventy three persons on board. e#. sHaaN
All tho cab passengers saved and Il Is supposed
all but about forty Of the ohcrs "a Impossible yet 10
state the number of soldiers lost Thofe lost jumped
over board and were drowned. An officer who was %
board estimated the number drowned at thirtyhve, ou
other persons make the number much larger.
Ton minutes after the sinking OF the B. N. Runyan shs
Prairie Bird aud other vessels OF the Marine brigade came
up and saved number Of those In the water the nexs
cabin passengers board The soldiers and deck pas
sengers taken board the boats Of the Marine
brigade will shortly arrive here Tho op OF proper
~ will amount TO $3.50 900 or $500 900.
We suboin account the disaster from ocsrs who
board the y. " Runyon. II Is ~ foows:-
The steamer b. N. Runyan with euue ak hundred aud
fifty passengcrs soldiers and refugees on board struck
the hull and out 1.-The main deck about hafpast elevsa
O'Clock tho night OF the 2lst pst, whom on GrthS
landing above Greenve and in three minutes the texas
pilot tho only portons above water; ana
had not The stuck TO the boat IL would have RoDe v
officers and men o. The Tenth missouri cavalry. about
seventy I've urougnsd soldiers nearly one hundred pas
sSd 5 OF ss q O. Ss
loss be made but 1t cannot b. less than one hundred
On the NJ. RunvAn there were thirteen mall bags, o.
which only three were saved
STATEMENT OF PASSENGER.
From the Memphis Artnsl
and st. Louis with 4s7 soldiers Of the Tenth Missouri,
SICK deck and sy eas
passengers making total With the officers and Grew a
A. Ss past ten p M On the same day Al sbou. r.sss
miles below Grcenville Niss, she eoae struck suae
under the surface, and the water rushed in with sues
forceand To- such volume ~ 10 cause the boat 10
sinking IN Incredibly short space Of time and
in than ten minutes her texas pilot house and wheel
i n2uss were -: only portions Of the assd ssAnooas
she had commenced going 70 pieces aImost a. 5000
watch and at bis post Of the widest confusoa
ensued Part OF the cabin passengers aud soldiers rush.
the hurricane deck the balance and By FAR the
largest number took " the water. Many, unable "
swim the excitsmeDtlof the moment threw themselves
could assist them IN aoasns and Of course only rushed
90 destruction. g8 8N
Captain Burns az the Fuoboat No. ii prairie Bfrdh
happened 70 be accidentally coming up the river and
though the signal OF distress with the whistle had
been given account Of the rush q water around ana
thFough,the fucf OF the Boilers, With prectced eye a.
tectsd that somehns wrong bad happened crowded On
all the steam no could using his coal for that purpose
II ~
hull, and foatius down sresm 10 danger o. falling
10 pieces every minute, 10 time all who were
H. and With his boan picked up many others who wegv
struggling 10 the water. tf E.
His officers and assisted their gallant captaipt
most nsnfuly and every comfort that The Prairie Brt
possessed vished tho rescued pesssngers, SOB,
dos and crow OF the Inflated Rvnyan,