, 1864-12-13
NEWS BY TELEGRAPH,
FROM eT'. LOIJHs.
csnf1u4 EIpIoefon and Loss of Life
Full Pnrliculara nnd List ar Taru,
RltieN. ~ 0s VI Nse9u-

Especial Dispatch to the Chicago Tribuue.1
ST. LOUIS. Monday. Dec. II.
Inc explosion Of the steamboat Maria Was
horrible affair. There seems to be some
doubt as to whether the destruction Of the
boat #as caused by the act of an incendiary,
or was accidental. Statements h regard TO
the CAUSE differ. Some Of the soldiers say
that at the time the explosion occurred tho
fires were burning under the boilers, and they
attribute tho catastrophe to a collapse of th !:
boilers, produced by water being pumped into
them when they were hot and empty.
1t Is not positively known how many lives
were lost, but 1t is stated that twelve are
missing. The following is partial list Of tho
wounded. Some who were injured were taken
to the hospital at Jefferson Barracks, while
others we're brought to this city, and are in
different places:
By Vandc1ter, co u.
WouNDED-Chas. II. Hume, CO a, leg fractured:
Sergeant jas. Panie, co B, hatdE and face burned
bruised; Francis +. Robb, co F, hand md hip
burned ]: ". MsGormiek. 60 F, shoulder dislo-
ee1per Bssa @ da1Me essI CO CO i Il oFsgsS sssq f.
bruised; Q. B. Parker, co Il, leg and arm burned; ;
John Ballback, co Il, chest burned severely; 4.
Eurtts, & GO g Il leg bruised; ; % 1opathan FamulaeE 60
vo'ney Henry, co G, hand and Is burned:
Lieut. Col, commanding ID Iowa Cavalry,
tAssociated Press Account
ST. LOUIS, Monday, Dec. l2-At seven o'clock
on Sunday morning, the steamboat Maria, loaded
With Govs5nment tro1ps horses raales Tsgons
Carondalet and afterwards burned to tho watar's
edge, The MaIia had on board Col. Bentecn. com.
ma9ding n brfgade, With his stat and escort; Col:
bis command, and detached troops, amounting In
all to aboutlO0 men, besides the crew of the boat,
en route for Cairo. She had no freight except
wagons, si1ty-four mules, aud one hundred and
twenty horses. The explosion threw the forward
ed Of t5e boilers apart landing them on deck
from the front Of the furnaces d quantity Of burn
Ing coal forward, settling dre to tho hay The
nos Of e ao1 burst up, 9a s
tho boilers and burning wreck. Tic onico
t M t. a. + s1e;E " hsase' S!s
twenty five lives were lost in alf Everything be-
longing to The boat was lost. The soldiers lost all
their side arms on when tho disaster occurred.
lad the Disaster occurred while the boat was nn-
der way, every soul on board must hayo persisted,
as INC WalcT Wae 30 Intensely cold that no one
could hare remained In 1t any length of time with
out perisling. Half an hour after the explosion
the boae wAs q masB Of flames, allowing time t0
save nothing Int the load Of human life aboard.
All Tho officers excepting the first clerk arc posi-
tive there was no explosion Of either boilers or
t1ncs. The second engineer says he examined the
water few moments before, and found plenty.
Stcam was only up to lis ponnds while tbs boilers
we're capable Of carrying lis pounds with satoty.
It fe, therefore, certain that some enl had placed
shell or other explosive mfsefye among the coal
used for fuel and being thrown into the furnace,
it produced the disaster. The Maria was new
boat and cost $4,000.
The river opposite the city is filled with
heavy ice, and, on the other side, lnrge fields
Of 1t are already becoming stationary. though
the rushing current In the channel on this
side. has, as yet, kept it free from block.
With the weather at Its present temperature,
and the river at its present low stage, a close
up may be anticipated in few hours,
Yesterday, the storm played havoc with
many Of the boats, driving some OF them
against the shore and breaking others loose
from their fastcnings. Among those caused
to suffer we're the Schuyler, City of Pckin,
Tarragut, Southwestern, md @. Lloyd. The
officers were on the lookout for trouble, aad
saved their boats with little loss. \ number
of Government bargcs we're swept away, and
will, doubtless, be lost.