The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-05-02

Appalling Steamboat DisnstCr-The
Explosion Of the stenmbont sulfann
Over Thousand Lives Lost-Dis-
tre,sing Particulars.
The scene following the explosion of
the steamer Sultana, Captain Mason. Was
terrible and heart-rending in the ex-
treme. The Sultana arrived at Memphis
on the Goth, with 2,2OO people on board,
1864 of whom were exchanged Union
prisoners from Yicksburg, the balance
being refugees and regular passengers
from various peints along the river, pro-
cccding towards St. Louis. She left
Memphis about one o'clock Thursday
morning, and had made some eight or
ten miles, when an explosion of one OF
her boilers occurred Hundreds of peo-
ple were blown into the air. and descend
ing into the water, some dead, some with
broken limbs, some scalded, were borne
under by the resistless current of the
great river, never to rise again. The
survivors represent the screams as agoni-
zing beyond precedent. Some clung to
fiail pieces of the wreck, as drowning
men cling to straws, and sustained themr
selves for q few moments, but finally be-
came exhausted and sunk. Only the best
of swimmers, aided by fragments of the
wreck, were enabled to reach the woods,
and there take refuge until rescued l,y
boats sent from the landing here to their
assistance The first intimation received
at Memphis of the disaster was from
some of the sufferers, who were borne
down the river by the current Boats
were Immediately dispatched to the
scene of disaster, and hundreds Of people
were picked up and taken to Memphis
At present it is impossible to give the
correct cause of the accident. Mr.. Raw
berry, the first mate, was on the watch,
standing in the pilot house with Capt.
George Cayton. who was at the wheel at
the rime of the explosion. He only re-
members the shock. that he was blown
into the air, and was afterwards taken
from the water He saw the lower deck
i'm flames and knows no more; can give
no idea of the cause of the accident and
says the boat was going at ordinary
speed, and all seemed well up to the mo-
ment the explosion occurred; that the
second engineer, sober, reliable man
named Clemens, was at the engines, and
that nothing more than common was in
progress. Captain Cayton was also
hurled into the wreck among the broken
boilers and rubbish, sustaining slight in
iuries He Immediately jumped over
board with door, by which he was en-
abled to reach the Arkansas shore three
miles below, where, striking a saplin, he
seized and clung to it until saved. Gle
mems, the engineer was badly burned
and scalded, and can hardly recover.
At the time of the explosion Capt. Ma
son had returned from watch, and was in
bed. He was afterwards seen throwing
shutters and doors to the assistance of
people in the water, and here all traces OF
| him vanished. Clerks Gamble and STRAIT
ton are also missing.
The body of William Cruddes, Compa-
ny |, lst Virginia cavalry, from Wheel
ing, West Virginia was found. He had
| taken the precaution to liable himself.
| Among the soldiers on board were thirty
commissioned officers. The troops were
| of various regiments, and nearly all ex-
| changed prisoners. They belonged prin-
cipally to western regiments.
| Senator w d. Snow, of Arkansas, who
escaped from the ill-fated steamer, gives
an interesting statement of the disaster.
He SAYS: Il was awakened by sensi-
| BILE tremor or shudder passing over the
boat, but heard no explosion. Not an
ticipating such terrible consequence, l
arose and deliberately dressed. Just be-
fore finishing dressing l became aware
| of large volume of steam being driven
| through the cabin by the wind. / OPEN
| ed the door of my state room, and in an
| instant realized the horror of the fact
| that the boiler had exploded, killing and
| scalding many; that the pilot house and
| at least one-third of the cabin roof had
| fallen in; that the boiler-deck and boat
| were on fire, with fresh breeze carrying
| the flames with lightning-like rapidity
| through the balance OF the cabin, to-
ward the ladies' saloon. l stepped back
| to avoid the heat, and denuded myself OF
| my dress, except my pants and vest, and
| rushed to the rear of the boat, which
was in the channel, and much nearer the
| Tennessee than the Arkansas side. /
looked over toward the Tennessee side
with view of leaping, but found 1t o
sea of heads. SO close together that IT was
impossible to Jump without killing one
or more. determined to try the Arkan.
sas shore, which was about three-quarters
of mile distant. Ipassed over several
bodies of dead men killed and trampled
| in the mad rush which must have occur-
red some moments prior to my advent on
| that part of the boat. found the same
sea Of heads on this side, but discovered
that the flames had driven them from
the vicinity of the wheel honse, and By
getting as close as possible to an open
place might leap in. Prior to leaping
saw several husbands fasten life-preserv
| ers to their wives andchildren and throw
them overheard into the struggling mas
below. struck ont for the Arkansas
shore, and reached log lodged in hfteeI
feet of water, among the oyerdowed COT
i ton wood land At ten minutes to lou
by nv watch, which had not ceased +
] run, after four hours Of exposure, LA
Irescued by the steamer Silver Spray
Tha anlfana contained 2,175 s0uls.