The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-05-05
AN APPALLING STEAMBOAT
DISASTER NEAR MEN,
PHls, Tenn.
Explosion of the Steamer
Sultana----Near 1000
Lives Lost,
Thrilling Details Of the Calamity
TERRIBLE DISASTER.
The Steamer Sultana Blown Up-..
Fourteen Hundred Lives Lost.

The Steamer Sultana Blown Up...
Fourteen Hundred Lives Lost.
ST.. LOUIS, April %, 1866.
The following dispatch has just been re-
ceived from below:
"NEw MADRID. April 2S.-The steamer Sui
tana exploded her boilers, burned and sunk
ten miles below Memphis at o'clock yester.
day morning. The boat and cargo are total
loss. She had on board two thousand ex-
changed Union soldiers from Vicksburg, and
about one thousand civilians, including twelve
ladies and children. only ten of whom are
known to be saved. Eighteen of the deck crew
and nine of the cabin rev were saved. 1t is
thought tina. from five to seven hundred will
include the full number saved of the whole
boatload, many of whom are badly scalded.
George Cayton, pilot; Vim. Roberty, mate !;
- Clements, engineer were the only 9th
GERS known to be saved. The latter is danger
Ously scalded."
At four o'clock this morning the river in
front of Memphis was covered with soldiers
struggling for life, many badly scalded. Boats
Immediately went to their rescue, and are still
engaged picking them up. Gen. WashburRe
Immediately organized o board of officers to
investigate the matter They are now at work
doing so. No further particulars received.
CAIRO, April 2S.-The Bulletin publishes q
statement by w d. Snow, U. 8. Senator from
Arkansas, as follows:
On the morning of the 9th about O'Clock.
l was awakened by a sensible tremor or shud-
der. Not anticipating such terrible cOnse-
quences, I arose and deliberately dressed. Just
before finishing dressing became aware of a
large volume of steam driven through the
cabin by the wind. I opened the door of my
stateroom, and in an instant realized the horror
of the fact that the boiler had exploded, kill
ing and scaling many; that the pilot house
and at least one-third of the cabin roof had
fallen to the boiler deck, and the boat was on
fire, with fresh breeze carrying the flames
with lightning-like rapidity through the bal
ance of the cabin towards the ladies' saloon.
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, with the view of leav-
ing, but found it q sea of heads, so close to-
gether that it was impossible to jump without
killing one or more.
I determined to try the Arkansas shore,
which was about three fourths of mile dis
tant Ipassed over several bodies of dead men
killed and tramped in the mad rush which
must have occurred sometime prior to my adj
vent on that part of the boat. found the sea
of heads the same on this side, but found that
the flames had driven them from the vicinity
of the wheel house. Prior to my leap l saw
bcfcFM nusUanuS IoSlen llie-preScTVtTS u tuolT
wives and children and throw them overheard
into the struggling mass below. l struck out
for the Arkansas shore, and reached . log
lodged in fifteen feet of water, among over
flowed cottonwood lands, at ten minutes to
o'clock by my watch, which had not ceased to
run. After four hours of exposure was res
cued by the steamer Silver Spray. The boat
contained 2, 1856 souls. The density with which
they were packed had awakened my curiosity,
and looked over, with the Clerk. his certifi-
Gates and books before retiring. This number
included IS hands employed on the boat. There
were some females besides few children. The
bulk OF the passengers were returned prison.
ers from Andersonville, which place they left
on the 18th of last February. Among them
were the remnant at that point of prisoners
captured at Chickamauga and Gettysburg.
They numbered altogether 1866 men and Sc
officers A large number of horses were on
the boat, which providentially fell unressting
victims to the flames. Had they broken loose
the fate of the swimmers would have been de-
termined.
As near as can be ascertained without other
data than observation, between two and three
hundred reached the bank, while about an
equal number floated down the stream on doors
and furniture. A dense mass, estimated at
about 500, took refuge on the bow OF the
boat. while the flames were driven att by the
wind. A few moments afterwards the wheel
HOUSES, lOOSeueu ny cOucuSSIOu Suu uiSu1So
fell off outward and the boat turned stern up
stream, reversing the flames. The largest
part of this number then, must have persisted,
as they had no material at hand to throw over
to sustain themselves except few bales
of hay which were Immediately seized on
the turning of the boat. Gang planks were
thrown overheard but sunk at once under their
living freight and rose too far out of reach. A
yawl boat was landed bottom up from the hur-
ricane deck upon the heads of those below and
afforded support for o few in that condition.
The whole time before the boat was an entire
sheet OF flame could not have exceeded twenty
minutes. was not more than One-third of
the distance to shore when observed the fact.
The prisoners represented nearly every State
IN the Union, even Texas, and the calamity
will be as widely felt as battle of no inconsid-
cradle proportions"
Special Dispatch to the Chicago Tribune.
The following is the Memphis Bulletins
account of the disaster to the steamer Sui
tana:
Capt. Mason arrived from New Orleans last
night the 26th, with about 2, 200 people on
board, 964 of whom were exchanged Federal
prisoners from Vicksbufg the balance being
refugees and regular passengers from various
points down the river. Proceeding towards
81 Louis she left the coal pile about o'clock
IN the morniug, auu nau a1;a ue sSn.S eisns VI
boilers occurred. The boat, with its mass of
living freight, took fire in the vicinity of the
engine, and in short time she was burned to
the waters edge, and now lies on . sand bar
near Fogleman's Landing, with nothing visible
but her charred remains and her jackstaff stand
lib -.ene following the explosion was terri.
BILE and heart rending in the extreme. Hum
dreds of people were blown into the air, and
descending 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. Survivors represent
Tie screams as thrilling. With no immediate
snccor at hand, the desperate efforts to save
i;fe we're aeonising beyond precedent Some
cling to frail pieces of the wreck, as drowning
men cling to straws, and sustained themselves
Tnr . few moments, but finally became ex-
h.rstad and sunk. Only the best Of swimmers,
:S"S =. G..nments of the wreck. were enabled