New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-02-05
Fall and Authentic Particulars of this Most
Melancholy Occurrence.
From the Memphis Argus, 3lst.l

By the arrival of the steamer Henry Ames from
New Orleans, yesterday at ) A. NJ, we are III
receipt of the melancholy Intelligence of the ex-
ploson of the steamer Miami, bound from this port
to Little Rock, laden to the guards with freight
and crowded with people besides Co. Il, Sd Reg
ment U. S. l., 81 in number, on the hurricane
roof; resulting in the loss of over rs people.
The steamer Miami was Memphis and Little
Rock packet, and left this port last Saturday
ing about 8 O'Clock, under the command OF Capt
E. A. Levy, with Capt. Sol. Franklin as first clerk,
and Messrs. John P. Lusk and Charles }. johnson
as freight clerks. She left Napoleon, Ark, a
a little after o'clock, Sunday evening, and pro-
ceeded only seven miles up the Ark ansas, when
the calamitous occurrence took place. supper
had been over only a few moments, and, as usual
most of the passengers were assembled together
IN the forepart of the cabin in conversation The
explosion was of such terrible force that it rent
the cabin floor and hurricane roof in twain, max
ing large gap in the floor, and dropping every
living soul in the hall down into the horrible
burning mass below, while the scadng steam
made quick work of the poor Victims
whose voices assembled in cries too terrible and
heart-rendng for description. Think of it a
mass of human beings jumbled in together, scalded
by steam on top of red hot boilers and burning
coal while the terrible flames of wood rolled aud
cracked around them We have no information
as to who the untortunates were who fell into this
earthly pandemonun1, except that our esteemed
friends, Lusk and Johnson were sitting at the
stove when the explosion took place, and were
killed by the explosion, burned or scalded to
death either of which is too horrible to contem-
plate. While this occurring, another
almost as terrible and agonZing was being enacted
in the middle and back part of the cabin
All then the huryiug to and fro
Passengers in wild and frantic dismay, snatching
doors, life preservers, bedding and every imagin-
able thing cries of distress indescribable, and
utterabe only when the stern and awful realities
| of such death stare one Ill the face. he boat
was fast being destroyed by flames but there was
still hope for those unharmed by the explosion.
The boat was fast drifting towards the north shore
of the Arkansas river, and while that hope lasted
Capt. Levy was to be seen walking the deck
cooling attempting to calm the fears of the pas.
sengers and prevent those frantic and crazy with
| fear from plunging into the depths of the water
below. Soon the bow touched the shore; but now
what the good to those poor creatures in the
was between them and the shore, through
which they could not pass. To be burned to
death trust to the waters for life only to be
chosen. Maj. }. E. Rankin along with Mr.. Lusk :
wife, her daughter Ia young babe and German
lady just from her native shore, were all i'll the
ladies' cabin. Maj. Rankin, through great eNer.
tious, obtained for each door or life preserver,
and bid them follow him, as he threw himself into
alas! Mrs. Lusk, her darling child and sister, SANK
to their graves, the German lady and Maj. Rankin
being the only survivors of the fire.
On the upper deck another heartrendng scene
took place. Two soldiers had been tied up fol-
disorderly conduct, and in the terrible appalling
disaster, they were forgotten, and there left tU
burn to DEATH
Two other men. whose names we did not learn,
frantic and crazy at the awful thought OF being
burned to death, and fearing to commit them
selves to the water, deliberately drew their re-
vovers and blew their brains out.
AS soon as the boat touched shore, she was fas
tened by cable, and those unhurt set to work
and bent all their energies to help those ii
the water. Negro women and negro soldiers
came to the scene OF the calamity, and commenced
a noble and charitable work by rendering every
tn he lnliI
ing, and the wounded needing attention Ma Ol
Rankin says the women took tneir under-garneuts
and tore them in shreds ior the purposes of band
ages, while the soldiers stripped themselves o
their coats and pants, generously giving them tt
those without, and continuing their Ghrist-lik,
work until the steamer Henry Ames, bound from
New Orleans to st. Louis, hove in sight, MAXIM
glad the hearts of the passengers and crew
Captain Thomas. L. Crawford heard of the
explosion at Napoleon, Arkansas, and not
withsanding the fact that he Cancelled
his insurance by entering the Arkansas river, Ii,
repaired with his boat Immediately the sufferers
to render to them such aid and comfort as lay il
his power, arriving at the place a little after on
o'clock Monday morning, when he took all lh
passengers and crew aboard who desired to return
TO Memphis. MAJ ajOr Rankin says that the Cunluc
and eXertion of Capt Crawford, together with hi
crew, cannot be too highly lauded, as no pain
were spared or effort omitted that would in all,
way be conducive to the welfare OF the survivor
of the iil-fated steamer. After everything tina
could be done had been done, the Ames steame
up and continued her journey towards S Louis
arriving at this port by three O'Clock yesterda
morning, bringing to US the sad intelligence o
this calamitous and appalling disaster.
THE STEAMER MIAMI
was bought at Cincinnati last summer by Capt.
| A. Levy, late commander, and s. 0. Hemingway
clerk (who remained in Memphis this trip, tor til
sum OF $4,000, but subsequent to purchase sh
underwent thorough renovation, at the conpe
ton of which she was valued at S3j 900, when eh
loaded for Memphis and tittle Rock, at Cncima
but upon getting within ID few miles OF Cairo sii
coided with the Liberty No. 2, and came nea
sinking, being compelled to return TO Paducs,