The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-06-03
From the Memphis Commercial, June Ist.
TERRIBLE STEAMBOAT DISAS-
TER.
Full PaTticulaTs-FTightf Loss of
Life-FOrty Persons Killed-Twen-
ty-seven Wounded.

lasJ becoming notorious, has again
startled and Mortified this community.
Forty persons have been launched into
eternity without a minutes warning,
through the potent agency of steam,
which recently, on Western waters,
seems the veritable Azrael, whose pre-
sence is death.
Yesterday morning, about o'clock,
the steamer City of Memphis, com
manded by Capt. William Thompson,
with Messrs. Clarke, Barnett and Barry,
| Clerks, exploded her three larboard
boilers at the head of Buck Island, some
thirty i've or forty miles below this city,
and about FIVE miles above Commerce,
Mississippi The explosion was sudden
and most terrific, tearing away and
scattering into fragments full half the
cabin, and at the same time cutting the
hull nearly in two. The Pilot, house and
texas were blown entirely off to a con-
siderable distance into the river;
both pilots, Mr.. Frank Perdue and
George Britain, and the texas tender
we're carried away, to be heard of no
more. The forward and after portions
of the cabin were all that escaped de-
struction. The principal part of the
ladies cabin was fortunately uninjured,
and most of the lady passengers es-
capped unhurt; one or two, however,
were slightly scalded Mr. Smith, of
Evansville, Indiana, was unfortunately
in the centre of the cabin at the time,
and was, of course, instantly killed
The flames Immediately burst forth,
finding ready fuel in the light, dry and
shattered material Of the cabin. In a
few moments it became impossible to
pass from either end Of the boat to the
other The greatest confusion and ter
ror prevailed amongst all on board, and
especially among the lady passengers
Several jumped overheard; and had
not Captain Thompson, assisted by such
of the crew as he could control, and
several of the gentlemen passengers,
luckily thrown the staging, planks, and
other floating material overheard, many
more might have been added to the
already frightful list of the lost and
missing. AS it was, however, only one
lady-Mrs. Mary Donna, of the ST.
Louis Varieties-was drowned. She
leaves a husband and child three
gChAb VI uEb " LAOuA II llcI lOb0. Dub
had just closed professional engage
ment in New Orleans, and was on her
way homeward Sad tonight is that
little household
The carpenter, porter and two or
three gentlemen were fortunately aft
at the time of the explosion They i'm
mediately lowered and manned two
yawls and q liieboat, which it is the
custom Of steamers to carry as a means
Of safety on the texas deck, Just
above the ladies cabin Thus all the
ladies, except the one above mentioned,
were saved. a large number of men,
who were either floating or swimming
in the water were thus picked up.
Many others were timely rescued
through the efforts Of people living on
the bank near Commerce. They most
promptly came out with skfffs and
such boats as they had at command,
and rendered prompt and valuable as
| sistance The citizens of Commerce
also did everything in their power to
| relieve the wants of the suffering
Hardly had the survivors time to es-
cape from the burning wreck before it
was one lurid mass of flames. 1t float
ed some distance below, burnt to the
waters edge and sunk. The boat and
cargo, of course are total loss. Thus
passed away the old and well known
City of Memphis-nearly at the same
place where the Inflated Pacific met
a similar fate some years ago
Captain Thompson, reports that he
left New Orleans Friday evening, and
was running slowly at the time of the
terrible accident, with only one hun
dred and fifteen pounds of steam. The
| boilers, which were of the old-fashiOn
make, had passed close inspection only
/ the trip before, and were pronounced
sound both in New Orleans and St.
Louis. The engines had not been
stopped for four hours, and the engi-
neers were using extreme caution. He
| can give no reason for the explosion,
as there was no leak or defect observa-
BILE in any of the boilers, and the water
/ in them was abundant The boat and
machinery were, however, very old, she
having been built and brought out in
the fall of 1851
About two hours after the explosion
| the St Patrick came up, and every
praise is due her polite and gentle
manly officers, Capt Lee, and George
| Q. Hart and Clay Rice, clerks, for their
attentions to the wounded and suffer
ing They were ell taken on board
| the ST Patrick, and ministered to in
every conceivable way to relieve their
anguish Through this timely assist
ance, no doubt, many may yet be able
to recover, that would otherwise soon
have followed their less fortunate COM
companions.
We understand that DR.. Blackman,
! of Laconia, who was fortunately ON
board the ST Patrick, was most devoted
and untiring in his attention to the
wounded, and in endeavoring to anne
liorate their sufferings. All that medi
/ cal skill and assiduous care could &C
complish was cheerfully rendered by
him.
partial LIST OF CASUALTIES.
Frank Perdue and George Britain,
pilots, both lost George Hanger, cub
pilot, lost; Edward Hamilton, second
steward, lost; Henry Clay, second pan
/ tryman, missing; James Robinson, texas
boy, lost Sam Reed, second mate, leg
broken; Harrison Fox, second engineer,
lost Hamilton D Smith, assistant en-
gineeT, severely scalded; Mr., Smith,
cabin passenger, lost Mrs Mary Donna,
cabin passenger, lost. Mrs Donna's
body was recovered, and brought to
this city on board the st. Patrick. Her
| remains were placed in q neat metallic
coffin, and viii be Immediately for
warded to her husband and friends in
St Louis.
The other deaths and casualties
were among the deck hands, including
four negro soldiers, whose names we did
not learn. There were twenty-eight
cabin passengers aboard at the time of
the disaster, all being saved except the
two above mentioned. The crew, in,
Guiding the officers, consisted of about
one hundred thirty-eight OF whom
we're lost, and twenty wounded,
many very severely-perhaps NOR
tally.
Our old fellow townsman, Major Van
beck, formerly of the firm of Nanbeek,
Ware and Co, Main street. was the on
IL Memphisn aboard lie was also Sc
verely injured, having mis- head, left
hand, and right leg, badly hurt
The young girl living netr Calumet,
upon whom the monster Wood perpe-
trated rape. died from the injuries re-
sa ,,,d rvae b,,riad On Frfdav Last