Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-06-03
Another Terrible River Disaster
THE STEAMER CITY OF MEMPHIS
BLOWN UP AND BURNED.
Seventy Lives Lost.

l. The Memphis papers bring the shocking
| details Of another horrible disasaster on the
Mississippi which occurred thrty-six miles
below that city on Thursday morning at s
o'clock. The City Of Memphis, from New
! Orleans 10 st. Louis, with twentv-eight
cabin and sixty-five deck passengers and her
crew, exploded three of her six boilers.
whereby one Of the first was killed and
Another severely scalded, both ladies-and
| Of the second and crew forty were were lost.
| and twenty-seven severely, if not fatally in
| iured.
| The explosion was sudden and most ter
rifle, tearing away and scattering into frag-
ments 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 considerable distance into the river.
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 con-
fusion and terror prevailed amongst all on
board, aad especially amongst the lady pas
sengers. Several jumped overheard.
The carpenter, porter, and two or three
gentlemen, were fortunately aft at the time
Of the explosion. They Immediately low
cred and manned two yawls and a life boat.
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 ef-
forts Of people living on the bank near Com
merce. They most promptly came out with
skifis and such boats as they had at COM
mand, and rendered prompt and most valu-
al. II. -.
also did everything in their power to relieve
the wants of the suffering. Hardly had the
survivors time to escape from the burning
wreck before it was in one lurid mass Of
flames. 1t hoated some distance below, burnt
to the waters edge and sunk The boat and
cargo, of course, are a total loss.
About two hours after the explosion the
st. Patrick come up, and every praise is due
her polite and gentlemanly officers, Captain
Lee, and George o. Heart and Clay Rice
clerks for their attentions to the wounded
and suffering. They were all taken on board
the st. Patrick and ministered to in every
conceivable way to relieve their anguish.
Through this timely assistance, no doubt. !
many may yet be able to recover that would
otherwise soon have followed their less for
tunate companions. The lady who was lost
was Mrs Dome, an actress who had been
playing South, and was returning to her
home in st. Louis. There was but one pas
senger from Nashville Mr. Thomas Con- |
way, who was saved.
The scene which ensued Immediately after |
the explosion, is said TO have been most hor- |
riblc-the river being absolutely blackened |
with the forms of the dead and the strug-
Cling writhing, wounded-while the after |
lower deck presented the revolving and |
CHASTITY sight of a desperately contested bat
tle-feld. Ere the shivered portions of the |
boat had descended into the river, the flames
burst forth adding new horror The pow
der which lay in the hold was taken out and |
thrown overheard by Captain Thompson
and the second mate, Mr.. Sam. Harris, who |
heroically stood to this perilous work |
although one of his legs were broken at the |
time. The survivors speak in glowing and |
enthusiastic terms of the conduct of Captain |
Thompson, and the almost impossible action
of Mr.. Harris. The bodies of the killed
were being taken out by the citizens all |
along below the Memphis as the st. Patrick
passed along. The survivors were nearly |
all rescued at and near Commerce From
the testimony Of eye witnesses, this has been
one Of the most terrible catastrophes which
ever took place on the Mississippi
As usual there is no one TO blame. As to
the cause of the disaster, the Aralahche saws
the City Of Memphis "was about fourteen
years old-her boilers, perhaps, were twenty
years old. The facts in this preceding SEN
tence, in all probability, will explain the
cause of the explosion without putting the
scientific to the trouble of learned specula-
ton in regard TO the formation Of gases in
the boilers. We understand that the officers
on this same fatal trip, spoke of
the unsafe condition of the boat that the
smiths were repairing defects in the boilers
and machinery all the way up. She was
due at this port night before last" On
the contrary Captain Thompson reports
that he left New Orleans last Friday even
ing, and was running slowly at the time of
The terrible accident, with only one hundred
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 en-
gincerS were using extreme caution. He can
give no reason for the explosion, as there
was no leak or defect observable in any of
he boilers, and the water in them was album
liant. The boat and the machinery were,
however, very old, she having been built
md brought out in the fall of 1857