Delaware State journal and statesman., 1866-02-09
DREADFUL sTEAmnoAT DIsAsTEns.

PARTICULARS OF THE EXPLOSIONS ON BOARD
TIE MAMA AND MlssoURI--Two HUNDRED
AND SIXTY LIVES LosT-scEEEs AND INCL
DENTS.
The Western papers bring full accounts
of the terrible explosions ON board the steam
crs Miami and Missouri, already reported
briefly
THE MIAMI-DREADFuL SCENES.
This steamer left Memphis on Saturday
night, January 27, loaded to her guards with
freight, and carrying about fifty passengers
in her cabin, and one hundred on deck; one
hundred men of Co. E, of the Third United
States Infantry, and a mixed crew of fifty
men.
The boat reached Napoleon, Arkansas,
about sundown, without any mishap, and
rounded from the Mississippi into the Arkan-
sas river, well controlled by engineers and
pilot, until about seven miles up from the
confluence of the rivers, when the starboard
boiler exploded. The cause of the explosion
is sunknown. The boat then caught fire, and
burned to the waters edge, carrying TO an
untimely death two hundred and twenty-five
human beings. The accident occurred after
tea, and just as a majority of the cabin pas
sengers were congregated around the stove
in the forward part of the cabin, and the
soldiers on the hurricane deck ran forward
in obedience to n call from one of their com
rades to come forward for their ration ol
whisky. Into the mir went heads and arms
and legs the headless and limbless bodies;
and down into broken boilers or burning
deck, through great chasms made by the
explosion, went nearly two hundred souls
while others ran back to where the remain.
der of the passengers, much affrighted, were
preparing to jump overheard and find escape
on floating doors or logs. Some soldiers,
ablaze with fire, others scalded, and in their
agony tearing at their throats, jumped over
board and were lost, while a few more for
tunate and but slightly burned, pushed somt
bales of hay overheard, and riding on then
found the shore.
All the women on board, except Ger
man woman, jumped overheard in thei
fright, and were lost; not, however, betor'
some of them had endured the most heart
rending agony from internal scalding. Th
most sickening sight was the burning t
death of two soldiers OF the Third Regulars
who, for disorderly and unruly conduct
were tied up by their thumbs to the jacksta
little before the explosion, The dreadfu
accident carried off the Lieutenant con
manding and all the non commissioned off
GERS, and such men Us escaped death by fir
and steam had jumped overheard; so ther
was none near to obey the calls of the poe
fellows to be released, which could be hear
above the noise of cracking timbers, nor I
assist their frantic efforts to unloosc Ill
cords that bound them; and there, tied 81
curely, they waited in terror and disma
until tile flames had burned the deck fro
under them, and they fell prey to the d
Vouring elements oflicerand punished we
together in eternity.
INCIDENTS.
Major Rankin supplied Mrs Lusk and Ii
child with a door, in hopes of saving thel
as they were but short distance from Il
shore; but they were taken away to me
husband and father, who was among 4
first killed by the explosion, as was N
Charles j. johnson, another clerk, who W
standing beside Inn in the office at the tin
About fifty dead were buried along I