The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-03-20
THE MAGNOLIA DISASTER
Particularly of the ExpIosion-Fineen
Lives LoA-TwenIy Three injured

Particularly of the ExpIosion-Fifteen
Lives LoA-TwenIy Three Injured.
CINCINNATI, March l9.-The MagnO-
liza was built at this city in 1859, and
was two hundred feet in length, thirty
three feet beam, with six feet depth of
hold. She had three boilers, each TWEEN
ty-four feet in length and forty-siX
inches in diameter and five tlues each;
also two engines twenty inches III di-
ameter and six feet stroke. She was
owned by David Gibson, j. w. Prather,
her commander, o. Shaw. first clerk
and Mr.. B. Gardiner, who were aboard
at the tine of the disaster. When she
left this city ME had over hundred
passengers, large number being Ia
dies, aud all the freight she could carry.
The scene at the time of the eXplO-
sion was terrible, some were blown hi h
into the air, others were thrown into
the river, where they struggled to keep
from drowning, and many lay here and
there on the wreck horribly mangled,
scalded and burning to death. After
she had floated about a mile and half
down the river, large lot of loose hay
caught fire which reached the maya
zine, blowing up three kegs Of powder,
and causing "A second explosion to take
place. The boat immediately caught
fire, and sunk in three minutes after
the last explosion. The following is
list of those of the passengers and crew
who are reported killed and missing.
: Lost-Captain j. II. Prather; James
Stevens, second engineer; Perry Miller,
second mate; William Evans, bar ten
der; Mary Copiu, chambermaid; John
Rees, of Felicity, Ohio, was drowned;
William Evans, boatman, missing; Miss
Retta French, of Mason county, Ken
Bradford, Ripley, Ohio, is also reported
lost; six deck hands, whose names are
unknown, are also reported lost, which
make total Of fifteen lives.
IDiured-Henry Clarke, messenger of
Adams Express, badly wounded and
bruised about the head and body; b.
Gardner, one of the owners of the boat,
badly hurt; A. Conner, pilot of the boat,
dropped from the pilot house into the
boiler room and was seriously burned
and bruised; John Jackson, colored,
the steward, vas blown some distance
in the air, yet fortunately escaped any
serious injury, although he is slightly
wounded; VIM. Burton, bar tender,
badly wounded about the head and face;
James Mcfarland, of Terre Haute, In
diana, severely injured; w. ID. Ross, of
Higginsport, slightly; Mrs. A. n. Fulton,
Miss Wild, Mrs. Wild, and Mrs. Martin,
slightly, Jas. McMullens, slightly; Mr..
Mirrasks, colored, both thighs broken;
Mr.. Martin, slightly; Frank Bruells. of
this city, is badly scalded; II. Abbot,
scalded; Thomas Curwin, burned very
severely; A. 7. Cox, slightly; c. ID.
Armstrong, slightly; II Mayo, slightly;
Low, slightly; S. II. Huston, badly
injured; G. w. Kerr, badly injured.
The Magnolia's yawl was constantly
making trips between the wreck and
the shore and picked up all she could
carry. There wero also skiffs from the
California sent out which assisted in
rescuing many from watery grave.
Several, after being taken into the
skiffs, being so badly burned and scald-
ed, could not endure the pain and
jumped into the river and were drowned
Tn first engineer states that he tried
the boilers few minutes before the eN-
plOsion toHk place aud found them to
be full of water. He walked around
to the firemen and was standing talking
with them when he was carried off his
feet.
The tow-boat Panther vas busily en-
gagged at the wreck in attending to
the wants of the sufferers, great many
of whom were brought to this city, and
then Immediately returned to the scene
of the disaster. Part of the wheelhouse
tioated past this city yesterday after
noon.
Another account says the explosion
occurred just rs the first dinner table
had been cleared and the second being
prepared. Most of the male passengers
who had taken dinner at the first table
were standing on tho forward deck, aad
with them y considerable number of la
dies. All of these, with but one or two
exceptions, were lost Those on the af-
ter-part of the boat were not rescued
by skiffs, and were either drowned by
jumping overheard or burned to death;