Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-09-18
THE PHANTOM.
Four Killed and Fifteen Wounded.
Names of the ViCiims---The Boat
and Cargo Total Loss.

Special lCorresp0pdonce Memphis Appeal
PADUCAH, KY, September Is, ISG9.
At 90 am. tins morning., quarter
Of a mile above New. Liberty, and
eleven from this place, the Phantom,
a lOw-water packet between Evans
willie and Cairo, blew up. The follow
ing experience of Nm. Bentley, Esq.,
a citizen of Evansville, Is interesting,
from the fact that it proves that a
man can be blown up, and yet at an
altitude of twenty-five feet, be per-
fectly cOgnizant of all material mat
tiers below Misunderstanding the
old story Of the "blOwn up gentleman
meeting the Captain coming d0Bn a.
he was going up"
Mr.. Bentley was a passenger, ana
had ascended to the pilot house but
a few moments when the explosion
took place. The pilot on watch, Hen
~ Matheny, and his mate, Charley
Garner, on watch, were IN the house
at the time. Mr.. Bentley asserts that
he was forced at least twenty-five feet
fn the air, and during the period Of
ascent and descent could see Capt.
Dexter the whole time. He fell within
one foot Of where he was sitting when
the explosion took place, Henry Math-
eny within a few baBt of him, while
Charley Garner was blown twenty
feet into the riVer-eScaping with d
few bruises. The most remarkable
part OF his experience was that he saw
no steam or boiling water. The cabin,
from the stern TO where the boilers
end seemed to upheaye Eae
mighty wave, thus supporting the
base Of the pilot house, aud
then in an instant to settle down,
the base Of each end resting IN the
water, the cone looking ike the sharp
mitch of a roof. On the forward part of
his. the debris of the pilOt-hou-e
rested for a few minutes, then
slid, easing the fall cf the
the two gentlemen, who would have
escaped uninjuTed had not Mr.. Bent
lev, losing his hold, fell upon one Of
the boilers and bruised his face. The
first clerk, George Nicholson, was
blown up, and in falling, became en-
tangled in the wreck OF boards, spin
tiers and scattered hrebrands, having
both arms broken end body crushed,
when his screams could be heard,
fshelp! helpw most agOniZing 10 his
friends, who were unable to assist
him, and there he perished. The boat
is an entire wreck, nothing being left
but four or five siate~rOOms on each
side. she sinking In Eve minutes.
The baF-keepeF, Bill" GFamner, j.
reported missing. Up 10 this time
seven kill, eleven wounded. Capt.
Sheath, representing the owners, was
on board; Capt. Dexter Oh deck, m
command. A negro reports mot ss
reliable testimony a. in Tennessee)
that Capt. Dexter told him TO ego into
the hold and get dat pine knot, and
heat her up" He did 80, and thon
made for the fantail Of the boat, and
knew nothing more until he was blown
up-not hurt. Mr.. Bentley, gentle
man. reports that a few minutes pre-
vious to the explosion he heard Capt.
Daxter tell boy: " Tell the engineer
we are going to cross the bar, and TO
reduce steam" In Kentucky such A
statement wins, and Capt. Dexter is
exonarated from blowing up his boat.
II il reported that the Phantom
was racing with the Cara Scott
so saws Can't. Hayard-'tls pos
sible, as sternwbeelers nave raced
since time immemOTiaI on the ONO:
Since the blowing up OF tie Alaseel
in l837-tWo hundred lives lost
steam has never intimidated the boat
men of the Ohio.
THE CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION.
This is ever a moOted question when
explosions occur, as in the Louisiana
at New Orleans, the Oregon under
headWay, in 1865, the terrible eXplO-
sion of the Augusta below Grand
Gulf in 1899, and a hundred others.
Ia thecase OF the Phantom (omiHGusly
named) she was inspected, and a patch
the size Of a horse shoe placed upon
her boiler previous to her charter by
her present owners. The boiler upon
which this patch was placed Yas the
one originating the disaster. This
boat succeeded the Cumberland
which boat was also blown up some