Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-08-02
MEMPHIS.
A Steamboat HorrOr-BOiler Expi0-
sion and Fire ON the Silver Spray
26 Souls Lost.

| o'clock last night. The stern-wheele
Silver Spray, from New Orleans for Cincir
natl, with barge in tow, exploded, be
boilers killing and wounding number I
the crew and passengers. She then too
fire. Mr.. Singleton, second clerk, state
that Just as the watch was called the expIc
sion took place. In a moment the boz
was wrapped in flames. Nothing was LEI
for the survivors but to plunge into tn
river and swim some 800 yards to the near
est shore. Owing to the darkness of th
night twas impossible to render assistanc
to the wounded.
AS the books and principal officers ver
lost, it Is impossible to obtain full list O
the lost. The following however. ar
known 70 be lost: Capt A M Jordan. Gin
cinnati; Thaddeus Wirchtuig, first clerk
Newport, Ky; Ash Taylor, second mate
Long Reach, o; VIM Bate, second stew
ard, Cincinnati: Boyd Smith, colored
birch makor, New Richmond, o: AL
Carnes, second cook, Pittsburgh, and col
ored chambermaid, name unknown
Charlie Jordan, son of the Captain. died
soon after being rescued.
Two hours after the explosion the steam
er City of Cairo hove in sight and went to
/ S-C ADAiNA vi bLb bullOICIO. All VIII WDIO
recovered were taken on board and brought
here. As soon as the news of the disaster
was received the citizens hurried to The
wharf, and everything possible was done
for the wounded, who, by order of Mayor
johnson, were taken in ambulances to the
City Hospital, where every attention is
being shown them. They and the saved
lost all their clothing and baggage, but
were partially supplied by the officers, crew
and passengers Of the City of Cairo, of
whose conduct they speak in the warnest
terms The City of Cairo was bound for
st. Louis, but turned back after using every
effort to recover the Bodies of the lost.
The Spray floated down about two miles,
and lodged on a bar, where she and the
barge burned TO the waters edge. She
was seven years old, and belonged TO Capt
n G Patterson, of Newport, who had
stopped off for a trip, leaving Capt Jordan
IN charge. The boat had near three hun
dred crates of queensware. 1t is believed
by Mr. Singleton that twenty-six lives were
lost. .. By
Another ItOrrOr-A Negro Desperate
Shoots his Wife and n white Wo-
man.
Yesterday a noted negro desperate
named Charles Wilson, who had been in
jail for beating his wife, went to Col A. ].
Martins, at Buntyn's Station, near this
city, here she had gone, and attempted to
kill her. She ran to the house; and was
met at the door by Mrs. Martin, who in
attempting to save her was shot by the
villain, and probably fatally wounded As
soon as she fell Wilson shot his wife through
the body, and fed into the woods. Medical
assistance was promptly secured, but ow-
ing TO the approaching confinement OF Mrs.
Martin, little hopes are enterined of her
recovery. The citizens are securing the
woods in quest Of the desperate.
Negroes Marching on Grand juno
ton.
A dispatch was received at 10 o'clock
this morning by the Chief of Police, from
Grand Junction, signed by citizens, stating
that two hundred armed negroes are
marching on that place to release some
prisoners, and asking for Immediate as.
sistance.
Later Details from the Silver Spray
1t is now ascertained there were forty
five persons on the boat; only twenty-six
of these have been found, two of whom,
Jordan and Ed Long, have sinca died, the
latter in the hospital. Out of nineteen
roustabouts only seven were recovered,
five of whom are in the hospital severely
wounded. Four white ones who shipped
here were lost, also German who got on
board here by mistake and refused to go
ashore in coal barge, two cabin boys
named Smith and Carmack, and Mary
Brock, chambermaid, are also known to
be lost. Anton Shoppers, wife and child
were saved. Richard Nagle, Waterman,
Henry Revision, colored porter, and VIM
Duncan, severely wounded, and are also
in the hospital.
The City of Alton arrived here at noon,
but brings no additional particulars, save
that the wreck of the barge was still burn
ing when she passed.
Testimony of the Engineers.
Soon after their arrival here, engineers
Ashford, Meredith and Mott, James Cor
coran, carpenter, - Wade, pilot, and
Ed. Patterson, went before Capt. Washing
ton, Local Inspector, and made written
to the effect that while the boat
lay here her boilers were carefully exam
ined and flues cleaned; everything was
in good condition. While at New Orleans
Il new hlSOJ utiu btSu pun III " ISpidCo d
defective one, but all worked well on her
passage up.
The oat left here at G:3O. At IL o'clock
the engineers changed watch. Ashford
tried the water and examined the boilers.
He found the third water cock flush, the
steam guage indicating thirty four pounds
supply. The doctor worked as well as it
had done on any trip. He was oiling the
crank wrists when the explosion occurred. |
In an instant all was darkness, and until |
the boat took fire nothing could be seen. |
The debris of the wreck was so piled up on !
the furnaces that the fire could not be ex- I
tinguished.
Mr.. Meredith testified to having tried the |
water before going off watch, and every /
thing was in good condition. Thegovern- |
ment safety guage was locked in box and 1
blew off very low. He had been ordered 4
never to allow more than a hundred and
thirty-fye pounds Of steam. After the ex-
plosion he made several trips with the life
boats. He thinks only the middle and star
board boilers exploded.
Richard Cage, a cook, states that the ex-
plosion was caused by the stopping of the |
doctor, by which the boilers were nearly
dry and red hot.
l.. W. NTlll, ueChHduu, says lLe nIe oC-
Cured from the falling of lamp from the
cabin after the explosion, after which the
people all took to the barge, but the wreck
of the cabin falling over on the barge it
took fire, causing the people to be burned
and manned and to rush into the water
The explosion blew the freight out toward
the barge, so that the hawsers could not be
cut.
A protest was entered here by the sur
viving officers. The survivors speak in
warmest terms of the conduct of people on
Shore and the officers, crew and passen-
gers Of the City of Cairo. Portions of the
wreck have been passing here this after
noon.
LONG BRANCH.
Oar PcripateCiC Government