Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-02-15
TERRIBLE DISASTER.
Explosion of the Steamer
Maggie Hays.
Death of the Captain, Second
Engineer and Four Men
Full and Interesting Par
ticuIars Of the Disaster.

The Memphis Appeal of the 18th inst
contains the following particulars of the
explosion of the steamer Maggie Hays, al
the foot of chute sc on the Mississippi
river, about forty-five miles below Helena,
Ark, on Thursday, Feb. 10:
On the arrival of the steamer CONNER
cial, of the White river trade, last evening
about nine O'Clock, we went on board and
found the survivors of the Inflated steam
er, from whom we CLEAN the following de-
tails of the disaster:
Mr.. Hamlin, the pilot On watch, makes
the following statement: We left New
Orleans on Thursday, the Sd inst, arIiv-
ing, after various delays at the foot of
Island No. sc on Thursday. Something
was the matter with the boiler, and the
first engineer, Mr.. Fleming, went to
Memphis TO get tools TO repair it. leaving
the second engineer, Mr.. MCDernott, in
charge. We left our landing about two
O'Clock on Thursday afternoon, towing a
barge, and started up the chute Of Island
90. About half an hour after we had
been under way, the explosion occurred.
do not know what caused it. Captain
Martin was sitting forward in the shears.
and all at once with a tremendous sound
the texas and forward part of the hurri-
cane deck was blown sway. l saw bricks
and other fxings of the boiler, going up,
in the air, and the smoke stacks immedi-
ately careened TO larboard, as did the pilot
house where we were. The first person
whom j saw was Mrs. Durr, daughter of
Capt. Reese, Of PittsbUrg, and sister ofthe
second clerk, who was sitting in the Office
at the time of the explosion, and who got
out L know not how. She came TO the
pilot house where we, myself and partner,
Mr Jones, were, and asked US what she
should do. l told her to sit down and be
calm, whileI tried TO get the boat ashore.
Mrs. Seydam, sisteT-in-law of Mrs. DUR
Goth OF whom, with several others, were
on & pleasure trip with us, came up also
both Of them blacsened with the explo-
sion. Both sat down as we told them,
and l tried 10 get the boats head ashore.
1t was lucky we were not in the stream.
The boat had not caught fire yet, although |
we could see plenty of fire amid !
the wreck. She swung around |
toward shore, and the barge which |
We were towing touched the-bank. There |
was no way to make it fast, however, and |
leaving the wheel, l cut the guy ropes |
of the chimney, and knOtting them, |
threw them ashore. Mr.. Jones, my palt- |
ner, ran ont and made the end fast. |
Meanwhile ! saw the boat taking fire for
ward, and | sent Mrs. DUR and Mrs. Scy- |
dam aft, and put them under The charge
of the mat, Mr.. Andy Wilson, who took
them down the after stairway and put them
on the barge, where the other passengers |
had most Of them already congrcgated. |
In short time the guy rope that l had |
thrown out parted, but the mate got out a |
haWser and made fast. The crew mean |
while were doing everything in their |
power to suppress the flames, but soon |
found their attempts without avail The |
Captain had been found shortly after the |
explosion standing forward by the Capstan, |
perfectly black, and burned so that no /
one could have recognized him. He rC-
c0gnized the mate, however, and asked !
him what lad happened. He was taken
on the barge and carried ashore. We /
had made shore at the landing of B. /. |
Oliver, who Immediately commenced |
doing all he could for US. working as if |
his life depended upon it. The second
engineer, Mr. McDcmott, was hunted for
and found. He was still alive and |
though horribly burned and scaldcd, was
perfectly sensible. He was able to talk,
and said that he was standing Just aft of |
the boiler that blew up Chelarboard one).
he was carried ashore, and though every
thing that could be was done for him, he /
died in the course of two hours and a
half, perfectly conscious to the last. The /
Hayes was burning meanwhile, and f!
bU' ned down 10 the waters edge. On
calling over the list af,er we got so that |
we could do so, we found that besides |
the Captain and engineer, there were four
hands missing, all negroes. One was
named James MUrdOn, a fireman from
New Orleans; the other three were roust-
8hOuts named Tom Walker and Dan I,
Skinner, from Be'leair, aud John Haris, /
from Pittsburg. Mr. b. L. Oliver did ev-
cry thing in the world that humanity could |
dictate to alleviate the wants and suffer
'ngs OF oil the survivors. Not q passenger
was injured. The second clerk was aft;
be tried 10 get 10 the Office, but could not. |
tie says when the explosion occurred the |
sale and office furniture was blown over
board The first clerk Left the boat at |
Ne" Orleans to settle up some of her bust 4
ness, and took the railroadu up to Memphis. |
where he was to join US. About six O'Clock |
the steamer Commercial came along and |
took us oil. She stayed alongside an hour
and half or two hours, and took us all |
aboard. Capt Martin fingered a short |
time, and died before we got TO Helena |
We left his remains there.
The above is connected report Of what |
we learned from Mr. Hamlin. The fol- |
lowing points We learn in addition to his |
statement:
The Maggie Hayes was about ten years
ola, stcrn-whecl, aud worth about eight |
thousand dollars She was owned by
Captain James RCcs, of Pittsburg. We |
understand that the chief engineer, Mr..
Fleming left her tied TO the bank at the |
mouth Of the chute Of Island G6 to come
10 this city TO get a boiler-maker to 60 |
down and repair the. boiler, which he !
found TO faulty TO travel with any further.
The second engineer, Mr. McDTmott,
disregarding NJ. Flemiug's cautions and
orders, undertook to bring the steamer
up 70 the city, and the result was the ex- |
plosiOn that we have had to chronicle. |
The Hayes had on board q very light |
cargo, consisting mostly of sugar. She |
was bound for St Louis, but was in |
the Pittshurg trade. The patty on board |
of her were mostly relatives and friends |
OF the owners, and were on . pleasure