Vicksburg weekly herald., 1870-08-06
RIVER uTELLTGExCE.

SILVER STRAY DIsAsFER We
gain the following particulars Of
the explosion Of the Silver Spray,
as taken from the Memphis Ava
lanche The City Of Cairo was the
first steamer to arrive at the scene,
which was several hours after the |
destruction of the boat, whose hui
name officers rendered all the SER
vices in their power to the suffer-
ers. She rescued 20 persons from
the wreck, all of whom were more |
or less injured. They were taken |
to Memphis, where they were cared |
for by the citizens of that place.
The subjoined statements are from
the officers of the boat: Mr.. ASH |
ford, chief engineer, says that while |
the boat lay at Memphis, the boil
ers were carefully examined, aud
the hues cleaned out. The mud |
valves were also raised and the boil !
ers cleaned. Everything was in
good condition and nothing indi- !
Gated anything wrong. While at
New Orleansa new sheet had been
put in to repair a defective e,and
everything worked well all the pas
sage up. The boat left Memphis at
6Ja Sunday evening, and at Il p. III.
the engineer changed watches. Mr..
Ashford examined the boilers and
tried the water. He found them
we'll supplied aud the third water
cock flush. The steam gage indi-
Gated one hundred and thirty-fOur
pounds ofsteam. The supply doctor
worked well, and, had done so all
the trip. He walked aft to oil the
crank wrists, and upon returning TO
the engine room the explosion &C.
cnrred. In an instant everything
was darkness, and he could not tell
whether one or more of the boilers
had bursted. Until the boat took
fire, soon afterward, nothing could
be seen. Then everything was light
enough, and he went TO work try
ing to save the people and to put
out the fire. The debris OF the
wreck was so piled up over the
furnaces that he could do no good
in extinguishing the fire. He then
went TO care for the wounded. The
second engineer testified TO having
tried the water before going
of watch. The boiler, safety
valves and everything were
in good condition. The gov
ernment safety guage was locked
inside of a locked box, aud blew oil
at the pressure fixed very low. He
had been ordered by the first engin-
eer never to allow more than l3J
pounds of steam. lie made several
trips to the shore with the life-boat
TO save the people, and he thinks
the middle and stabbord boilers eX-
plOded, as one end Of the latter lay
down in the steamers hold. The
laboard boiler was standing, SEEM
ingly uninjured. The boilers were
six years old.
The following are the particulars
Of the destruction OF the steamer
Dan Able, at Columbus, on the 3lst
ult:
The fire originated in the cook
house, The third cook had kindled
a fire 10 get supper for the expected
passeng ers, aud then went up stairs
TO awaken the other cooks TO as
sist. When he returned the flames
were bursting out Of the cook
house door. The alarm was imme-
meniately given, the engineers
turned a stream of water through
the hose from the engines, in one
minute flooding the cook house and
completely QuelChing the fire there
but the flames had communicated
by the stairways with the pantry
aud although the crew and officers
did everything in their power, the
fire spread TO the light wood work
of the cabin, and ran through the
boat with such rapidity that all ef-
forts 10 save her were useless.
When this became evident, all
hands were ordered ashore aud the
steamer turned loose from the
wharf to save the wharfboat aud
depot buildings. Engineer Ben.
McGee and watchman George
Smith still cling TO the hope of do
Ing good with the hose, and were
throwing a large stream OF water
on the fire until the boat was
some distance from the shore, when
they were driven into the river by
the flames, and swan TO a wharf.
boat, which being too high for any
person TO reach, caused them TO
narrowly escape drowning, until
some person with admirable pre-
sence OF mind, took OIL his coat and
using II rs rope reached it TO
them and drew them out safe.
Steam was up in the boilers and
the levers OF the engines were
hanging up with steam blowing
through the cylinders when the
boat was sent adrift. When about
forty feet from the wharf the lines
which held the levers up burned in
two letting the levers down to
their proper place, and both EN-.
gines commenced working slowly
ahead. steam being quite low, and
the boats head being upstream,
she progressed slowly through the
waters, completely envelOped In
fire and looking like some immense
monster vainly struggling with
death AS no human being was on
| hoard 10 gnide her. the scene be-