The Evansville journal., 1870-08-02
Another Appalling Steam
boat Disaster.
EXPLOSION OF THE STEAMER Sill
EER SPRAY
GREAT LOSS or LIFE.


MEMPHIS, August l.
| Another terrible steamboat disaster oc-
Cured at Pacific Place. thirty miles above
i here, at IL O'Clock last nigh, the stern
1 wheeler silver spray, from New Orleans
for Cincinnati. with barge in tow. ex-
| pIoded her boilers, killing and WOund1ng
q number of the crew and passengers, and
clerk. states that just as the watch was
called the explosion took place. In mo-
Nothing was left for the Survivors but tO
plunge into the river and swim some
/ three hundred yards To the nearest shore
was impossible to render assistance
/ to the wounded. as the books and
BILE to obtain a full list of the lost. The
| following, however, are known to be lost;
/ Capt. A. w. Jordan, Cincinnati; Thadeus
Wirthlin, first clerk, Newport, KY; Ash
VIM. Bale, second steward, Cinctnnatii
Boyd Smith, colored berth maker, New
Pittsburg, and q colored chambermaid. /.
/ name unknown. Charlie Jordan, steers
man, SON of Capt. Jordan, died soon after
| being rescued. The fatally injured are
Ed. Long, barkeeper, Cincinnati; Dick
| Cage, colored cook, New Richmond; a col
ored porter, name unknown; George VIII
/ liams, colOred deck hand, st. Louis. Sc
vereiy wounded: A. sR. singleton second
clerk, Newport, KY, soaked on the body
ard Nichols and Eph. Marshall, coIored
deck hands, Cincinnati, slightly scald-
ed; N. s. Hayes, T. w. GIL, deck
hands, Louisville; Edward Patterson. pi-
lot, Newport, KY. Saved z. NJ. Ashford,
| engineer, Newport; Wash. Meriditb, sec
ond engln, er, Pitlsbq,g; Henry Shelby
der in. colored texas tender, Cincinnati
John @ ay, steersman, Ctn einnati; Joseph
leg eyi vVot c6nIad yx
| bany: Charlie Smith, coIored, Louisville
the three lat er were deck hands. The fol-
mosser, John PohI, Gincinnati; Henr. ck
| Meyers, New Orleans, and George -,
wir- and child, names unknown. Some
two hours after the explosion, the steamer
City of Cairo hove in sight, and went 70
the relief Of the sufferers, and all who
were rescued We're taken on board and
aster was received, the citizens hurried to
the wharf. Everything possible was done
for the wounded. who, by order of Mayor
the City Hospital, where every attention
is being shown them. They and the saved
were partially supplied by the oficers,
crew and passengers of the City of Cairo,
of whose conduct they speak in the warm
for st. Louis, but turned back, after us
ing every effort to recover the bodies lost.
The Spray 1oated down about two mi es
and lodged on q bar, where she and barge
burned 40 the waters edge. She was seven
years old, and was owned by Capt. N. s.
Patterson, OF Newport, who had stopped
OF for trip, leaving Capt. Jordan In
charge The boat had near 800 crates of
queeDswaTe, three cabin and seven deck
passengers. and nineteen deck hands and
roustabouts on board. It is believed by
Mr.. Singleton that twenty-six lives were
lost.
FURTHER PARTICULARS OF THE sIL-
YER SPRAY DISASTER.
MEMPHIS, August lit is now as
certained that there were fifty four
persons on the boat. Of these but
twenty six have been found, two of
whom, Jordan and IL. Lang, have
since died, the latter In the hospital
Out of nineteen roustabouts, only sew
en- have been recovered, five of whom
are IN the hospital, severely wounded.
-Four white ones, who shipped here,
were lost also. A German who got
aboard here by mistake, aud refused
to go ashore IN q coal barge; two cab
in boys. named Sack and Carmock: :
Mary Brack, chambermaid, are also
known to be lost. Anton Shepers'
wife and child were saved. Richard
Doyle, WatchmaE; Besry Rowiston, a
colored porter. and VIM. Duncan, are
severely wounded, and are also in the
hospital.
The City of Alton arrived here at
noon, but brings no additional partic
ulars, save that the wreck of the
barge was still burning when she
passed. Soon after their arrival here,
engineers Ashford, Meridith, Matt
James aud Corcorane, carpenter
Wade, pilot Il. Patterson, went before
Capt. Washington. Local Inspector,
and made written statement TO the
effect that while the boat lay here, her
boilers were carefully examined and
the fues cleaned, everything was In
good condition; while at New Or
leans new sheet had been put into
it to replace a defective one, but all
had worked well on the passage up.
The boat left here at 6:30, and at
II O'Clock the engineers changed
watch. Ashford tried the water and
examined the boilers; he found the
steam gauge indicating 134 pounds,
and the supply doctor worked as we'll
as it had done on the trip. He was
oiling lie crank wrists when the ex
plosion occurred. In an instant all
was darkness, and until the boat took
fire, nothing could be seen but debris.
The wreck was so piled on the fur
Daces that the fire could not be ex-
tipguished.
Meridith testified to having tried
tut HdtCA OOtOAC SJAuk Ou HdICus duu
everything was in good condition.
The government safety guage was
locked ir the box, and blsW off very
low. He had been ordered never to
allow more than 135 pounds of steam.
After the explosion he made several
trips with the life boat, and thinks
only the middle and starboard boilers
exploded.
Richard Cage. cook, states that the
explosion was caused by stopping of
the doctor, by which the boilers were
nearly dry and red hot.
Z. w. Gill, deck hand, says the
fire was caused by the falling of a lamp
from the cabin, after which the peo-
pie took to the barge; but the wreck
of the cabin falling over on the barge.
it took fire. causing the people, burned
and maimed. to rush into the water.
| The explosion blew the freight out
towards the barge, so that the hawsers
could not be cut.
The survivors speak in the warm
est terms of the conduct of the people
on shore, and the officers, crew and
passengers of the City of Cairo.
Portions of the wreck have been
passing here this afternoon.
Election for County OflcePs