The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-08-02
Steamboat Disaster
The Silver Spray ExplOdes
Her Boilers.
The Killed and Wounded
Good Conduct Of the Crew
and Passengers OF the
City OF Cairo.

MEMPHIS, August l.-Another terri
bic steamboat disaster occurred a,
Pacific Place, thirty miles above here
at IL o'clock last night The stern
wheeler Silver Spray, from New Orleans
for Cincinnati, with two barges in tow,
lexplsded her boilers, killing and wound
ing a number of the crew and passen.
gers, and then took fire Mr.. Single.
ton, second clerk, states that Just as
the watch was called the explosion took
place. In a moment the boat was
wrapped in flames. Nothing was left
for the survivors but to plunge into the
river and swim some three hundred
yards to the nearest shore. Owing to
the darkness of the night il was impos-
sible TO render any assistance to the
wounded.
As the books and principal officers
were lost; it is impossible to obtain a
full list of the lost. The following,
however, are known to be lost: Captain
A. n. Jordan, Cincinnati; Thaddeus
Wirthling, first clerk, Newport, KY;
Ash Taylor, second mate, Long Reach,
| O.; William Bale, second steward,
Cincinnati; Boyd Smith, colored, berth
maker, New Richmond; All. Carnes,
second cook, Pittsburgh; n colored
chambermaid, name unknown; Charlie
Jordan, steersman, son OF the Captain,
died soon after being rescued.
Fatally injured-Ed. Long, book
keeper, Cincinnati; Dick Cage colorcd,
cook, New Richmond, o.; colored por-
ter, name unknown; George Williams,
colored, deckhand, st. Louis.
Severely injured-A. r. Singleton, ID
clerk, Newport KY, scalied on body
and limbs; Jas. Corcoran, mate, Rich
ard Nichols, Eph. Marshall, colored,
deck hands, Cincinnati.
Slightly scalded-U. S. Haynes, r.
NJ. Gill, deck hands, Louisville; Ell.
Patterson, pilot, Newport, Ky.
Saved-1. NJ. Ashford, engineer, New
port; Wash. Meredith, second engineer,
Pittsburgh; Henry Shelby, colored, pan
trymen, Detroit; Geo Sanderlin, colored,
texas tender, Cincinnati; John Clay,
steersman, Cincinnati; James Legley,
Cincinnati; John Parker, New Orleans;
Ring West, colored, New Albany;
Charlie Smith, colored, Louisville. The
three latter were deck hands, and the
following deck passengers John Ply
masser, Herrich Meyer, New Orleans;
a German, wife and child, names un.
known.
Some two hours after the explosion
the steamer City OF Cairo hove in sight
and went TO the relief of the sufferers
All who were rescued were taken on
board and brought here
As soon as the news Of the disaster
was received the citizens hurried to the
wharf. Everything possible was done
for the wounded, who, 10y order OF
Mavor johnson, were taken on their
arrival to the City Hospital, where
every attention is being shown them.
TIE saved lost all their clothing and
baggage, but were partially supplied 10y
the officers, crew and passengers of the
CITY of Cairo, OF whose conduct they
speak in the warmest terms.
The Cairo was bound for St Louis,
but turned back after using every effort
TO recover the bodies of the lost.
The Spray tloated 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 Captain $. Patterson, Of
Newport, who had stopped off for
trip, leaving Captain jordan in charge.
The boat had near 800 crates Of queens
ware and half a cabin and seven deck
passengers, nineteen deck-hands and
roustabouts. 1t is believed by Mr..
Singleton that twenty six lives were
lost.
MEMPHIS, August lit is now a>cer-
tained that there were torty-fve per-
sons on the boat. Of these, twenty-six
have been found two Of whom have
since died. Out of nineteen deck-hands
only seven were saved, five of whom
are severely wounded.