Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-01-31

Some Particulars of the ExplO-
sion. ts -.1s
Statements of Survivors.
Scenes and Incidents.

The Sundays appeal and Avalanche
come to US with authentic details Of the
great marine disaster above that city on
Saturday morning last, from which we
make copious extracts, including state
ments furnished by some of the officers:
THE PIIoT's STORY OF THE HORROR.
MIR. Joseph Bryant, pilot of the Ar
thur, says: was in the pilot house at the
time of the explosion. / had gone off
watch at IL o'clock, and was relieved by
my parner, George Richey. The night
was very dark and raining, and / conclu-
ded to stay up for some time with my
partner while he made the crossing over
to Gen. Bradley's. About q quarter or
half past one o'clock in the morning /
started to go to bed, and just as l was in
the act of raising the trap in the floor
TO 60 down into the texas to bed,
] heard a noise as if whole rife
battery had suddenly been dis
charged An instant afterward / felt as
If was falling from some great hight,
and continued falling and falling, as
imagined. can't tell whether was
going up or down, the shock was so pecu-
liar. The time to me seemed very long,
and everything appeared to pass through
my mind. I thought of my wife and
family, who live near Mexico, Missouri
and felt certain that would be killed.
All at once fell with crash, and on be-
coming conscious found myself among the
debris Of the pilot house, with heavy
hmbers shove and all around me. tried
all in my power to extricste myself, but
found it was impossible to do so. l could
not move my arms and discovered that
was badly hurt. While in that position
saw fire break out about ten feet below
me, and then felt certain l would be
burned alive if the flames spread. Imsde
a determined effort to get out, and after
trying hard for some time l heard my
partner, Mr.. Richey, calling for me. l
told him l was unable to get to him. He
was above me. again commenced
working very hard and about that time
the timbers seemed to yield or relax, and
did not press 30 hard on me. They
again seemed to close upon me, but Mr.
Riehey, having extricated himself, came
down to where was and pulled me out
On. the deck near the starboard wheel. I
was blown about thirty feet, and was lay
ing aft of the pantry when taken out.
The hurricane deck had fallen in from
the force of the explosion, and the pilot
house and texas were completely wrecked.
Invent down to the ladies' cabin, where
the passengers were, and the scene l wit
messed there was terrible and full of
sgony. It was pitch dark and raining.
Sleet was falling and freezing on the
deck. People were hunting their friends
In every direction. Ladies were looking
for their husbands and all was excitement
and confusion. II was such sight as
never expected to witness, and hope
will never see again While I was there
the fire broke out and this added to the
excitement. It burned slowly at first, and
then seemed to get more Roadway, and
everything was done to stop the progress
of the flames. The water began to
rise; and then my partner, Geo. Richey,
discovered the boat was beginning TO
sink. Before this we had swung the la
dies down on to the lower deck. The Ia
dies all behaved iery coolly, and / must
particularly mention little Mary Miller,
the captains nurse girl. She behaved
like a little heroine, and did everything
she was told to do coolly and well, and
helped Us greatly. The seamstress who
was travelling with Mrs. Bolask, also acted
very coolly, snd must say the same of
all the ladies. When my partner discov-
cred the boat was sinking, she suddenly
gave a lurch, and he was swept of into
the river and / thought l had seen the
last OF him; but he got on a bale of cot
ton and floated down, holding on half of
the time by his teeth, and was saved.
We fosted down the river, stern first, to
about the place where the steamer Sal
tans was burned in1665, where we struck
heavily on bar and the boat seemed to
part in two, as she swung around,
and she began TO sink. The wind blew
the fire away from the stern of the
boat, where the passengers were, and
the water dashed over the fire and extin-
guished it. A stream of water poured
over the deck between us and the fire and
saved our lives. The water was then two
feet deep on the ladies' cabin floor. One
of the boilers was carried aft by the force
of the explosion, and one of the others
must have gone through the bottom of
the boat which caused the boat to sink.
Mr.. Bryant is seriously injured about
the back and hips, and it was supposed
yesterday that his spine was injured,
but he is certain that such is not the case.
FIRST KNGINEER's STATEMENT.
Mr.. Hugh Reed, the first engineer of
the w. r. Arthur, went before the local
Inspector yesterday and made statement
which is substantially as follows: While
at New Orleans, before starting, the boil
ers were carefully examined and found to
be in good and sound condition, with the
exception of some rivets in the middle
boiler, which were found TO be defective.
They were carefully repaired and the boat
started out. She was six days in getting
to Memphis, ard while at the landing
here taking on cotton, he again carefully
inspected the boilers, finding them all in
good order. The Arthur left Memphis at
l01 P. NJ, on Friday night. She went
along at her usual speed, everything work.
ing properly. At midnight he went off
watch and Mr.. George Reed, his brother,
who was second engineer, came on watch.
He shortly afterwards went to bed in the
texas, and about / O'Clock, when just
above Island Forty, the boiler exploded.
He felt the texas in which he was sleeping
sink beneath HIM. 1t settled in con-
fused mass on the lower deck. He made
his way from among the debris and at
once went 10 work to relieve others cover
ed over with the scattered and torn cabin
and upper works. Severslof the officers in
GLIDING the Captain, his wife and child,
Mr.. Joseph Reed, his brother, who
was striker, and who was off watch
asleep in the texas, also the mate whose
leg was broken, were extricated from the
confused mass by which they were COW
cred. One of the boilers was thrown
directly through the deck room, tearing
stsunchions, cotton bales and sugar hogs
heads, etc., to atoms in its passage 1t
konda1 On tha otaFn with ppa ar1 orainot