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

yswl and smashing it literally to pieces
TEE SITUATION BRFoRK TIE ExprosIoN
The boat ct the time of the disaster
was fully equipped in every department
having all the requirements of the ma
rne law. The cylinder timbers wer,
weak and somewhat loose, SO tina
the engines worked in their beds, and
on this account g light head o.
steam was always carried. The
boilers were six in number, % feet
long and 46 in diameter, with five fues
in each. They were about eight year
old and were put in new when the boai
was built Formerly, they were of the
tubular kind, but some years ago they
were changed. The tubes were taken
out and tie shell OF outside of the boilers
was used, with new heads and fiues. The
boilers were tested at st. Louis In August
last and hyirsulic pressure of nearly
two hundred pounds put upon them. The
law allowed them to carry one hundred
and twenty-six pounds of steam, but the
safety valves were arranged to blow of
easily at one hundred and twenty pounds.
The trip before the last the starboard
boiler cracked between the rivets while on
Shoe Fly bar, and they were patched by
the engineers. Upon reaching New Or
leans two sheets were taken out and re.
placed by new onea. The boilers were
thoroughly and carefully repaired and in.
spected, and TO all appearances were az
sound and strong as any on the river. 7
The second engineer, George Reed, was
oE watch at the time of the explosion.
he Is an industrious man, who has been
on the river for ten years, the last three
OF which he has had license as first en-
GINGER. BE was strictly temperate in his
habits and be had every confidence in his
capacity, regarding him skillful and
careful engineer.
The appearance of the wreck after the
explosion indicates that there was plenty
of water in the boilers. Water was
thrown In every direction and covered all
parts OF the wreck forward of the wheel
house. The fires in the cabin, hall and
texas stoves were put out by the water.
He cannot assign any cause for the ex-
plosion, and thinks it was one of the
middle boilers that burst. About twenty
minutes after the explosion the entire for
ward part of the boat was in flames.
Soon afterward the stern of the boat
caught on the bar, near the foot of
lsland Forty, when the bow swung around
down stream and sunk. A rush of water
passed entirely over the lower deck for
ward of the warehouses and extin-
guished the flames, which otherwise
would have destroyed the boat in few
minutes. @
JAMES CAMERoN's STATEMENT.
James Cameron, man of about forty
years years of age, stpassern on the Ar
thur, shipped here last night to 60 to st.
Louis. He says he was asleep on deck
when the explosion took place. He got
bruised in the back at the time, but did
not feel it then. "The noise woke me
up. The whole cabin and texas forward
of the wheel-house fell in. The boiler
was lifted out of its place and thrown
back on the stern, fifty feet. There was
nothing but confusion all over the boat.
The guards were lined with cotton, three
or four tiers high. There was q regular
gap made in the boat above the hull, the
cabin was torn out, everything along the
side was blown out. The boat was parted
in two. The woodwork above came
tumbling down in every shape. 1
wrenched a door of state-room
off its hinges, threw it overheard
and got on it. l was on it
a while when two other men seized hold
of it and attempted to climb on also.
knew if we got far from the boat in that
fix that it would all be lost, and l left
the door before l got too far away to
swim. / reached the boat again in few
shiVering and wet. The fire in
the forward part was beginning to blaze
up rapidly. l was on her only about ten
minutes this time when / thought it was
best to leave again. Everybody appeared
to be leaving. They were Hopping into
the river all round the boat some tumb-
ling cotton bales overheard; others getting
on planks, and others making RATS and
putting mattresses and blankets upon
them. Great numbers of men jumped in
without anything. They were scared to
death by the fire. Only few were try
ing to put it out think great number
of people persisted who might have saved
themselves if they were not so much
scared
'Do you think the explosion itself in
jured the hull of the boat SO as to make
her take waters" I think not, for the
boat was loaded down to the guards and
she would have sunk at once if she was
injured below. She remained up long
time. The people were swimming round
there, and when they found that the ooat
was not all burned, they managed to get
back. A great number of them jumped
over again on planks, and flosted down
the river together. / was mortal cold,
near foze, and the clothing on my back
was wet after the swimming l did in the
river, and was on the point of giving up,
because was afraid of the fire; when l
saw that the people on the boat, few
men, were getting the flames under con-
troll, then msnged to paddle back and
climb up to the boat. the boat was set
Ting down now and the forward
part was entirely under water. The stern
of her was also sinking. She was
aground on a sGndbar. She settled there
and the people, about twenty or thirty,
think including five or six women, hud.
died themselves together in the after part
of the cabin. The water was just up to
the floor; we felt safe enough, for we
knew she was settled down and would re-
main that way some time. l think two
Or three.of the ladies jumped overheard,
and have not heard of them since. A
little girl named Mary Clary, seamstress
IN the Captains family, jumped over for
certain and was drowned. Iheard every
body talking about her as 'Little Mary"
We remained there in the dark until the
tugs and ferry-boats came along; all of
US that were hurt or burned were put on
the tug and brought down to the city.
FoROR OF THR EXPLOSION.
From the appearance of the wreck,
two of the 'midship boilers must have ex-
ploded simultaneously, one going straight
up from its foundation, the other being
thrown out aft, being found on the after
guard. Mr.. Jackson, second clerk of the
Cheek, picked up two boiler rivets, one
On the hurricane roof and one on the
deck of the pilot-house, which shows
that the explosive force must have been
INJURY UPON INJURY.
Capt Alex. Frsyser, of Cincinnati,
and formerly master of the steamers
and Thompson-being in