Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-01-28

STATEMENT OF MR.. J. II. CARTER.
| am resident of st. Louis, and was
formerly river reporter on the st. Louis
Tribune; / made the trip with the boat
from St. Louis; when the explosion took
place l was in bed in the texas; | heard
noise like a cannon, and the roof fell
in with crash; struggled to free my
self, but could not; / was securely bound
by the timbers; / heard screams and
cries for Aeip from women and children;
the texas fell clear through on the lower
deck; somebody above me got loose and
made desperate effort and rolled out
on the deck; it was dark, and several OF
US CROPPED about until light sprang
up, and I got to the hurricane deck,
where I found a large number OF
men and women. They we're crying
frantically for help, and we're running
about the deck; remained on the wreck
about half an hour; while it was burning
and floating down the river | got on
some shutters and hoated away; ! saw a
life-boat near me and got into it, with a
man who was floating by on cotton
bale; when | left the boat Bill Harrison
and number Of passengers were fight
ing the flames and keeping the fire
down; heard the steward holler out in
the river, also deck-hand whose name
| do not know; we hoated down the river
in the boat until we met the steam tug
which took us ashore; the river was full
of cotton bales, on which people were
crowded; l heard them crying for help
all along the shores of the river as we
hoated past.
The above statements are similar to
those made by many other survivors. At
the present time it is impossible to learn
the number of persons lost or saved.
The steam tugs and ferryboats brought
down many of the saved, but number
reached the shore and have not, as yet,
reached the city. The explosion was
tremendously boilers we're hurled out
Of the boat, and the texas, pilot-house,
chimneys and everything forward of the
wheelhouse were hurled into the air.
A number of people who occupied berths
in front of the wheel-house were blown
up or burned to death, while others leaped
into the river and were drowned. The
number of cabin passengers on board
was about forty, including fifteen ladies.
The loss of life, so far as it can be as
certained, is not less than forty.
THE SAVED.
Pat Malloy, roustabout; Dennis W.
Hugh, Louisville, Ky; VIM. O'Hara,
Louisville, Ky; Pat Robinson and Mike
Finn, Louisville, Ky; Edward Crews,
st. Louis; VIM. Sloan, baker, Allegheny
City; David Alternately, Bartlett, Tenn. !;
John Rice, St. Louis; Edward Babereck,
St. Louis A. G. Chenonett, wife and
four children, Galconda, Illinois; James
Meat, J. W. Byrne, George Richie,
pilots; Alick Frayser and wife, Cincin-
matt; Mr.. Wilson and wife, Hickman, KY;
Mary Kerry and Mary Miller, St. Louis;
X. j. Cole and wife, Indiana; William
Byrne Second cook; Charles Daler,
John Johnson, James Fitzgerald, Pat
Loughlin, William Harrison, John Ward,
Mike Coleman, Ed Tolliver (colored);
Charles Hudson deck hand); George
Bowers, Uniontown Ky; George Nelson
(colored) Charles McKenneys, Michael
Boylan, W. Hague, Illinois; c. L. bod
son and - Burchmater, Cincinnati;
John Schuts, Illinois; John Sinler, Mat
toon, H.; Louis W. Harper, St. Louis
Mrs. Paxton and son, Philadelphia
(her daughter is believed to be lost /;
R. W. Rodgers, Jefferson, Texas;
Mrs. Matchler, jefferson, Texas; Mrs
Ryan, Santiago, Texas; X. j. Cole and
wife, Leavenworth, Mo. (Mr. Coles two
sons not heard FROM; Miss Elizabeth
Hartman, Cane Creek, Ark. (she lost her
mother, brother, two sisters and cousin)
Mary Miller, badly bruised and burned;
Edward Cruise, S. S. Mars, Somerset,
Pa; James A. Cameron, st. Louis;
Pat Rabbit and John Rice, st. Louis;
Charles Tribble pantry boy; Captain
Brolaski, wife and daughter; Miss Vir-
GINA Arnot. The engineers and two of
the clerks we're also saved.
THE LOST.
Miss Paxton; Mr. Russell, wife and boy;
Mr.. j. Allin, wife and child; Mr.. Crunch;
John Bowman, first clerk; N. Sweeny;
Steve Milton; Mrs. Hartman, two daugh-
tiers, son and niece. These we're all the
names we could procure this morning
as to the lost. $3.50
Several persons-men, women and
children--were seen sinking beneath the
waters, and struggling for life to reach
the shore. Those who remained on the
boat were saved by the steam tugs, while
many of those who abandoned the wreck
we're lost.
Nearly all the survivors are more or
less bruised and burned-several of them
dangerously. The evidence of distress
exhibited by the survivors at the loss of
their relatives was truly affecting. The
young lady, Miss Hartman, who lost her
mother, sisters, brother and cousin
seemed to be Supplied at her isolated
condition-she being the sole survivor of