Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-01-28
The Accident Occurred at
e 1870 Last Night.
ABOUT 40 LIVES LOST
A Number Badly Sca1ded
and Hurt.
FULL PARTICULARS.


At an early hour this morning q start
ling rumor hoated throughout the city to
the effect that the steamer W. r. Arthur,
Captain Harry W. Brolaski command
ing, which left this port last evening for
Louisville, KY, blew up near Island No.
49, The rumor proved, unfortunately,
too true, and the facts detailed by the
survivors Of the fearful disaster make up
a tale of hideous horror-a tale of death
by fire.. steam and water, almost I'M
paralleled in river history This morn
ing cotton bales and pieces Of the wreck
were discovered floating past the land
ing. Two steam tugs left at an early
hour for the scene of the disaster, pick
ing up on their way many unfortunate
human beings, who were discovered float
ing down the river on boards, cotton
bales and doors. We met several of the
survivors, on the return Of the tugs, and
we present their statements as detailed.
MR.. ALBERT CRUNCH
states that he got on board the W. r.
Arthur at New Orleans-was going ia
st. Louis: was sitting by the stove in
the back part of the boat lower deck,
when / heard a noise and sound as if a
house was falling. The boiler blew back
ward toward the stern of the steamer.
| recovered my feet in few minutes
and got out ON the guards, then climbed
up to the hurricane deck. Here found
a number Of passengers-men, women
and children--all excited, and in their
night clothes. They were screaming for
help, and some of them were pray.
ing and appealing to each other
for protection and safety. The for.
ward part of the boat appeared to
be perfect wreck. In few minutes a
fire sprang up and blazed furiously. The
entire front part of the boat, forward OF
the wheel-house, was blown away, and
nothing could be seen of the texas, pilot
house or chimneys. The fire and ex,
element increasing, left the boat on a
cotton bale, and hoated down the river
for several miles; l saw Mr.. Carter IRE,
porter of st. Louis paper on shutter
floating also down the river; caught up
with a lifeboat, which was half full OF
water; the steward and deck hand
were in it; l and Mr.. Carter got into the
lifeboat, and, latter drifting among the
snags and islands, we arrived just above
Memphis, where we met the steam tug
which took us ashore. believe there
were about fifty cabin passengers, includ
ing fifteen or twenty ladies, and thirty
deck passengers on board; the crew
numbered about twenty men. When
the boat blew up and took fire she hoated
down the river about mile and grounded
on sandbar; it seemed as if the boat
was cut in two-the forward part was de
stroyed by fire, while the portion aft Of
the wheel-house remained intact When
last saw theboat the water was up to her
cabin floor, and number Of people were
on the hurricane deck; several peo-
pie were trying to put the fire
out with buckets of water;
saw the porter, barkeeper and
the watchman on cotton bales, and heard
number of people out in the river cry
ing for help, but we could not 60 near
them because we had no oars in the boat;
the explosion took place about l o'clock
last night.
Statement Of
HUGH H. KERR:
am a resident of st. Louis, and was
steward of the Arthur; at a quarter past
one o'clock this morning | was in the
hall with the barkeeper and the porter;
the boat was then near the foot of Island
No. 40; heard strange sound, and felt
everything going from under me; when
came to l found myself on the
boiler deck among the cotton bales;
| felt water all around me; / struggled
out of the rubbish and wood which was
around me, and got on top of the cotton
bales in the forward part of the boat; l
slid down on the forecastle and helped
the barkeeper and the porter out of the
timbers the porter got on cotton bale
and loated away / did not see him after
that; saw Edward Anderson on stump
ont in front Of the boat, in the middle of
the river; he was hallooing for help; l
went ont on the bow of the boat and
tried to make a raft; the fire broke out,
and made my position very uneom-
Portable, on account of the heat; the
boat commenced whirhng around
and sinking; I got on the spar
to keep away from the FIRE; l
saw a number of men on cotton
bales and timbers floating away down
the river and around the boat. Many of
them could not get away from the wreck
on account of the eddy which formed
below the boat. While / was out on
the bow, / heard another explosion in
the cabin Of the boat | supposed it to
be powder in some Of the state-rOoms.
The boat whirled around and hoated
down heriver. got off on some boards
.nd eanobt nm with the life-boat which