Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1872-04-19
The Recent Steamboat HOrrer ON the
Mississippi.

The steamer Oceanus, from Red River
for st. Louis, when near Brooks Point,
thirty miles above this city, at four a. m,
exploded her boiler, blowing the upper
works almost entirely away, Immediately
after which the wreck took fire and burn
ed to the waters edge. Pilot Thompson,
of the steamer John Lumsden, lying
| few miles below, on seeing the light from
the burning wreck, manned yawl and
! proceeded up the river to ascertain the
cause. He found a small party of surviv
ors on Head Island but passed on to re-
| lieve those on the wreck. Ten or twelve
were clinging to the wheel but it dropped
before he reached them and all but four
were lost He found deck passenger,
name unknown, badly scalded, who died
before arriving at Cairo. The steamer
Belle of st. Louis, bound up, took nearly
all the survivors off. The Thompson res
cued Pilot Harris, who was subsequently
drowned.
KILLED AND INJURED.
Wiggins the pilot, was drowned.
Harry Triff, the pilot on watch, was also
drowned. Captain Reeder was burned in
the debris and was heard calling despair
ingly for help but the fire gained such
headway that he could not be reached
and was burned.
Fisher, the carpenter of the Inflated
steamer, reached here tonight. He was
not seriously hurt He states that the
second engineer, Alex. Kennedy, was ter
rihly scalded and was helpless and blind.
Fisher put him on the stage-plank with
others and the stage soon capsized,
drowning several, including Kennedy.
Geo. Kenthley, the first engineer, is
supposed to be lost Henry w. Wor-
sham, the first clerk, was not seen after
the explosion. He expected to go through
from Cairo by rail, but was seen on the
boat after leaving here. Charles Wor-
sham, the second clerk; Jules Dempewolf,
the steward, and Charley Muvay, a cabin
boy, were found dead floating in the
river, all with life.preservers on, and were
brought here by the steamer Shreve. 1t
is supposed that they were chilled to
death. There were five lady passengers,
who are supposed to have been lost. The
bodies of four ladies were seen floating
past Watson's Landing to-day, but were
not recovered.
Mr.. Fisher thinks that Pilot Harris
and himself were the only employees OF
the boat saved, though the Belle of ST.
Louis may have picked up some of the
officers of the Oceanus.
There were about forty cabin and thir
ty-five deck passengers, making, with the
crew, about 100 souls, of whom eighty
are supposed to be lost. The greater
portion of the survivors were saved by
: the Belle of st. Louis. No names ol
passengers, nor any reliable estimate OF
; the lost can be obtained. The books
were lost. Mr.. Fisher describes the
effects of the explosion as terrific beyonC
conception, the whole upper works being
, lifted bodily and falling on the boat ant
in the water. The boat was completely
Y shattered. He saved himself by securing
l plank and floating until rescued by
, yawl. He was in bed at the time of tn,
1 explosion, and, though covered by tn
Debris, was only slightly bruised.
LATER.
: The steamer Grand Tower, Just al
; rived, reports the first engineer and mat
saved; also thirty-two other persons, al
= on the Belle of st. Louis. The enginee
. was saved, but died of his injuries.
u ST LOUIS, April IL.
u u The Democrats Cairo special relativ
= = to the explosion of the steamer Oceanus
u says: "The carpenter describes the seen
!, as terrible and heart-rending. The rive
: around the wreck was covered with debTt,
e o baggage, bed.clothing, beds, etc., muc
y of it burning. The cabin and about hal
y of the deck had floated off and was burr
\ ing. The Captain, in the midst of th
y fire, was heard screaming for help. Me
y u and women in the water were throwin
= up their hands and sinking to rise n
Z more. Six or eight persons were on tn
forecastle, and Mr.. Fisher got out tn
y stage plank, and all except himself &C
l. upon it. But as soon as it struck til
s water, the plank careened, and all upo
l. it perished.
n The steamer Lumsden saved Joh
II Meeker Charles Teasdorf, and John Ma
y tin.
o Wiggins, the Red Riverpilot, and Trip
3 are both dead.
Capt. Worsham, the first clerk, Cap
le Reeder, Col. Mander, the steward, G.
a Huff passenger, of Covington, KY, an
u many others are missing. 1t is thougl
i' that from sixty to seventy persons al
lost.
i CHINESE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS
D. They never punish hence a mule that,
the hands of a foreigner, would be NJ
rs only useless, but dangerous TO every OF
III about it, becomes, in the possession of
g, Chinaman, as quiet as lamb and as traC
Id able as a dog. We never beheld a run
10 woU a iibhinp or n ViciOuS mulp or nor