American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-04-20
Horrible Steamboat Disaster.

Horrible Steamboat Disaster.
On Thursday morning. April 18th,
the Steamer Oceanus met with one
of those terrible and heart-rending
disasters that have become fearful.
~ prevalent of late years, and
which 1t seems no human skill or
foresight can prevent. The follow
ing details, which we take from the
telegraphic columns of the Memphis
Araldnche, freeze the blood and
sicken the heart:
CAIRO, April 1.-THE steamer
Oceanus, from Red river to St
Louis, when near Brooks Point, 30
miles above Cairo, at 4 o'clock this
morning, exploded her boilers, blow
ing her works almost entirely away,
Immediately after which the wreck
took fire, burning to the waters
edge. PilOt Thompson, of the steam
CT John LnmsGlen, lying few miles
below, on seeing the light from the
burning wreck, manned a yawl and
proceeded up the river to ascertain
he cause.
He found small party of survi-
vors Oh the head of the island, but
passed on to relieve those on the
wreck. Ten or twelve were cliEging
to the wheel, nut the wheel dropped
IF before he reached them, and all
but four were lost. He found a
deck passenger, name unknown,
, ear the shore, badly sca'ded, who
died before their arrival at Cairo.
The steamer Belle st. LOnis, bound
up the river, took nearly all the
survivors. Thompson rescued Pilot
Harris, who subsequently went to
ST. Louis on the Marble City. The
latter states that Virgins, their
Red river pilot. was drowned. Har-
ry Trip. the pilot on watch, and
Captain Rreder were buried in the
debris, and were heard calling DIES,
pairingly for help, but the fire had
gained such Roadway that they
could not be reached and were
burned.
Mr.. Fisher, carpenter of the ILL
fated steamer, arrived OH the Shreve
and is not seriously hurt. He states
that the second engineer, Alexan-
der Kennedy, was terribly scalsled,
helpless and blind. Fisher put him
on the stage plank with others.
The stage soon capsizest, drowning
several. including Kennedy. Geo.
kelthley, first engineer, ia supposed
TO be lost. Henry NJ. Worsham,
first clerk, was not seen after the
rxnlOsiOn. He expected to go
tnrough from Cairo by rail, hut was
seen on the boat after leaving here
Charles W"rsham, second clerk
Jules DempewOlf, steward, and
Charles Murray, cabin boy, were
found dead, floating in the river, all
with life pleservers on, and brought
here by the Shreve. 1t ia supposed
they were chilled to death.
There were five lady passengers
all supposed lost. The bodies OF
fnnr ladies' were seen floating past
Watson's landing. but they were
not recovered.
Mr.. Fisher thinks pilot Harris
and himself were the only employees
Of the beat saved. though the Belle
st. Louis may have picked up some
The officers of the Shreve state
that there were about thirty cabin
and thirty-five deck passengers,
making with the crew nearly one
hundred souls, abont eighty of W HON
are supposed lost. The greater pOr-
ion of the survivors being on the
Belle st. Louis, no names of the
passengers nor any reliable estimate
of the loss can he obtained except
from her.
Mr.. Fisher describes the effect OF
the explosion as terrific beyond con-
ception, the whole upper works be.
ing lifted bodily and falling on the
boat and in the water, completely
shattered. He saved himself by Sc.
curing a plank and floating until
rescued by the yawl of the Lums-
den. He was in bed at the time,
and though covered with debris was
only slightly injured. 1t is thought
from sixty to seventy persons were
lost.