Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-04-18
Terrible Steamboat Ex-
plosion.
OVER SIXTY LIVES LOST.
A MOST HEART RENDING SCENE.
From the Cincinna Il G azeltc. B

From the Cincinnati G azettc.l
ST. Louis. April III IL P. NJ.
from Cairo state that
the steamer Oceanus, when near.
Brooks Point, twenty miles above
Cairo, at O'Clock this morning. ex-
ploded her boiler, tearing the boat
fore and aft, and making complete
wreck of her. All the officers of the
boat are reported killed, and many
of the passengers were scaldei to
death or drowned. No names have
yet been received. There were six
ty-f five passengers on board. a.,
CAIRO, ILL, April 1.-THE steam
er Oceanus, from Red River to st.
Louis, when near Brooks Point,
thirty miles above Cairo, at 4 a. M.
exploded her boiler, blowing the up
per works almost entirely away, i'm
mediately after which the wreck
took fire. burning to the waters
edge. Pilot Thompson. of the
steamer John Lumsden, lying a few
miles below, on seeing the light from
the burning wreck, manned a yawl,
and proceeded up the river to ascer
tain the cause. He found a small
rarty of survivors on the head of the
island, but passed on TO relieve those
on the wreck. Ten or twelve were
clinging to the wheel, but the wheel
dropped before he reached them, and
all but four were lost. He found a
deck passenger, name unknown, near
the shore, badly scalded, who died
before his arrival at Cairo. Tile
steamer Belle st. Louis, bound up,
took nearly all the survivors.
Thompson rescued Plot Harris,
who subsequently went to st. Louis
on the Marble City. The latter
states that Virgins, their Red River
pilot, was drowned. Harry Treff-
pilst, on watch, also Capt. Reeder,
were buried in the debris, and heard
calling despairingly for help, but the
fire had gained such headway they
could not be reached, and were
burned.
Fisher, the carpenter of the i'll
fated steamer reached here on the
Shreve. He was not seriously hurt.
He states that the second engineer,
Alexander Kennedy, terribly scald-
ed, was helpless and blind. Fisher
put him on stage plank with others
The stage soon capsized drowning
several, including Kennedy. Geo
Keethly, first engineer, is supposed
lost, and Henry NJ Worsham, first
clerk, was not seen after the cxplo-
sion. He was expected to GO
through from Cairo by rail, but was
seen on the boat after leaving here.
Charles Worsham, second clerk,
Jules Demsewolf, steward. and Char
ley Muvay, cabin boy, were found
dead, floating in the river, all with
life preservers on, and brought here
by the steamer Shreve. 1t is sup
posed they were chilled to death.
There were five lady passengers, all
lost, The bodies of four
ladies was seen floating past Watson
landing to day, and were not recov-
cred. Fisher thinks that pilot III lr-
ris and himself are the only employ
es of the boat saved, though the
Helle St. Louis may have picked up
some. The officers Of the Shreve
stare that there were about twenty
cabin ard thirty five deck pnssen
gers, making, with the crew, nearly
one hundred souls, about eighty OF
whom are supposed lost. The
greater portion of the survivors
being on the Belle St. Louis. no
names of passengers nor very relia-
bic estimates of the lost can be oh
tanned except from her.
Fisher describes the effect OF the
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
securing plank and floating until
rescued by the yawl of the Lumsden.
He was in bed at the time, and
though covered with debris, was on
ly slightly bruised.
LATER-The steamer Grand Tow
er, just arrived, reports the first
engineer and male saved, also 3D.
other persons, on board the Belle
st. Louis. The second engineer
was saved, but died of injuries. !.