The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-04-12
STEAMER ocEANUs BLOWN UP.
A Complete Wreck.-.All, Officers
"KIlled..Al Many Passengers ScaIded
TO Death or Drowned.


when near Brooks Point, twenty mile
above Cairo, at4 O'clock this evening, ex
Iploded her boilers tearing the boat for
and aft, making complete wreck Of her
AL the officers OF the boat are reported
killed and many passengers scalded L
death or drowned. No. names received
IYet. There were 65 passengers on board
| LATER PARTICULARS.
CAIRO, Ills, April 1l.-The steamer
0ceAnus, from Red river for st. Louis
when near Brooks Point, thirty miles
above Cairo, at4A, Nj, exploded her boil
ers, blowing her upper works almost en-
urely away, aner which the wreck tool
fire, burning TO the waters edge. PiloI
Thompson, of the steamer John Lumsden
lying a lew miles below, on seeing the
light from the burning wreck, manned
the yawl and proceeded up the river to
ascertain tho cause. He found small
party Of survivors on the head of the
island, but passed on to relieve those on
the wreck. Ten or twelve were clinging
10 the wheel, but the wheel dropped be-
fore 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.
The steamer Belle of st. Louis, bound
up, took nearly all the survivors. The
Thompson rescued pilot Harris, who sub
sequently went to st. Louis on the Mar.
bic City. The latter states that Virgins,
their Red river pilot, was drowned; Har.
ry Triff, pilot on watch, and also Capt
Reider, were burned in the debris, and
he heard them calling despairingly for
help, but the FIRE had gained such head.
way that they could not be reached, and
were burned. Mr.. Fisher, the carpenter
Of the ill.fated steamer, reached here on
the shreve, and was not, seriously shurt.
He states that the second engineer, Alex.
Kennedy, was terribly scalded, and was
helpless and blind. Mr.. Fisher put him
on stage plank with others, the plank
soon capsized, drowning several, includ.
ing Kennedy. Geo. Keethly, first engi.
neer, is supposed to have been lost. Hen.
ry Warsaw, first clerk, was not seen after
the explosion. Heexpected to go through
from Cairo by rail, but was seen on the
boat after leaving here. Charles Wor.
sham, second clerk, Giles DempwolG
steward, and Charles Murray, cabin boy,
were found dead floating in the river, all
with lite.prcscrvers and brought here by
the steamer shreve- supposed to have
been chilled to DEATH FataE ~ 10
There were five lady passengers, all
supposed to be lost. The bodies of four
ladies were seen floating past Wilson's
landing to-day, but were not recovered. +
Fisher thinks the pilot, Harris, and
himself are the only employees of the boat
saved, though the Belle of St. Louis may
have picked up some. Fs
The officers Of the shrcve state that
there were about 80 cabin and 35 deck
passengers, making with the crew nearly
100 souls, about 50 OF whom are supposed
to be lost. The greater portion of the sur.
vivors being on the Belle Of st.. Louis,
no names OF passengers, nor any reliable
estimate Of the lost, can be obtained ex-
cept from her. Fisher describes the effect
| OF the explosion az terrible hAvond con.
ception' inc whole upper works being
lllted poSaily and falling on the boat and
on tne wafer, completely shattered. He
saved hin himself BY securing q plank and
noaung unul rescued by the yawl OF the
Lumsden. y den he was IN bed at the time,
ana tnoegn covered with debris he was
only sngntly bruised. .5. e
Later-lhc steamer Grand Tower has
Just arrived ana reports the tirst engineer
ana mate saved, and also thirty.two
otnef persons on the Belle OF y. Louis.
Inc secona sts englneert%as saved but died
ot ms ! INJURIES. L. ,,iIa..3 sls Il.
'eTshoulst Aprh 1.-the steamer oce'
anus run u INC Garter Ned River line
ana owned !o1 Dy garter SGonners, ReDecca
heeaef' tnos. nee ana harry Dooinson,
oost ss sa about ~ S year ago $SS OO0; insured for
S4,0VV III olncinnau and wheeling
oIces. 1l..c3,, ~. :, -, 80. 5ts5 .9
.sT.sLou1s, April 1.-The Democrats
tS g spse,. noo ao,aso ~ se o'
carpenter, describes the scene as very ter
rible and heart.rending. The river around