, 1873-08-28
THE WOLFF EXPLOSION.
Arrival of Survivors at Mempliis.
Narrative by One Of the Passengers.

+ Tho absorbing topic Of public interest yestor-
day was tho great river disaster OIL tridny afser-
noon, wl.oreby tho ST.. Louis md slrovepors
steamer George @. Wolff waa mado total wreck
by explosion, while bound up tho river, near tho
hond Of st. Francis Island, 75 mi1eH bolow this
city. At an early hour the etoamor Phil Allin
arrived in port, bringing sovon Of tho surviving
paHaengors, and near noon the steamer Julin
came up with thirts-soyen OF tho crow and paa~
HengorB. .......
TIE CASUALTIES.
Upon repairing Oh board Of tho Phil Aliin, It
was ascertained that the number Of persona on
board tho 1Yo1N whom ahe waa lost ranged be-
tween sxty and seventy souls, of which thirteen
| arc surely loBt, throe or four moro supposed to
bo. and ton or twolyo more or lesH injured.
Each aud overy person saved expro8Bod the
opinion that tho loHs Of lfo, considering tho OK
tont Of tho dlsastor,. Was exceedingly limited,
aud tho assured safoty Of so many was deemod
. miraculous eyont. :. - ~-'.-
From Mr solomonsky, dry goods dealer Of
Paris, Texas, on his way Eaat to purchase goods,
accompanied BY his cousin, Miss Oohn, young
lady Of IS, tho following PARTICULARS wofo obtain
| pAsszHaRn'a STATEMENT, J.,
took passage on tho steamer George 9. Wo11
seyopS ill., ill., q 1on ds asa hS h va ns scd1 IL
to st. Louis On Whit. We loft Shreveport soon
aftor midday on Saturday the 9th, and proceod-
cd down. Rcd River without difficulty Uni til near-
y to the Mississippi when tho 9 nost damaged
ropaira. On the Hi1th day ont, just above tho
| mouth of St. francis RlYer. heavy rain pre-
yaihng, and whilo undar way going gently up
ploto wreck Of THO vossol: waa seated on tho
upper guarda outside Of tho cabin, having moved
from in front q few moments before on account.
Of tho rain beating agaiust mo-, lily cousin aat
ozns sebe ser o b % hand %a asF M n'e
| FELL THROUGH TO THE LOWER DEoH
| among tho burned timlors and crippled deck
crew, but oseapod almost u'}'urt' and without a
I was blown into tho river, falling aevoral
hundred yards from the wreck, aad believing I
bad, with tho stoa1aor, boon atruok BY lightning,
and hoing unable to swim: vas naturally fright
to the surface Of tho water found tho river full
of tlobria from tho wreck. Each timo tined to
got on aome OF tho floating 3ragnonts they
would tip mud lot mo undor water, but man.
aged to hold on. and, nfter struggling in the
water for m hour or 80, during which tmo sev-
eral tines sunk benosth tho water, I managed to
get ashore Tho first time aroao to tho sur
face after being thrown overheard I saw In tho
water, sonlo twouty yards distant,
1 AN OLD MAN NAMED NELsoN,
piauo-tunor from Memphis, Ho lad been out
in ToxaB and was on his way home Just before
the disaster he sat near mo Oh tho guard Of tho
boat, and now he WAS struggling IN tho wator
appar entity much exhausted, and crying for ho1p.
told him to keep up courage, as I saw the CROW
letting email boat down from tho wreck, and
t',oy would doubtless como to our relief" Soon
after went undot wator, and, rising to tho eur-
fhce, l caught T. floating mattress, but tho old
man was gono out Of aight, and anw him no
moro. hfr. Nelson WIS about GO years old, a
widower, and ho told mo ho had two daughters
in New York.
He had coNa1pEaAB1g MONEY
with him, all Of which, suppose, VAS lost,
Hiss Coh1,. NY cousin, was in tho ~ water neas me,
, assistance. I tried to choer her. sho caught
i tho log OF m 1riehman, who waa trying to swim
ashore, and ho shook her off. Then sho caught
oad b. ost
sl,e took him by the arm, and ho Afterwards rot
on n picce Of derrick, upon which he swan
= ashore, Teaohing tue bank totally a1lauated and
8 climb up. Finally both managed to reaoh .hs
I boas's barber, who swan out from shoro to helT
them up tho bank. Then tho man who saved mi
: cousin came to my aid and pulled mo up The
bank, having reached tho shore on plank, toe
3 much exhausted to climb out. The distance
from tho wreck to the 8hore waa 600 OF 400 yarda
/ Tho upper part OF tho boat aeems to haHo di
= vided directly whore was sitting. I lost MI
] valae and clothing, but saved my money. draftB
oto. BY cousin was tho ouly lady thrown In tht
wator. AL tho rost remained on board and es
and her two children, Ono OF tho latter wa
: picked up, and died afterwards on tho boat 1h
!, mother and father we're burnod to death on tA
T. lower dock also tho other ohil0.'
1, THE uoATs SAFEs =
- was blown overheard. and, containing many va1
liable packages belonging to tho passengers, Il
OF course lost Capt, Carter, tho commander
:. WAS cut in tho faoo: and hls limbs Tore injured
asfs aestrason et sf'S Il % ono es s D' ''
d THE wnEuK WAS ON FIRE, -
4. In ,J<,tA IN znS,
J. out the tlainos The crew. under his direction
a took limo ashore iu o small boat and finally go
tho wreck fast to tho bank, where. 1t now, lie
o safo, just above the mouth Of tho st. Franci
n Mr. Donohue, tho second pilot, was :orippled
Ia and ono Of his legs Ia badly sprained but Is get
- ting botter. Next day after the dsaBter, Capital
10 Cartqr was 90 ptiH aud lame That Tho could no
walk, but Lis Injuries arc not serious.
l. Joseph Widen, tho boatk clerk, WAS blown n
q and {oll on tho wreck Whare the boilors In
II atood. He Was asleep in hia room: at tho time
md hia injuries arc very severe. e ia in cheer
10 full spirits, and heiloveH hn will recover. aal
y four OF tie dock Drew, all nogroaa.
Ia LYING DEAD; ,~-'
a and anottor died afterwards. Thoro wore flv
or ak 1nou on board from circus that o1hihlto
- at Shreveport q feW ayH sinco., One OF th6H
y was Lost and another is tho ono who savod m
III cousin, Miss Cohn&
" ' There were sixty o. seventy Persona nasaer
u. ~ sA.or, and tho 0aptain said, considering til
~ completeness Of tho wreck, ;.
q 1T WAH 4 MIRAcLE s..
o. TINT 60 few woro loHt
O. lilo buck, or nftor part Of the ladies' cabin
nj still! standing, but is much shattered aud tori
"' while tl,o forward portion Is all blown AVA,
u From tha oylindors on tho lower dock forwnrt
IL everything was wreoked aud nothing ronaalpB (
lio tlo boilers only part Of two huos All three
lis the boiera wore destroyed and blown out {
W Aftor milking the wreck fnst to tho ahorn.
NJ waB found that tho hull had sprung a leak, af,
on tho pumps were aot to work to clear her. tci
In was riggod on Tue bank, and tho survivors wei
nd malo az comfortable as possible. Bometin
- aftor midnight Of Friday tue steamer Chee
W. came down, and then tho Phi! Allin landed. Do!
no yeasols rendered all possible assistance. II
Allln returned up tho river Saturday Afternoon
bringing. Hupples mud . delegation Of citixel
from Uolona to
RELIEVE THR BUFFEREnH.
Everything possible waa dono, both By Il
" ~ wreelo bouts crow and others to aayo life ~
" aid the sufferers. !