New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-08-25
STEAMBOAT HORRORS.
pypr os,oN OF A MISSISSIPPI STEAMER.

INJURED
HELENA, Ark, Aug 2s.-The steamer Geo. Wolfe
blew mn at St. Francis's Island about o'clock yes
terday afternoon. Twelve persons are known TO DC
lost and fifteen are wounded. The officers OF the
boat were all saved except the second engineer, VINO
was on watch at the time Of the explosion lie Is
missing All but one of the ladies are saved. MI
Nelson, from Shreveport for Memphis, was drowned
deck passenger named Dawson. his wife, and two
children bound for Tupelo Miss. were all KILLED.
The cabin of tho boat was blown to pieces Inc
hull may be saved. The passengers and crew OF the
Wolfe are still on St Francs's Island, waiting Tor
an up-river boat. The place where the steamer
blew up is known 60 river men as che " graveyard
being the place where the Pennsylvania and tie Sc
Nicholas blew up, and the T. l.. McGill was burned
The Geo. Wolfe was from Shreveport for st. LOUIS
Can't Henry s. Carter was commander and Joseph
Widen, Clerk.
THE CAPTAINS ACCOUNT or THE ExPLosIoN-THE
FIRE ON BOARD SPEEDILY ExTISGUIsHED-FoR-
TUNArE ESCAPE OF LADY.
MEMPHIS, Aug 24.-The steamer Julia arrived mere
about II o'clock to-day, bringing most OF the sur-
vivors of the ill-fated George Wolfe. among them
Capt Henry s. Carter her commander, who was
considerably bruised about the head, and had his
left leg also badly bruised. Capt Carter states that
short time before the explosion he had gone to his
1880
and the first he knew of the accident
was that he felt himself lifted into the air with
severe shock and fell with the debris on the lower
deck As soon as he could extricate himself he
glanced around and saw that the forward part OF
the cabin and texas" or cabin on the hurricane
deck had been blown away aft to the boilers. and
that some of the timbers had taken fire. His first
thought was to extinguish the flames, which, with
the aid Of few others and heavy
rain which was falling at the time, no soon sue
ceeded in doing Meantime one of the crew who
had been but slightly injured. seeing that
the wreck had drifted the shore. jumped
ont with the head line and made her
fast when il found that the boat mad
been but little injured. except as already stated
As soon as the fire was extinguished, everything
possible was done to relieve the sufferers The cap
tain states she had but 10 or II cabin passengers,
only one of whom was lost-Mr. Nelson, piano.
tuner from New-York, age about 90 years. owing
to the condition of Mr.. Widen, the clerk, who was
severely burned about the chest and throat it was
impossible to obtain list of the passengers from
him, and the books were all lost
Miss Rebecca Coin of Jefferson. Texas who was
accompanied by her cousin, w. Solomonsby of Paris,
Texas, states she was on the forward guard of the
boat and owing to the severity of the storm which
was raging remarked. LET us go into the cabin
and lust as she rose the explosion occurred and she
was blown into the river, where, seeing man near
her. she grasped him by the neck, and he told
her to catch his left arm. or she would
drown both, which she did, and soon after
spar came floating by which he seized, and they
held to it, floating down the river for long dis
tance until the barber of the boat came to their
assistance with pole. which her preserver caught,
and, still holding on to the spar, they were safely
| landed on shore Miss Cohn was considerably
bruised. She.could not learn the name of the man
who saved her. but he one of party of four be-
longing to the Transatlantic Circus.
The passengers speak in the highest terms of the
conduct of the officers especially of Capt Carter
and the steward. Notwithstanding that the former
was severely injured he was most active in the work
of relieving Others and extinguishing the fire.
LIST OF TIE DROWNED AND INJURED.
The following is list OF those lost, far as las
been ascertained:
Peter Helper, second engineer; Mr.; Nelson OF New
York; Mr. Dawson. wife and two children, OF shreye-
Transatlantic Circus; and seven coored stevcdores,
four OF whom we're found aud buried
The following are the wounded, all of whom reside
in St. Louis, except when otherwise stated:
Capt Carter, Joseph H. Widen clerk, severely IN the
head aud chest Jas DOnohue pilot, left leg badly
sprained jas Conohan, bruised about the head; Cole
Boren pilot, slightly in the head and body John Cour-
bar,keeper, slightly bruised and scalded Herman Ma
a df ssa5ed Ms 6 % TGo a in he
right side, and her daughter Lena, ankle spraned.
The following persons are unhurt:
Mrs. freeman and two children Alabama; Miss Files,
Shreveport; Mr.. OOer St Charles, Missouri r. II. Ellis
and lady, L. j. Bowen, Joe Moore, Charlie FreehOuse,
u. L. Banagan, Ira Center, Ed. Hogan NJ b: Williams,
Willis Wood, Frank ThOrp James Dawson, George
Hooper James Jones BIN BuTgett Ben Banks Charles
Shrs, Alex. Julian, and John Couslin white fireman
The following colored stevedores are IN the hos
pital at Helena, badly hurts
Billy Burton of Nashville, Brit Noahby Of St. Louis,
Perry Reedy Of Bowling Green, Ky. George chatham
(coloredl OF New-Orleans was blown overheard and
drowned.
THE engineer states that Helpler. the second en-
gineer, who was on duty at the time OF the explo-
sion was one of the most reliable and competent
men he ever saw, and he can give no theory as to
the cause of the explosion. The last seen of Help
Ter was by the carpenter, who saw him try the
gauge and just as he put down the stick the explo
sion occurred. Persons on shore who saw
tho explosion state that bodies and fragments
of timber were blown 60 feet into the air.
Capt. Carter and the survivors speak in warm terms
of the assistance rendered by the officers of the G.
o. Check and Julia in relieving their wants. The
second clerk, Edward Black the mate Henry Bush,
and the steward, were left in charge of the wreck
The others left for st. Louis on the Julia:
RESULTS OF THE WAWASET INQUIRY.
THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE STILL A MYsrERY-TE
OFFICERS AND CREW 10 BE SEVERELY CEN
sURED-CoNTEMPLATED CHANGE In RULES
NOR, ,r,xo orV.,,po.rs =
WASHINGTON, Aug. IA complete official
copy OF the testimony in the Wawaset investigation
submitted to Inspectors Rose aud gar this evening,
aud their report will be prepared and presented to
Secretary Richardson soon possible. While not
am ouneing In advance what their report will
be. the Inspectors express informally their opinion
upon the facts as developed in the investigation
10 O manner which leave little doubt OF the