The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-11-18
VOLUME I-NO. 2O6.
AWFUL CALAMITY.
Steamer Empire Sunk With Some Thirty
Souls on Board.
About Eighteen Persons Drowned.
Capt. Jeanfrau Loses Four Children.
Sad Scenes on the Leyee.
Cargo Almost a Total Loss.

Yesterday the community was electrified
Noy the announcement that the steamer Empire,
a Lower Coast packet, had sunk at her landing,
foot OF Cont street, with large number of
persons on board, nost of whom had been
lost
Ar investigation revealed the fact that the
announcement was only too true and the ap-
pearance Of the wreck as it lay almost entirely
submerged beneath the turbid and swift
flowing water Of the river, and the knowledge
chat within her cabin were the bodies of many
of the unfortunate passengers, were enough to
cause the hearts of the most callous Observers
to thrill with horror.
There were three bodies of those recovered
lying on the small apron of the wharf at the
Harbor Station. VIM. Freely, Of Magnolia
Plantation, was one, the others were children
of Mrs. Kemper.
Immediately in front Of the steamer q
throng Of eager and excited people gathered
upon The wharf, gazing down upon the stiff
stark forms whose outlines were sharply de-
fined through the sheets that had been thrown
over them. There was hushed silence. The
spectators seemed spell-bound gazing at the
cold inanimate forms lying there in the SUM-
Light.
The heartless waves licked about the piles,
the gulls restlessly lowered over the sad pic
ture, and the wind as if to show its delight at
the dread work of the morning, came in rude
blasts, fluttering the scanty covering of the
dead. On two mattresses, wet and water
stained, lay the bodies Of those
A confusion of tables and chairs, saved from
the wreck; pile of bed clothing dripping
drop by drop the rivers food, formed the
back ground, looking down upon which the
crowd, with an expression of horror, stood
mutely by.
Now from the wreck little trife would
float of, a baby's toy, then lady's shoe, and
then childs bonnet, all reminders of the
terrible disaster, and the suddsp taking off in
full health and vigor of those, who but last
night were filed with bright hopes for the
future.
The Captains daughter, Miss Jeanfreau, was
a charming and accomplished young lady,
and we learn was to have been married TO-
morrow. Alas! her bridegroom is Death, and
no earthly lover may ever hold. her to his
heart or look into her laughing eyes again.
The steamer, it appears arrived here at N.
Monday night, very heavily laden with sugar,
molasses and rice, and as it was too late for the
passengers to go to their homes, most of them
remained on board and retired to bed, little
dreaming that they, or most of them, at least,
were never again to witness the dawning Of
another day. The captain, A. F. Seanfreau,
who is one of our oldest and most reliable
river men, had on board with him his entire
family, consisting of wife and five children.
As soon as the steamer was securely moored
sdme few of the passengers went ashore, but
it II impossible as yet to tell just who those
were, and it will necessarily be some time be-
fore full list of the lost and saved can be
made out. y.
THE STEAMER WENT DOWN
about halfpast yesterday morning, when al
most everybody was sound asleep, and it
would seem that the Waterman must be to
blame for not sooner giving the alarm. as the
water was over the boiler-deck before any
body seems to have realized the danger. 81
The Captain states that when his wife called
him and he ran out of his room onsthe Texas,
he saw at once that the steamer Us gone, and
only had time to swing his little daughter,
Mary, who was on the guards, aft upon the
hurricane deck, when he found himself in the
water and had to swim for bis life to the Brad
Sch Lob xx,1; oh or tuin
of the Empire, and upon which he was ena-
bled to Chamber with his daughter by the as
sistance of several persons, who ran out q
ladder to him.
The ladies were nearly all asleep in the ladies'
cabin, and as the steamer went down bow first,
all means of escape was cut oil, and they must
have been either
DROWNED IN THEIR BEDS
or in the saloon, as they ran out Of the state
rooms. Some Of the gentlemen who were in
the forward cabin managed to run out on the
guards and to Chamber upon the hurricane
roof, from which *point most Of them were
rescued, though few, in their excitement
and terror, sprang into the river and either sue
ceeded in reaching the dock, or were swept away
by the current. Some OF those who jumped
overheard were picked up by skif belonging
to the Bradish johnson, as they were cinging
to the posts of the wharf
The hour at which the accident occurred
was most unfortunate, as there were SO few
persons stirring upon the levee o. upon the
steamers in the vicinity.
The Empire was comparatively new boat,
having been built in 1872. She is 2OS tons
burthen, and belonged to the Empire Pa11sh
Company.
She had on board large and valuable
cargo, consisting Of 1877 hhds sugar, 70 bbls.
nolasses, 26O bbls. rice, 735 sacks rough hce'
ZOO boxes oranges, and large lot of sundries.
The molasses will be recovered, but the sugar