Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-03-25
LOSS OF BOAT AND BARGEs.
Names of the Killed and Wounded.
The Survivors Arrive ON the Phil
Allin this Morning.

near Helena, Arkansas, yesterday lore
noon. The boat was towing five barges
at the time, which barges contained a
cargo of sugar and molasses for st.
Louis. About nine o'clock the boilers
exploded, blowing out forward and de-
stroying everything. The boat swung
around in the stream and sank in few
minutes on Montezuma bar. The ex-
plosion threw the FIRE over the barges
which took FIRE at once and were de-
stroyed as they foated down the river.
The killed and lost are Captain James
Dawson, Pilot John 0strander and wife,
Henry Gesler, mate; William Mundy,
pilot; Dan Wittle, Waterman; cabin-boy,
name unknown, and three colored fire.
men, names unknown.
The wounded are George Van Houten,
pilot, hip out Of place; Patrick Bacon,
second engineer, bruised; VIM. Dunn,
second cook, scalded; Peter Hall, owner
of the trading boat in tow of the Cres-
cent City, badly bruised.
The Crescent City was one of the
finest towboats of her class ever built in
the West, having been constructed in
Cincinnati, in 1871, at a cost of nearly
$4,000.
She was built with especial attention
to carrying light pressure of steam
upon her boilers, that feature being one
which is much desired but seldom at
tanned by towboat people. Her engines
were very large and powerful, being 26
inches diameter OF cylinder and 8 feet
stroke. Her boilers were six in number,
and after she came out, in the fall of
1871, she attracted much attention from
river men, being deemed one Of the
finest and best towboats ever construct
ed. Since the time of completion the
boat has done faithful and almost con.
slant service, and she was the pride of
the Mississippi Valley Transportation
Line, to which she belonged.
The five barges in tow of the lost
steamer were valued at an average of
eight or nine thousand dollars each, and
the entire loss by the disaster will foot
up nearly 100000.
WHAT THE SURVIVORS SAY.
From the survivors of the Crescent
City who came up on the Phil Allin this
morning we CLEAN the following particu-
lars relative to the explosion of the i'll
fated steamer:
George E, Telle, of st. Louis, stew
ard of the boat, and who has been con-
nected with the Mississippi Valley Trans.
portation Co. for several years, says that
the boat was coming up the river at the
usual rate Of speed, and when near
Montezuma, ten miles below Helena,
at half-past eight o'clock yesterday
morning, exploded her boilers. The
engineers cannot account for the explo-
sion, as there was plenty Of water in the
boilers at the time of the explosion.
Mr.. Briggs, the head engineer, who is
one of the safest and most practical en-
gineers on the river, had changed
watches with Mr.. Bacon, the second en-
gineer, about half an hour before the
accident. Mr.. Briggs also reports that
they had cleaned out a few hours pre-
vious, and had not as yet got a full head
of steam when the explosion took place.
The explosion is attributed to the sedi-
ment in the boilers which accumulated |
from the foam and mud in the river,
which is usually the case at this time of
the year. The boilers exploded up
ward and forward, tearing the upper
works to atoms, scattering the fire from
the fire beds, and setting the barge in tow
on fire. Part of the cabin and pilot
house were blown overheard, while the
remainder of the debris fell to the deck,
covering up pilot 0strander, his wife,
the Captain and Kelley. The barges
caught fire and drifted down the river,
and were consumed, with the exception
of the trading boat, which sunk, and
fuel boat, which was saved. The hull 81 |
the Crescent City Aoated down on Mon.
tezuma bar and sunk. The steamer
Phil Allin opportunity arrived at the !
scene of accident short time after the |
explosion, and rendered every assist |
auce necessary. Captain Lee End the
officers of the Phil Allin did ali in their
power to alleviate the suffer- ngs of the
wounded. DR.. J. A. Cooper and DR..
Pease, of Friar's Point, came up on the
Allin, and rendered valuable services in
dressing the wounds received by the
VIM Dunn, the CO ok, resident of St.
Louis, died last night on the Phil Allin
at u o'clock, from wounds received
by the stove in the cook-house falling on
him. The doctors done all in their
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