Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-08-18

August 10th, 1875.
Special Dispatch 20 the Chronicle
The steamer Hugh Martin exploded
Saturday about 4:45 p. NJ when start
ing from the upper Washington Land
ing on the Tennessee river, one mile
from here. The front part Of the boat
is total ruin. The rear part is not
hurt. Capt. Jacob Fritts 10 thought to
have been blown in the air, and fell in
the river. He has not been found. Eli
l.. Abbot, aged about seventeen, pas
senger from Knox county, is missing.
No Others certainly missing. One
deck hand not found, who perhaps
gotoffat a previous station. VIM. Hood,
of Kingston, thelmate, was somewhat
burned, had his head cut, and his leg
broken. John Henson, the pilot, was
severely bruised and has gone home.
Edward Mead, of the Cincin-
natl Southern railway survey, was
blown from the cabin deck and fell on
the bank severely bruised and his
head cut, but was walking when
found, and will be well soon. l.. D.
PolstOn, of Rutherford county, was
slightly bruised. Mr.. Graves, wife
and sister, of Iowa, were slight
ly burned. Henry Fritts and several
others were slightly injured. Six col
ored deck hands were severely injured,
viz; Isaac Brown, Montgomery, Ala,
broken leg F; Ben. Hightower, Dalton,
dangerously injured internally, proba-
bly, fatally; John Black, Kingston,
bruised and leg burned Ben. Sud
daeth, Roane county, has a thigh
broken; Thomas Weaver, Knoxville
has leg broken; Daniel
Bivins, of Chattanooga, is severely
bruised. Two cOlored women were
slightly burned and bruised. Oliver
Henry, son of VIM. Il. Henry, ESD,
owner of the landing, who was stand
ing on the bank, was killed by flying
fragments. The wounded are doing bet
ter than at first expected. All the Sc
rious cases have been removed to Wash
ington, aud the citizens and physicians
are giving them kind attention. Chas.
seymour, of Knoxville, aud myself
w. re OF "a" bank. We We're surroun-
ded by the falling fragments. He was
touched, hut neither Of US were injur-
ed. c. ID. Meg.
From our Own Reporter.
Yesterday morning our city was
thrown Into CONSERVATION by receiv-
ing the news of the explosion of the
boiler of the steamer Hugh Martin, on
the Tennessee River. The first news
was that it occurred between Loudon
and Kingston, and that all on board,
with the exception of Henry Fritts,
the clerk, had beed killed. The next
report was that it occurred between
Kingston and lockwood Landing,
and that only one person was killed,
and other conflicting reports were re-
ceived, but nothing of definite ma
ture, all however agreeing that the ex-
plosion certainly took place and that the
boat was a total wreck. A dispatch
was received by Mr.. S. b, Luttrell con-
firming the news, but not giving any
particulars. Another dispatch was
received that the City of Knoxville
would not be in Knoxville on time, as
it had to go to the scene Of the disas-
ter.
To get the full and correct particu-
lars a reporter OF the CHRONICLE took
the morning train with directions to
go to Loudon, and if the particulars
could not be obtained there to go to
such point where they could be OBJ
tanned. Arriving at LouGon we found
ONE OF THE SURVIVORS
AS well as several parties who had in
terviewed others of the survivors of
the Inflated boat, and from them he
gathered the following particulars:
THE STEAMER HUGH MARTIN
Was built at Kingston, by a gentle
man whose name she bears, in the
year 1869 or 1870, and was supplied
with the machinery and boilers of the
old Cherokee which vas built
either in the year 1868 or 1866 There
is a difference of opinion on the sub
JtCls MI INuluS <AlllsOD, ull Olu river
man, informed us that the Cherokee
was built in the year 1866, and that the
machinery and boiler was right new,
while others again claim that the
Cherokee was "war boat" and was
probably built at Chattanooga in the
year 1868, by the Federal authorities,
and that the machinery was old at the
time. BE that as it may, it is consid-
cred that it is the oldest boiler on the
river. Notwithstanding this it
PASSED INSPECTIONS
Either in January or February last.
After Capt. Jake Fritts had bought the
boat and repaired and refitted it, after
the last spring freshet, we understand
it was again inspected. 1t will be re-
membered the Hugh Martin was built
by Mr.. Hugh Martin for a packet boat.
he having bound himself at the time
to run her or see that she was run as
regular packet between Loudon and
Kingston for five years. In that time
she changed hands several times, and
the last owners of the boat before Capt.
Fritts purchased her were Uriah and
Robert Allison, who had the mail con-