Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-05-19
EXPLOSION.
The Steamboat Pat Cleburne ExplOdes
her Boilers and almost Wrecks
the Arkansas Belle.
Full Particulars Of the Killed
and WOunded-Sketch Of the Ill
Fated Boat and her Commander.

EVANSVILLE, May lS.-The JOltT1lot
is IN first receipt Of the following special
from ShswGeetOWn, Illinois, eighteenth
"The steamer Pat Cleburne exploded
her boiler st eleven o'clock last night,
six miles below ShaWneetOwr, while
landing alongside the Arkansss Belle.
The Belle was tied to the bank and dis8'
bled by lire of coal fats fOuled to her
starbosrd wheel, and could render no
assistance. The ClebuTne fi12ted down
about mile and burned. Captain Fowl
or is lost, having bsen caught in the
timbers and burned. Dick Partridge,
express agent, is lost; Walter M'Elbeu-
nv, engineer, was blown into the river
aud badly hurt, but will recover; d. G..
Moore, mail agent, blown overheard,
but saved; John M'Cune, pilot, who was
at the wheel at the time, fell through to
the boiler deck and was cut and scslded 4;
Alexander Porter, second clerk, feet
scaIded ard cut; Arthur Brown, freight
clerk, hands and face scalded. All
OF the cabin crew are supposed to be
safe. Urnback, a musician, could not
extricate himself from the timbers, and
was burned. Albert Smith, barber,
hands scalded; Charley Cotton, second
mate, SUP posed to be lost. Passengers: /:
G. w. Smith, Evansville, slightly
scalded; G. w. Nicholas, Of TeTre
Haute, hands and feet scaIded; John
Harvey, Cincinnati, scslded and face
cut, but will recover. An unknown pas
sengHr was blown to the roof of the
Belle and killed. In the great confu-
sion, and the officers beiug all disabled,
| cannot learn what other passengers
are lost. Tine crew not mentioned are
saved. The Belle is badly wrecked, her
chimneys blown overheard and state.
rooms badly shattered. Sac was set on
fire in many places, the passengers and
crew working faithfully to extiuguish it.
The striker and second engineer are
badly scalded. Charles Smith, OF Gin
cinnati, passenger, had his leg broken.
Captain Howard was knocked down
and slightly hurt. Perhaps ten persons
on The Belle were injured. Arthur Pc
tiers and J. GILES, of Evansville, were
blown up, and fell down the front stairs,
but are uniDjured. The Arkansas Belle
took the wounded and dead to Evans
vile at four O'Clock this afternoon. The
Cieburne had nineteen rousters. Five
were saved and fourteen are missing"
THE BOAT AND HER CAPTAIN.
The telegraph informs US OF sad dis
aster to the steamer Pat Cieburne,
which blew up about eleven o'clock
Wednesday night, below Shawneetown,
on the OhiS river, while making
larding, resulting in fearful loss of
life, and in the entire loss of the boat.
Among the lost ia the name of Captain
Dick Fowler, her commander, we'll
known in this city. He was several
years ago agent In this city for the
White Star freight line, in which Ca
pacity and by his social attainmeDts he
drew around him q large circle Of ad-
niring friends, upon whom the news OF
his sudden and tragic end falls with
deep sadness. Captain Fowler was born
and reared in Paducsh, Kentucky, but
most Of his business career was spent in
Cincinnati and Memphis. In Cincin-
natl, since the war, he was in partner
ship with Captain BAIL Duke in COM
mission and steamboat business. In
business Captain FOwler's career was
fluctuating-by strict attention and
enterprise rising rapidly in the
scale to fortune, but too lib
eTal spirit and sometimes unfortunate
investments, as suddenly falling to the
stsTling point, but in AL his vicissitudes
holding fast to friends, and maintaining
their esteem without blemish.
The Cleburne was built at Cincinnati,
by Msior John d. Adams, in 1869, at a
cost Of about sixty-fve thousand dollars,
and was designed expressly to run in
the Memphis and Arkansas river trade.
Captain ohm WOODBURY., OF the Rosa
Miller, was her first commander in that
trade, and was afterward succeeded by
Captain Resss Pritchsrd. Under both
Of these commanders she made money
for her owner, She ran in that trade
tive years or more, and then was put in
the Memphis and FTisrs Point trade,
with Captain Stack Lee, now OF the
famous IdIewild, on her roof. This trade
did not pay, and the Cleburne, after
two or three months spent in the attempt
to build up the FTisrs Point line, was put
in several trades, with varying success,
and finally was exchanged for the
Quickstep, and taken to the Ohio river,
where she has remained ever since in
the Evansville and Cairo trade. She was
noted throughout her career for numbers
Of trivial accidents, such as breaking Of
machinery, etc, but no loss Of life or Sc
rious Injury resulted until the event Of
Wednesday night.