The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-05-16
run wA,...ooN EXPLOSION.
rhe disasters Atsnx the Lower Coa.
Wlthin n Few Years.

The disasters Al0nE the Lever Coast
within Few Years.
The recent explosion OF the steamer walioen,
and the elill more recent sinking Of the Emma,
suggest that Of late years The disasters among
the email steam craft that ply along the lower
roast, have been entirely cub OF proportion, and
what IL even more singular. that whenever The
accidents have been unavoidable on the part 81
those In charge of these steamers. no lives wets
| iost.
Per eoaifd, III all doubtful cases the ioss 81
life has been ID extraordinary proportion to the
numter ef passengers which the steamers are
capable Of carrying. The list, ~ far "a can be
remembered, IL an follows
ritz A, a, BBuws
sanl IN The winter of 1897 gs, by being struck
Amidshipa by a New York steamer. No lives loat.
The Aloe sank during the same winter by rum
ming upon auhkan wreck opposite the Battle
ureuna Refinery. Owing to The Hallsntry. insre-
pidity and unitinE exertiona OF tho officers OF the
Aloe, everybody was saved,
The Beaufort waa wrecked AID ssnk during
storm IN 1871. No lives loaf.
The Hunter sank la 1879, Under circumstances
that are not remembered, No lives lost.
EThe Empire sAnk In 1874, at The wharf opp ssite
Cant street, In this Q ". The boat had arrived
during the night heavily feeighted, aud, IL Ia
probable. too heavily freighted. There were
some forty passengers asleep ON eoaru. About
o'clock III the morning, whPt moofed NJ the
wharf. abe eank, uuseoountabls, taking down
with her three-foufths OF
HER HUMAN FREIGHT.
The matter created great deal OF comment AZ
the time. but Ia thia case. inaemuch aa her re-
appnsibla officer puiirred more keehly by the ter
rible accident than anybody else. II 10 beat to let
che dead paet bury the dead.
Then came the explosion OF the Qrtoie, by
which about twenty human beings we're launched,
nnprepared into awful eternity. This wac Id
1870.
The next calamity was the explosion of the
waloon, last week, few milee below the city,
when eleven more lives we're Loaf.
The loaa OF thia steamer has also created good
deal oE comment, and The Information haa since
been given 30 the DEMOCRAT that week or two
before tho explosion an accident occurred on
board Of
THE wAlnooN,
which ehould have served ma a warning agaiast
the subsequent terrible calamity and prompted
such investigation on the part OF the authorities
that would have prevented it. On one OF her
tripa. abort time before the last accident. our
informant, who was on board, Gays that ono Of
the hciere Of The Wsloon cracked with much
Z noiee, filing the weasel with stoan and creating
great CONSERVATION among the passengers.
The question lie whether the matter was ever
reported aud investigated, and also whether any
investigation has been made concerning the sink
ing of The Emma few days ago. ht which seven
more lives were Loaf. When it 10 eonaidered that
there is on an average only from two to three OF
these email steamboats, engaged in the lower
coast trade, the accidents. 1t ia beloved, will APP
pear 40 great that something should be done 10
4. inaure the safety Of passengers and property In
that direction,