The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1878-05-03
THE WARNER DISASTER.
Particulars OF the Fatal Explosion at
Memphis.
CAPTAIN DAWSON AMONG THE LOST.
List OF the Killed, Wounded and
Saved.

|
ST. LOUIS, May "A special to the Re.
publican, from Memphis, dated lst inst,
gives the following particulars of the great
steamboat disaster that occurred in that
port yesterday: This port was to-day again
made the scene of a shocking steamboat dis
aster, by which the Babbagc Transportation
companys tow-boat Warner was blown to
pieces, the wreck destroyed by fire and sank
10 the BOSTON, of the river. The Warner
was coming up from New Orleans with six
empty barges in tow, had arrived here ut
9:lj this morning, and Just as she was
heading into port her boiler exploded with
deatening report, tearing the boat in
twain, sending the plothousc fifty feet in
the air, and causing the hull to sink in three
minutes. The upper works, in their wreck
ed condition, parted from the hull, foated
on down the river and were soon discovered
TO be
| IN FLAMES.
The stcam-tug DcSOto at once put off to
the wreck, which she reached in few min
utes. Capt. McCord of the Gold Dust, ly-
ing at the elevator, ordered his mate, Watson
J. Joyce, to man the yawl and make for the
wreck, and Joyce was the first to reach the
| sinking wreck. which with the bargcs was
floating down the stream. He rescued sew
eral persons. including Capt John Poe, the
clerk, who is painfully, though by no means
dangerously injured. The tug DeSoto next
reached the wreck and succeeded in sever.
ing the lines, thereby releasing the barges,
which were landed within 500 yards Of the
spot where the accident occurred.
In a short while after the explosion Capt.
VIM. Maingault Of tho steamer Gen. Pier.
| son
REACHED THE WRECK,
| Where he rendered valuable aid in distin-
gushing the fire on the vessel and barges.
The list of persons on board embraced
twenty-five. The persons known to be lost
are Capt. George W. Dawson, Pilot Richard
Kcnnett and second fireman William Petit,
Of st. Louis. Possibly several other persons
may have persisted, but this is not known.
| The following is list Of persons injured
Jake Cox Of Aurora, Indiana, badly injured
about the head, but not dangerouly; Nicho.
las Gabb, scaldcd in the feet. Patrick
Thompson, fireman, slightly bruised; Peter
Conley. fireman, slightly bruised; Mrs. Clara
Peyton, chumbermaid, from st. Louis, right
hand and cheek scaded and right eye in
iured; Barney Cassidy, mate, painfully
scalded, but not dangerously; John Sulli-
van. cook, bruised about the arm and BODY
John Greer, fireman, slightly bruised in the
side; John Poe, clerk, injured by abrasion.
in the chest, arms and back, but no seriou,
wounds or broken bones; Napoleon d. Ben
nett pantryman, arm and head slightly in
iurcd.
THE SAVED
The following is an accurate list of the
saved John W. Poe. clerk; Jacob Cox,
pilot at the wheel; c. Anshutz, head en-
gineer; Barney Cassidy, mate; Mrs. Clara
Peyton, chambermaid,; Lalrcy Cassidy, boy,
deck sweep; Mike Keefe, Henry Mariner,
Albert Benecke, James Bastino, Charles
sullivan, Mike Cassidy, Henry Becker,
William Fletcher, Henry Smith, George w.
Long, VIM. Campbell, Chris FRANKIE, deck
| hands, and Pat Thompson and Peter Con-
nelly, tiremcn.
A piece of the boiler about two feet long
and eighteen inches wide was picked up on
the Arkansas shore, full half mile from
where the explosion occurred. 1t bears the
stamp Of Inspector 7. 5. $4,000, but looks
TO be of
VERY BRITTLE IRON,
| The edges being broken smooth without
any iibrous appearance and no evidence Of
! binding about the edges.
A remarkable incident in connection
with the explosion is that nearly all on
watch were saved, while those off duty
were lost.
As to the cause of the disaster nothing
satisfactory can be learned but the fact that
the boat had not cleaned out her boilers
since she left New Orleans, ten DAYS ago.
suggest the theory that great quantity of
mud had accumulated in her boilers. Her
officers contemplated cleaning her out at
this port. Your correspondent interviewed
the fireman on duty at the time, but failed
to CLEAN any ineligible information from
him. The wounded were all sent to the
city hospital and are being carcfulyattcnd.
cd to.
THE TOW OF THE WARNER
Is all saved and is as follows: One model
barge Francis of St. Louis; do. A. ]. Baker;
do, Sallic Pierce; do Lewis of st. Louis:
one fuel barge with wood in it. There was
no freight on board, The Warner had three
boilers twenty.cight feet long, but it can,
not be Nscertaincd whether all or how many
exploded. She was built in 1857. and was
3G5 tons burthcn. Inspectors Ralston and
Gronaucr of this district will investigate the
disaster.