Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-05-01
TERRIFIC EXPLOSION
Of the Steamer Warner in Front
of this City-Six Persons
Killed ard Many
Wounded.
List Of the Victims and Sufferers by
the Fearful ACCidsnt-Particu-
lars Of the Disaster.

At half.past nine o'clock this morn.
ing the toWboat Warner, running in the
st. Louis and New Orleans trade, ex.
ploded in front of the city. The noise
of the explosion attracted many persons
to the bluff, but in a few minutes the
wreck had sunk beneath the waves. and
only the shattered bsrges were left above
the water. When the steamer exploded
her boilers she was neal the Arkansas
shore and opposite the elevator. The
force of the explosion shook the BALD
ings on Front street, and many who felt
that fearful noise believed il an earth
quake and thought the noise resulted
from the falling of high walls. At the
time of the accident the Warner was
en- route to St. Louis, having left
New Orleans a week ago last Monday.
She expected to land at this city in order
to clean out her boilers. She had in tow
six empty model barges, Que fuel barge
and tow boat. The explosion was fear
full in character and fatal 10 result, as
half u dozen or more persons are lost
and the steamer proved a total wreck.
With the report a dense mass of smoke
and steam was seen to burst upward,
mixed with shattered limbers, flames
and fry sparks. The dense volume was
sent over u hundred feet high, while the
timbets, splInters and portions Of the
boilers we're hurled in every direction,
some Of the pieces being sent hundreds
Of yards away. The effect Of the ex-
p%losion seemed to split the boat in twain,
for the forward part Immediately sank
and the water rushed clear through the
length of the boiler deck. The rear Of
the vessel was somewhat above the wa.
ter, but exactly at eight minutes from
the time the fatal explosion occurred the
steamer Warner had sunk under the
water. Her upper works were broken into
countless pieces, Nsnd hurled through the
air like 50 many blackened arrows, with
here and there a barb of fame or a
point of fire. When the great volume
OF smoke began to ascend the forms
of persons could be seen in the
water and in the barges trying to save
themselves from death. The steam tug
DeSoto at once put off to the wreck,
which she reached in a few minutes.
Captain McCord, of the Anchor Line
steamer Golddust, lying at the elevator,
ordered his mate, Capt. Watson J.. Joyce,
to man the yawl and make for the
wreck, This order was obeyed with
alacrity, and Captain Joyce was the FIRST
to reach the sinking wreck, which, with
the barEes, was floating down the stream.
He was fortunate 10 reaching the place
so soon for he rescued several persons,
including Capt. John Poe, the clerk, who
is painfully, though byno means dan
gerously injured. The tug DeSoto next
reached the wreck and by means Of hard
work succeeded in securing the lines.
thereby releasing from the burning wreck
the barges, which were then Landed with.
in FIVE hundred yards Of the spot where
the accident occurred. This was quick
work.
In a sho.t while after the explosion
Captain Wm. Maingault, of tue steamer
General Pierson, reached the wreck,
where be rendered valuable aid in ex.
tinGuishing the fire which seized upon
the vessel and the bargss in less than
three minutes from the time of the ex
plosion. The loss Of life is doubtless
heavy, as it is believed that at least six
or eight persons persisted. The list of
persons on board embraced the twenty.
FIVE souls as follows: One captain, one
carpenter, ten deck hands, four fremen,
two pilots, two engineers, three cook and
cabin servants and one chambermaid,
The persons known to be lost are Cap.
tain George W.. Dason, pilot Richard
Kennett and second fireman VIM Petit,
of St, Louis. Possibly two or three or
even more persons may have persisted,
but this is not known. The following is
a list the Of tho persons injured;
Jake Cox, of Aurora, Ind, pilot, badly
injured in the head, but not dangerously.
Nicholas Gab5, scalGed in feet.
Patrick Thompson, fireman, eighty
bruised.
Peter Couley, fireman, slightly bruised.
Mrs. Clara Peyton, cbambermaid, from
st. Louis, right hand and cheek scalded,
and right eye injured.
Barney Cassidy, mate, painfully scald.
ed, but not dangerously.
John Sullivan, assistant cook, bruised
about the arm and body.
John Greer, fireman, slightly bruised
in the side.
John P'e, c'erk, irjurel by sbrasions
in the cheIt, arms al d lack, but no seIi.
Gus wounds or broken bones.
Napoleon D. Bennett, ~pantryman, arm
aud head slightly injured.