The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1881-06-17
EXPLOSION OFF. X. HANNA
rErom N, o, City Item. I

Hanna.
AT half-past five O'clock, the Hanna,
laden with 4 general cargo, left her
wharf ut the head of Gravier street and
proceeded up the river. When off Jack
son, she caught up to the steamer ST.
John, which had left the landing head
of Customhouse street about ten minutes
before the Hanna.
AS has been the custom for about ten
trips, the boats Mt once began to race
Extra coal was piled into the furnaces,
and soon things aboard began to assume
a lively aspect. The men aboard the
Hanna determined TO do all in their
power to go ahcada and win. Soon after
the order was passed about to tho rOust-
abouts to prepare to shift coal into the
boxes, ready for handling into the fur
mace.
Suddenly an unusual buzzing sound
was heard. In IL few seconds, tho centre
aue of the middle boiler blew out, send
ing the hot steam among those asscm-
bled III tho vicinity of theboilers blow
ing away the freight and knocking tho
coal beavers down.
When the explosion was heard, Capt
Fred. A. Blanks ordered the boat,
which was then in the middle of the
| river, to head for shore, where she was
| tied up. The wounded men were pick
cd out and rolled in Il paste of sweet
oil and flour.
The Hanna had about twenty pas
sengers aboau, two of whom were bad
ly scal.led. The st. John Immediately
| headed for the Hanna and soon tied up
| alongside of her, The Hanna, after Il
contract was made, was then headed
down stream and lowed to the city by
the st. John. Boil, boats arrived ut the
| head of Cus:Omholse street ut ten
| O'Clock last night, ana were tied up.
The wounded persons were at once con-
veyed to the Charity Hospital; they
! We're twelve in number. On the way
one Of them, George johnson, expired
and was brought back to the wharf.
The scene at the hospital this morning
at about two O'Clock was one never to
he forgotten. In wards Nos / and Il
all the injured had been put to bed.
They We're yelling and screeching in
their torture. The good Sisters, with
soothing Imminent, were doing all in
their power, with the assistance OF sew
eral strong men to hold down tho suf-
ferers. Out of eleven men admitted
in the Charity Hospital this morning
only one ofthcm can possibly survive.
The burns are mostly about the head,
breast aud legs.
When the explosion occurred, two
negro deck hands and Il white Iassen-
ger who were badly burnt, jumped
overheard and were drowned. The
two negroes are supposed to be John
Wallace ami Jack Briiton.
The John II. Hanna is employed in
the Ouachita City, Trenton and Mon
| roc trade; she was built in 1876, in
Madison county. Ind. by Davis Morton,
and is valued at $4,000; she is owned
by Captains Jack and Fred. \. Blanks,
and is insured for $4,000 in various
companies of this city; she has been
cunning 49, k'A'sSS VI WV StS(tntT II.
a. Blanks, for the last two months.
Reuben Jones, chief engineer, to-
gcthcr with Tack Knight, the second
engineer, were interviewed by an Item
reporter this morning. Jones was
found in the Steamboat Inspectors
Office, in the Custumhousc. lie denied
having deserted his boat, as reported
in the morning papers. He had gone
with his partner to the telegraph Office
to inform his family in Louisville that
he was not injured, and was alongside
the morning paper reporters when
they were aboard tho boat
He said: 81 was standing among
the machinery, between the doctor and
the boilers, when ! heard the cxplo-
sion; l was thrown down, injurins
myself quite severely in the BREAST
He showed the reportcran ugly wound.
"My partner Jack Knight had hold of
the throttle valve at the time of the ex-
plosion. The boat is allowed to carry