Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-03-18
A s1EAMBoAr ExpLosroy,
Several Persons DrOWMed-Heroie
Presence of Wind of n ROman.

NEW ORLEANS La, March IA special
to the Picdyine from yicksburg, Miss,
gives the following full account of a steam
boat explosion yesterday: The steamer Ike
Bonham, which left here yesterday for
Bayou Vidal, exploded her boiler when II
miles below the city and a short distance
from Bedford Point on the Louisiana shore.
William II. Andrews, the mate, and several
colored men of the deck crew We're blown
overheard and drowned, q. p. McElroy,
the pilot, and Charles Girard, the
engineer, both white men, were seri-
ously sealded and bruised, but II
is thought they are not fatally injured. The
steamer L. II. Sargent OF the same line and
also owned by W. II. Sargent, bound for
Davis Bend, was about q mile distant from
the Ike Bonham, when the accident
occurred. She Immediately headed for
the Bonham and reached her as tho wreck
of the ill-fated boat drifted on the bar and
settled down in three feet of water. The
Sargent arrived here from the wreck of the
Ike Bonham about 6 O'Clock Inst night with
the wounded. None Of the bodies Of the
drowned had been recovered.
Engineer Charles Girard of the Ike Bon
ham makes the following statement: Pilot
hlcElroy was in command and Mrs. Will
liam Sargent was in charge Of the office.
we were going after cotton seed and took
no freight along. 1 had just tried the
water in the boiler and found scant two
gauges. L had left the wheel and gone
back in the cabin to dinner, leaving Andrews
steering. In an instant the shock came.
| was knocked down and hot bricks
from the furnace almost covered me. saw
Andrews and number of colored men in
the river. They were calling for help. The
explosion tore away the Office pilot house.
chimneys, forward boiler, deck, and all the
forward part of the cabin, throwing them
into the river. On deck the result was
equally disastrous, Six deck hands were
blown overheard, only one of whom was
recovered. Captain McElroy and anumber |
OF colored passengers and deck hands were |
more or less seriously injured. and all on |
board We're injured except Mrs. Sar- |
gent Immediately after tho explo- |
sion she took command of the |
boat, went below, helped to launch the |
yawl and commanded those who were able |
to rescue those in the river. By this time |
the debris around the boiler had caught |
fire, and she seized the draw bucket, drew |
water from the river and quenched the /
flames, after which she took a shovel and /
threw the red-hot furnace bricks overheard. |
Mrs. Sargent, by her heroism, saved the |
wreck from burning, and with it my life and |
those OF the other wounded on board, Sne |
was not excited in the least, and never lost |
her presence of mind for minute.
Captain Sargent is now In San Antonio |
where he has gone for the good OF his 4
health. During his absence his wife has |
had the management of his boats, which |
work she always did successfully. About |
nine years ago Mrs. Sargent with her hus- |
band and three children were on the steam 1
boat Phil Morgan, which exploded her /
boiler at Reality Landing, Blacks Bayou.
While the wreck of the Bonham was burn. |
Ing her clothing caught fire several times, |
Out she would tear away the burning frag |
ments. There was no insurance on the |
boat