The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-11-23
THE EXPLOSION OF THE suLrAnA.

I was greatly interested in reading
the article from Comrade w. r. Carter
i'm The National Tribune of June q
in reference to the Sultana horror. AS
am one of the survivors of that dread.
full disaster, 1 trust will be pardOned
for asking a small space in your paper
to give my recollection of the affair.
I was member of Co. A, 102d Ohio,
and was captured py Forests cavalry
at Athens, Alabama, on the oath of
September, 1864. was taken to Ca
habra, Ala, and after remaining there
until March, 1865, 1 was sent to Vicks.
burg, Miss, and kept in parole emp
until about the 25th of April, 1865. 1
was then placed on board the Sultana,
with about 2,l0O others, with the I'M
Outstanding that Cairo, ILL.,, was to be
our objective point. | will take occa-
sion right here to say that the boat
was not considered a safe one. and the
responsibility for the great loss of life
on that
TERRIBLE APRIL MORNING
belongs to those who were in author
| ity at that time, and who failed to
properly guard the lives of those in
trusted to their care. On the after
noon of the Goth we reached Memphis,
Tenn. Thus far our trip was without
incident worthy of mention. At Men,
phis large quantity of sugar was I'M
loaded from the Sultana. While the
boat was lying at the wharf we went
up into the city and bought a good sup
ply of provisions, intending to have a
good square meal next day at noon.
We steamed away from Memphis at
about o'clock in the morning of
the 9th as near as / can now remem
Der. When we left Vicksburg my
mess had secured quarters Immediate
ly over the boiler. on the cabin deck.
1t was warm there and made it a de-
sirable place for sleeping. However,
vacate in order to make room for some
of the sick soldiers. While we did not
very much like the idea of leaving
such comfortable place, the sequel
proves that it saved our lives. When
we left Memphis on that fateful morn
ing | secured place near the stairway
on the cabin deck. l soon fell asleep,
and as well as | can remember we
were about eight miles from Memphis
when the explosion occurred. The
confusion awoke me, and when Iopen-
ed my eyes beheld sight that beg
CARS description. Not more than three
feet from where was lying was hole
clear through the boat. 1t seemed as
| if the explosion of the boilers had torn
Everything out from top to bottom.
Many of the boys who were sleeping
over and directly by the boilers were
either torn into atoms or blown into
the river. To them death was indeed
welcome messenger "a compared to
the awful end that awaited many of
those who were not Immediately killed
The boat took fire, and this added an
other horrible picture to the scene. /
immediately went down stairs and re.
paired to the further end of the boat.
At this point it was quite a distance
down to the water, and but few came
there to jump off. Everything was
CHAOS AND CONFUSION.
Veterans who had faced death on the
field of battle without flinching were
rushing about wildly, with the mad.
ness of fear depicted on their counter
ances. 1t was an awful moment-fal
more terrible than the crash and roar
of battle
!, To remain on the boat was certain
death, and to leap into the murky
waters of the Mississippi was not less
dangerous. The fire was gaining rap
idly, and l made haste to battle for
, nv lille. l Invested myself of every
, thing except nv underclothing, and
then pulled strip of sheeting or sid
ing loose and jumped into the water
Being a good swimmer 1 soon got my
: bearing and swan away from the boat
in order to get out OF the reach of those
who were struggling in the water.
had not gone far until 1 found a piece
of scaatling floating along. 1t was TX
4 and about eight feet long. imme-
diately grasped it as welcome friend
and chung to it till 1 was picked up
! After I had SWAN away from the
burning boat sufficient distance to b'
!, out of reach of the men who were strug
Cling for life in the vain hope to save
7 themselves from an impending doom
stopped temporarily to look back up
on the scene. Language and pen fai
,, me to properly describe the horror o
the situation. The fire had made sucf
Roadway that human life could m
: longer endure the heat. Men rushed
to and fro, shouting and pleading fol
, help that could never come. Whole
knots of them would rush togethe
and clasp each other in their arms an,
with ag0n;zed shrieks roll off in thu
e water, there to struggle and to figh
0 for life until the last one of them hat
sunk beneath the bosom of the might!
Mississippi. Others were too paralyzet
with fear to do else than submit to tn
7 inevitable, and were suffocated will
a heat and snoke. The agonized shout
and walls for help that wen t up iron
;, those comrades of mine that Apr
morning still ring in my ears. Woulo
q to God that l could forever blot out o
t my memory and sight the events o
+ that terrible disaster; but they cling t
ME like horrible nightmare, ever
visiting me in my dreams, as well a
: in my waking moments, l turnet
). away from this dreadful scene sick al
4 heart. My own situation soon brough
ME to a realizing sense of danger, an
l began swimming for the shore on tn
Tennessee side. The river was hig
and the water cold, and soon realize
that
IHAD A BIG JOB BEFORE Me.
;, After long struggle failed to reac
the shore and kept floating down tn
= stream and trying to effect landing
but fate seemed to be against me. M
, enforced stay in the water began to te