Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-06-03

line Sultana was one OF the largest ate am.
ers that piled the Mississippi. She had
the usual three decks and by close crowd.
ing could carry 1000 passengers. How
ever, the exchanged prisoners were 80
anxious to get away that twice this num-
Der were packed on board. There was
hardly room for one TO turn around. The
steamers boilers were Of tie old tubular
pattern-a pattern that lent itself readily
to explosions. Scores Of Ohio and Miss
issippi river boats had before this ex :.
ploded in much the same way.
From one of the Survivors, Edward +.
Hedrick, of Centre aud HaIsted streets,
Chicago, the following account of the &C
cldent was gained by the Chicago Tribune.
He says:
1--WE steamed out of Vicksburg and
moved slowly up the middle of the river
The spring floods were at their highest, the
stream being in some places as much as
forty miles wide. We reached Memphi.
ut s o'clock in the evening. Three OF my
prison chums were on board-Johnny
Hinckley, Montgomery Hall and John
Withstand as the captain said we would
not leave till midnight We made up our
minds TO land and have some fun. I'm
going TO tell You about this because If we
hadn't gone up town Johnny Hinckiey and
| would have been blown sky high with the
others. Oar main object in landing was u
get something TO drink. But we soon dis
covered that the town was under martha
rule, and that only officers were allowed
any thing stronger than coffee. We were
so thirsty that we went into an alley way
to reconnoitre. When we were out o.
sight of the street Johnny Hinckley took
ont of his pockets o pair of lieu enant',
shoulder-straps he had picked up some.
where, put them Cd, and while we waited
in the alley he entered the nearest saloon.
He was gone quite awhile and came back
tr fe unsteady and wipipg his mouth
Then ! put on the shoulder straps and fol-
lowed his example with equal success. By
the time Hall and Wills had performed
ther part of the programme it was time u
start back TO the boat. None of us were
drunk, but We were full enough to be hap
by and to care little whether school kept OF
not.
at was jnst about midnight when the
boat left Memphis. Everybody was in thu
best of spirits. There were a number o.
professional gamblers on board, and as We
passed the cabin door noticed that it was
crowded with officers and gamblers who
were playing for high stakes. We were u
bunk in the middle Of the middle deck
between the office and the barroom and di
rectly over the boilers. Halls and Will,
were sleepy. They rolled up in theil
blankets and were soon snoring. II wa,
the last ever seen Of them. / wanted tC
follow their example, but Johnny Hinck.
ley wouldn't have it. He wal much
elated over our luck with the shoulder
straps. We were both little top heavy
so when he insisted on going 10 the bach
end OF the boat and turning into couple
of the officers cots readily consented
They were a great improvement over tn,
hard floor Of the deck, and we were soor
souDd asleep.
1.-THE next thing knew there was ter
rible crash. The passengers were shoutip,
and screaming and jumping into the rive
on oil sides. got up, and az movet
forward to see what the matter was
bumped my head sgainst part of the up
per deck which had fallen in. Then / saw
flames creeping back toward the stern, ant
knew that the boilers had blown MP.
ran back to fnd Hinekley, but his cot wa
empty. The notion of jumping into tn
river as passengers were doing all aroup,
didn't please me, so I slid down to tn
freight deck on one Of the swinging bum
pers that hung over the side. A big Grove
Of passengers had aOcked to the stern
where a lot Of mules were ausrtsred
Many. of the mules had broken loose an,
were stamping up and down the deck
Several of US seizsd one and threw hin
overheard, intending to jump over our
selves and let him swim US ashore. Blu
the water was black with the heads an,
arms of drowning passengers, and the muI,
sank instantly with dozen men undo
and on top Of him, We threw in ssyera
more, all with the same result. Peopl
were constantly Jumping in and carryin,
others TO the bottom with them. Their,
wasn't clear space within jumping dis
tance in any direction. The water wa
rough and churned the crowd of swim
mers up and down as though they wer
logs in broken raft
Finally the flames drove the terrific,
mules so closely about me that was force,
to seize bit of plank and Jump for M
life. By the light Of the flames / "a,
what / took for the shore only few rod
distant and congratulated myself that
was getting of 30 easily. But it was onl
an island and in spite of all could do tb
current carried me past the lower end of Il
There was no shore in sight. Pretty 500
. half-drowned man floating by caugh
hold OF the end of my plank. He place
his whole weight on it and We commence
10 sink together. / cursed him and said
why don't you help yourselfa little, 90 v
can both be saved?' But he was too ez
hsusted. I let him have the plank. an
started to swim with nothing unde
me. When / was nearly worn out
steamer came by picking up floating pa,
sengers 90 near that / thought of cours