The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-04-25
STORY OF THE SULTANA.
THE STEAMBOAT ExPLo SIoN WHICH
COST TWO THOUSAND LIVES.
How a Soldiers Longing for Drink and
Pair of Lieutenant's Epaulets Saved
the Lives OF Chicago Man and His
Companion.
From the Chicago Tribune.

rarely changes for an instant, will celebrate
the twenty-third anniversary OF the Sui
tana disaster. He is Edward L. Hedrick,
for fifteen years member Of the Chicago
police force, now proprietor of we'll
ordered little saloon on the corner OF Cen
ter and IIalstcad streets. Besides himself
there are said TO be now living but five of
the 2, 100 passengers aboard the Sutana at
the time of the explosion. 1t will he re-
membcred that about 400 were picked up
alive, but large proportion Of that num-
Der survived their wounds and exposure
only few days, and many Others swelled
the roll OF victims within year or two.
Mr.. Hedrick served two years in the Eighth
New York infantry, at the expiration OF
which time he enlisted at In
dianapolis for three years in the Ninth
Indiana cavalry. He was captured at
Silver Branch trestle and imprisoned at
Cahaba, Ala. With 1000 other Union
prisoners he was exchanged and sent to
Vicksburg, for transportation up the river.
These were the 1900 prisoners who, with
about 100 passengers taken on at New Or
leans, were on the boat when her boilers
blew up. Mr. lledrick recently told the
story of the disaster, including the details
OF his own remarkable escape, for publica-
ton in the Tribune, 50 frankly and graph
ically that il is best reproduced in his own
words
"When we boarded the Sultana at vicks-
burg" he began, we were u jolly crowd.
Two thousand OF us had Just been released
| aant1tarn t.vtunn un1
happy. The Sutana was n regular AIiSsis-
sippi river packet boat OF that period. A
thousand passengers would have crowded
her uncomfortably; with over 1000 she
was like hive of bees about TO swarm.
eve steamed ont Of Nicksburg and
moved slowly up the middle OF the river.
The spring floods were at irhighest, the
stream being in some places az much rs
forty miles wide. We reached Memphis
az O'Clock in the evening. Three Of my
prison chums were on board-Johnny
llinekley, Montgomery Hall and John
Wills and rs the captain said he would
not leave till midnight we made up our
minds to land aud have some fun. I'm
going 10 tell you all about this, because II
we hadn't gone up town johnny llinckley
and would have been blown sky-high
with the others. Our main object in land
ing was TO get something 70 drink. But
we soon discovered that the town was un-
der martial rule, and that only officers were
allowed anything stronger than coffee. We
were 80 Thirsty that We went into an alley
way to reconnoitre. When we were out
Of sight OF the street Johnny Elinckley
took out Of his pocket pair Of lieuten-
ants memberships he had picked up
somewhere, put them on, and while we
waited in the alley he entered the nearest
saloon. lie was gone quite awhile, and
came back a triilo unsteady and wiping
his mouth. Then put on the shoulder
straps and followed hiseXample with equal
SUGGEST BY the time Hall and Wills had
performed their part Of the program Il was
i'm ~ tart back 10 the boat. None Of us
were drunk, but we were full enough 10
be happy and care little whether school
kept or not.
at was Just about midnight when the
g. boat left Memphis. Everybody was in
| the best II spirits. There were n number
Of professional gamblers on board, and ~
} we passed the cabin door noticed that II
was crowded with officers and gamblers
D who were playing for high stakes We
went 90 bunk in the middle OF the middle
D deck, between the office and the bar.roonl
: and directly over the boilers. Hall and
0 Wills were sleepy. They rolled up in
: their blankets and were soon snoring II
Q was the last ever seen Of them. wanted
10 follow their example, but Johnny
IIincklcy wouldn't have il. lie WIS much
clatcd over our luck with the shoulder
/. straps. We were both little top heavy
= 20 when he insisted ON going 10 the back
, end OF the boat and turning into a couple
a Of the officers cots readily consented
. They were great improvement over the
hard iloorof the deck. and We were soor
n sound asleep.
A "The next thing | knew there was
v terrible crash. The passengers were shout
4 ing aud screaming aud jumping into tho
river on all sides. I got up, and as
moved forward 10 sec what the matter Wi
| bumped my head against n part Of IN,
upper deck which had fallen in. Then
saw flames creeping back toward the sten
/. aud knew that the boilers had blown up
= ran back TO find llincklcy, but his co
' WIS empty. The notion Of jumping int,
! the river, n passengers were doing nj
y around. didn't please me, 80 slid dow
y Ia the freight deck on one OF the swinging
y bumpers that hung over the side. A biI
crowd II passengers had hocked 10 thu
stern, where lot of mules were quar-
4 tered. Many of the mules had broker
n loose ana were stamping up and down TN
g deck. Several Of us seized one and threw
Il him overheard, intending 30 jump owe
i ourselves aud LET him swim Us ashore, bu
}. the water WIS black with the heads an,
k arms Of drowning passenger, and III,
i mule sank Instantly with q dozen mel
q under and on top 81 him. We threw Il
y several MON, all with the same result
People we've constantly jumping In ans
carrying Others 10 the bottom with them
There wasn't clear space whiting jump
u ing distance In any direction. The waite
], was rough and churncd the crowd q
= swimmcts mp and down ~ though the!
were logs in u broken raft.
, "All this time Capt Mason was working
q hrayely on the upper deck throwing plank
and barrels overheard and shouting TO th
passengers Ia keep cool. Many swan
D ashore ON what lac throw into the water
4 but he siaid aboard too long 10 save hi
a own life. After awhile, when most Of th
u passengers had thrown themselves int
IL the river. the boat seemed 10 driit ava
Il from them, leaving q clear space. ha'
r thrown several shutters over, but the!
hal all been seized by those IN the water
Finally the flames had driven the tcrrife'
y mules 10 closely about me that ] va
u Obliged TO seize bit Of plank and jun
for my life. BY the light Of the flames
X saw what took for the shore only = ic'
= rods distant aud congratulated myself tha
y | WIS getting of ~ easily But u va
" only AN island, aud IN spite of OIL coul