Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-10-04
A RIVER HORROR.
Forty People Killed by a Boiler
Explosion.
THE STEAMER CORONA BLOWN UP.

Frightful Disaster on the SIississippi-
Lists of Dead and Wounded Collision
at Sea That Results in the sinking OF
Two Vessels and an Unknown Number
OF Dea.hS-A Tardy Dynamite Car
fridge Does Some Fearful work-A
Startling Array OF Fatal Casualties.
NEW ORLEANS, La, Oct 4-The steamer
Corona, of the Ouachita Consolidated line.
which left this city Wednesday evening for
the Ouachita river, exploded her boilers at
Fase River, nearly opposite Port Hudson,
about noon yesterday, causing the loss Of the
steamer and about forty lives The Anchor
line steamer, City of St Louis, happened
near by, and her crew saved many lives.
Names of the Lost.
the following is a list of the lost so far as
known: Crew.. w. Blanks, captain, j. V.
Jordan, first clerk; Charles C. Files, second
clerk; Swimp Hanna, third clerk; Fred
D'nkle and Fred Vernon, barkeepers; Pat
Ryan, steward; Dick Curtis, fireman; Tom
Saook, engineer; Henry Doyle and James
Swipe porters; - Tate, barber; Horny
Davis. deck hand; Tom Cook, sailor; Billy
Young, second mate Sam Steel. a boy from
Texas; both captains Of the deck watch. and
eight rous:ahouts
Passengers DIR. Atwcll, chiropo1ist.
and four negro musicians travelling with
him; - Scott. of Snithland, La Mrs
Davis, Of Stockman, Tex; Mr.. Koench;
Mrs HUI, of Opelous;s; Mrs Kaufman's
nurse and eldest child.
The Wounded Victims.
The following are wounded: Capt II. G..
Cornwall, slightly - Baughman, residing
pn Black river, hurt in side, not dangerous:
Mr.. Comstock, of Donallsonvile slightly;
j. J. Mooridge, of Columbia, La, slightly:
Wayne, little son of Henry Black.
slightly hurt about the face; Charles A.
Peace, Of New Orleans, scalded None of
the wounded are expected to die Pilot Rol.
lings Is badly scalded on the hands Capt T.
c. Sweeny is slightly hurt by flying tim
hers.
The Boat Torn to Pieces.
Mrs f.. W. Robertson is slightly hurt
She says that when the Corona arrived on
poste False River landing, sixteen miles
below Bayou Sara, one OF her boilers ex-
ploded, tearing the boat to pieces, when she
sank in deep water in few seconds Mrs.
Robertson was wedged IN the ladies' cabin
with some OF the debris lying across her
lower limbs, but was suddenly released and
found herself floating in the river. She
sank twice, but luckily was picket up and
escaped with only few painful bruises
Passengers Statement.
Hon l.. f. Mason, secretary Of state. who
was a passenger on the Corona, states that
he was in the cabin talking TO Mrs Robert
sou about 10 o'clock yesterday morning when
the explosion occurred. He escaped with
life-preservers and assisted in saving Mrs
Robertson and another lady. There was
very little time for preparation for escape
as the boat went down like lead few sec
onds after the explosion occurred As the
steamer City Of st. Louis came down she
was hailed and took on board all the pa ssen-
gers AMI crew who were not lost in the
river No one was able TO gave any eNplana-
ton as e. the cause OF the sudden disaster
Not Due to High Pressure.
The Picayune Baton Rouge special says:
Capt t. {. Swseny, one of the owners of
the line, who assumed command on the death
OF Capt Blanks, says the explosion was not
due 10 a too high pressure of steam He Just
had occasion tn examine tue gauge and is
positive there was not pressure Of more
than 80 pounds The boat had a moderate
cargo. She was in mid stream, just below
the landing at Arbroth, and had Just whis-
tied to pass the City of ST. Louis, fortunately
coming down at the time. The explosion
had "A downward tendency. and blew out the
bottom OF the boat, causing her to sink i'm
mediately. The cabin was torn IN two. the
rear portion floating down the stream and
bearing n number OF the saved Capt
Sweeny happened To he forward, and started
at once 10 put out the flames, which began to
burn in several PLACES He says the boat
would undoubtedly have burned hal she not
gone down Immediately. None Of the books,
papers or other valuables wore recovered