The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1898-03-19

daily occurrence. Such d wer
generally caused by striking some oh
struction, and the worst results wer
the loss of the boat and cargo. Their,
were others, however, of a more Seriou
nature; those caused by fire and ,eXplOs
ion of boilers, that were sometime
veritable hOlOcauStS, resulting in terribl,
loss of life, besides the total loss of tn,
boat and cargo. Such an accident wa.
that which occurred at Lexington, Mo.
~fOrty-fOur years ago, in the explosion o.
the steamer Saluda; an accident which
was attended with a greater loss of life
than any n that ever happened on the
Missouri river.
"The Saluda was Il side-Wheel steamer
of medium size, with Il battery of two
boilers and n full length cabin, in the
forward part of which was located the
clerk office. She was unusually slow
her cylinders being too small to furnish
sufficient power to overcome the strong
current of the Missouri river. She had
been named by her owner for his native
town, Il little village located on the
banks of the Rappahannock river on the
eastern shore of Virginia, yet laid down
on the maps as 'Saluda.' 1T was in the
early spring, the last of March, 1852,
when she left st. Louis bound for the
upper Missouri, loaded with general
merchandise, and with her cabin and
deck room crowded with passengers, the
most of whom were English Mormons
destined for Salt Lake, hen the Mecca
of the Latter Day Saints. She was
commanded by Captain Francis T. Belt,
and her Office was in charge of Joseph
Blackburn, the clerk. After a tedious
voyage up the river, she arrived at Lex
ington about the first of April, when
the spring rise was met.
There is no locality on the Missouri
river, with the exception of Arrow
Rock, where the water is confined to so
narrow q channel or runs with so swift
a current as ut Lexington. Just above
the landing, or where the landing was
forty years ago, the channel made a
sharp turn, around which the water
came with tremendous force. Even in
an ordinary stage of water this point
was dreaded by pilots, and it required
an unusual pressure of steam, with the
most powerful boats, to stem the u
rent. At this time, unfortunately, the
river was not only unusually high, but
was filed with cakes Of floating ice
broken loose from some gorge above
which increased very greatly the diff
Guilty of rounding the point.
For several days in succession Cap
tain Belt had made repeated efforts tC
stem the rapid current, but had as otter
failed. Finally he dropped back to the
landing, and getting a line ashore, made
fast, having determined to wait unit
the water receded. On the morning OIL
the 9th of April, 1852. fire was again
started under the boilers and steam
raised. Captain Belt went from the
hurricane deck to the engine room
looked at the steam gauge, and inquired
of the engineer how many more pounds
of steam she could carry. On being
answered that she then had all the steam
she could safely stand, he gave the com
mand: Fill her up; put on more steam,
| will round that point or blow her to
h AT S o'clock the gangplank was
hauled in, the lines were cut loose and
the go ahead bell was rung. Her bow
turned gently out in the stream for one
more desperate effort to overcome the
Surging current. The engine made hut
| one revolution. Then came the terrible
eXplOsion-the crash! and all was chaos,
darkness and death.
1.-The scene that followed was heart.
rending and horrible beyond description,
For a few moments everything was n
veloped in a dense cloud of steam and
smoke; then, when the cloud had drifted
away, was seen the destruction and ruin
that had been wrought. Some of the
debris and many human bodies were
blown high up in the air, and were seen
by persons standing on the river bluff
far above them, as they flew through
space. The cabin, excepting q small
portion aft of the wheel-hOuse, was
blown to atoms, and nothing was left
save the blackened hull. Many bodies,
after having been blown through the
air, fell into the river and sank out OF
sight. Others fell back on the wreck of
the boat, and still others were blown
high up on the rocky shore. Many were
dead. Others were SO mangled, scaldeG
or burned as scarcely to be recognized as
human beings. \ leg was found here,
an arm there, and 4 trunkless head in
still another place. The cries of the
scalded and the mOanS of the dying in
their piteous appeals for some friendly
hand to end their sutferings are never tC
be forgotten by those who witnessed the
horrible scene.
Captain BELT was on the hurricane
roof, at his post, at the time the explo-
sion occurred. Those who witnessed
the catastrophe stated that he was
blown high up in the air. His remains
were found on shore about 100 yards
from the wreck, a broken and mangled
mass of flesh and bones. His terrible
death was Il lust r%etriDution for his Teok'
lessneBs. Joseph Blackburn, the clerk,
went to the upper deck just jas II boat
was showing out, and admonished the
captain of the danger from explosion q.
His warning not being needed, he re-
tired Immediately to his office, and
taking the books and passenger register
went back to the ladies' cabin. as far
aft as he could go, where he remained
until the crash came. This prudential
act saved his life. for he was II OF the
few who escaped.
"All boats, in those days, carried a
small iron safe in the office. The clerk
had a favOrlte dOg-a little ~hlack-and-
IAN terrier-which he usually kept
chained to the safe. After the accident,
the safe, with the dog still chained to
it, was found $50 yards from the wreck
on the side of the river bank. 1t was
said that the dog swan ashore with the
safe, but this statement must be taken
with some degree of allowance. The
first part Of the story, however, is true.
Parts of the boilers were found ell the
bluff, where they had been blown by
the terrific force of the steam, and
where they continued to lie tor several
years. ! log warehouse. standing fifty
yards from the river, was knocked down
n demolished, one of the cylinders
having passed entirely through ii.
"BTeakfaSt, on board the boat, had
lust been finished, and many of the pas
sengers had arisen from the table and
were standing around the guards, in
front OF the cabin, and directly over the
boilers. This circumstance, no doubt,
added greatly to the casualty.
The explosion was heard for miles.
ana the SAD news uf the accident spread
rapidly throughout Lexington and the
surrounding country, causing the most
profound demonstration of sorrow and
compassion. Business of all kinds was
suspended, and the citizens rushed to
the leYee and Joined in the effort made
to recover tie remains OF the killed, and
relieve the suffering OF the manned and
scalded. Private residences were thrown
open to the wounded, and churches
were turned INTO improvised hospitals.
Subscriptions, both private and pubic,
were raised, which were used III bury
ing the dead, and to relieve the wants