The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-12-20
Bodies Of Victims Hurled Hun
dreds Of Feet and Number
Of Dead is Unknown
CAPTAIN QUACKENBOSS AND
SON ARE AMONG The DEAD
Pilot Is Thrown Far Out Into River
and Swims to Shore With Broken
Shoulder-Engineer Tells
Story of Accident.

Vieksburg, Miss, December 19.-One of
the most disastrous accidents in the his
tory of the Mississippi river occurred at
ten minutes past / o'clock this afternoon,
when the steamer w. T. Scovell, plying
in the Vicksburg and Davis Bend trade,
was destroyed by an explosion Owing
10 the large number of negroes on board l.
is impossible to ascertain the exact num-
Der of the dead and injured, but officers
of the boat who arrived here tonight
state that no less than ten nor more than
sixteen were killed.
The probabilities are that an unknown
number were injured. The white dead are
as follows:
The Dead.
Capt. John Quackenboss, master of the
boat Vicksburg, Miss.
Clerk w. d. Quackenboss, Vcksburg,
Miss.
Lavell Yerger cotton seed salesman
Jackson, Miss.
Clerk Joseph Smith, Yazoo City, Miss.
The white injured are:
Tennie Roberts, assistant pilot, Viells-
burg, Miss, injured internally; very Sc
rious.
John Dougherty, pilot, shoulder dislo-
Gated.
Charles McKenna, passenger, painfully
injured.
-. Butterfield, slightly injured in
the head.
The number of dead and injured ne.
e7oes cannot be stated at this time, but
of crew and passenger list of about
fifty, about half are missing. The negro
dead were cared for at the place where
the accident occurred, were some of
the injured.
About five of the injured negroes were
brought to ViclIsburg tonight on the
steamer Senator Cordill, with the white
dead and injured.
The accident occurred at Golddust Land
ing about seventeen miles south of Vicks-
burg.
Was Taking on Freight.
The Scovel was at the landing taking
on freight. when suddenly a terrific ex-
plosion occurred and tie boat was blown
practically to atoms. Many of the tim
bers were thrown hundreds of yards and
somo of those aboard were blown almost
that far. The pilot house and front part
of the cabin were blown to splinters and
some parts of the boat were SO badly
damaged that she began to sink immedi-
atey. When the boat left here late this
afternoon she was listing heavily and her
cargo of 1000 sacks of cotton seed and
eighty-ffve bales of cotton were lost.
Pending the arrival of the Senator
Cordill the injured were cared for at
Golddust Landing, as we'll as possible.
OF the white dead only the body Of
Lavell Yeager had been recovered.
ade Quackenboss was heard to call for
help soon after the explosion. but ac-
cording to the reports of those who were
on the boat escaping steam soon smoth-
cred his cries. Captain Quackenboss was
not seen after the accident.
Pilot Dougherty was blown several
hundred feet out into the river. but DE-
spite dislocated shoulder managed TO
swim to the bank.
Engineer Tells the Story.
The story of the accident as told by
j. T. Bruce, the engineer of the boat, .
as follows
I'VE were lying at the Golddust land
ing this morning taking on cargo when
] noticed a small quantity of water ooz-
ing through the boiler. / suspected some
thing was wrong and proceeded to make
an examination. About this time the
Scovell broke her head line and drifted 50
that | did not have time to make Il
thorough examination at that moment.
AS soon as L got her back to the bank,
1 erawled on top of the boiler and pro-
ceeded with the investigation. | had just
gotten down from the boiler when the
explosion occurred. The catastrophe
believe, was due TO defective boiler
plate
Mr.. Bruce was not injured When tie
Cordill arrived at Vicksburg at O'Clock
tonight a crowd of several hundred pco-
pie met her at the wharf. There We're
anxious inquiries for friends and RES
tves, and many tears were shed when
the sad tidngs were told. Owing 10
heavy loss among the negroes aboard, tue
landing was crowded with women aatl
children of that race.
The injured were taken to the various
sanitarums and hospitals of the city.
Captain Quackenboss was one of the
Oldest and most reliable residents Of
this city, and was known to every man on
the Mississippi river. The steamer SEQ
we'll was only recently purchased by him
and others for the Vicksburg and Davis
Bend trade. The boat was insured for
5000.