Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1906-12-28
BOAT EXPLOSION
KILLS MANY
BIG DISASTER ON BENDS PACK
EFT SCoVELL.
EXACT NUMBER NOT KNOWN
But Number of Dead Between Fifteen
and Twenty, Among Whom are
Capt. Quackenboss, His Son and
Laval Yerger.

Vicksburg, Nashville the Stea-
mer w. 7. Scovell, plying in the Wick
burg and Davis Bend trade, was load
ing freight at Gold Dust Landing,
seventeen miles south of Vickshurg,
the boats boiler exploded with terrific
force and without fhe slightest warn
ing, killing and manning the crew and
passengers and blowing off the entire
front of the steamer.
According to survivors who arrived
here on board of the steamer Senator
Cordill, the dead numbers between
fifteen and twenty. 1t IS feared,
however, that the exact number will
not be known for some days, as the
steamer was crowded with deckhands
and passengers, and u2ose who escap-
ed were so stunned for a time that
before assistance could be secured the
bodies of many of the dead had dis
appeared down the river.
Dead and Injured.
The known dead are
Capt. John A. Quackenboss, master
of the boat, Vicksburg.
Wade Quackenboss, Vicksburg.
Laval Yerger, cotton seed buyer,
Jackson.
Joe Smith, clerk of steamer, Yazoo
City Miss.
Mack Clarke, negro porter.
Two roustabouts, name unknown.
Eight or nine negro deck passen>
gers.
The injured are:
Lennie Roberts, assistant pilor,
Vicksburg, Miss, injured internally,
seriously.
John Dougherty, pilot, shoulder
dislocated.
Charles McKenna, passenger, pain
fully injurer
-Butterfeld, slightly injured in
the head.
Many Negroes Injured.
The number of dead and injured
negroes can not be stated, but of a
crew and passenger list of about ff-
ty, about half are missing, The ne
gro dead were cared for at the place
where the accident occurred, as are
some Of the injured.
Vicksburg is much wrought up
over the accident, Laval Yerger be-
ing very popular here, and also the
two Juackenbosses, who both leave
families.
The cause of the explosion is in
doubt at this time The steamer had
been considered in first class condition
although she was delayed here a few
hours by being run into by the Belle
of the Bends. Tnis, however, could
cot have affected her boilers.
The news of the explosion first
reached this city by telephone to A.
G. Russell, who heard of the steamer
blowing up from Ashwood Landing.
| Mr.. Russell, telephoned to Ashwooi
and there John G. O'KelIy, a promin-
ent citizen, said that he had seen cot
ton floating down the river and he
would send man on horseback al
once to Gold Dust Landing, which
was eight miles away.
Gold Dust gin is twenty miles south
Of Vicksburg, on the Louisiana side
of the Mississippi river. The Scovell
left here on her trip to Davis Bend
and was returning when the accident
occurred Frank Hirch of this city
is the agent and part owner of the
boat.
Steam Smothers Cries.
Wade Quackenboss was heard to
call for help soon after the explosion,
but, according, to the reports of those
who were. on the boat, escaping steam
soon smothered his cries. Capt Quack
enboss was not seen after the acci-
dent.
Pilot John Dongherty was blown
several hundred feet into the river,
but despite a disloeated shoulder,
managed to swim to Inc bank.
Murry Wilkinson, the cub pilot es-
capped uninjured. Engineer John Z.
Bruce was not hurt.
The accident occurred in about a
mile of where the steamer Providence
was destroyed in a hurricane and
twenty people was lost several years
ago.