BLOWING-UP OF A STEAMER, AND FEARFUL LOSS OF LIFE.

Timaru Herald, Volume II, Issue 64, 5 August 1865, Page 7

BLOWING-UP OF A STEAMER, AND FEARFUL LOSS OF LIFE.

The Boston Dally Evening Traveller gives the following account of a steamboat explosion on the Miasissipi, by which a loss of life has occurred, such as has never previously been known from a similar accident : — The accounts of the loss of fifteen hundred lives by the blowing-up of the steamer Sultana, are the most terrible of anything of the kind ever known. The manner m which the soldiers have been crowded into old and dangerous steamers during the war has been fearful. And now, when there is not the necessity that thmi existed for hurrying them from place to place, no such crowding should have been permitted. It is stated on the authority of Mr. Covode, of the War Committee, that tho registered capacity of the Sultana was only for 376 passengers, and yet she had nearly 2200 on board. This occurred at a time when there were other good boats at VicUsburg, m which some of the paroled soldiers could have been sent home as well as not, but the authorities would not permit this. The Sultana had been m constant use for the last twelve years, and was probabty worn out. At Vicksburg she was detained nearly thirty hours by the leaky condition of her boilers, but the officers seem to have taken the chances of getting through safely, and trusting their precious human freight to the doubtful calculation of the boilers holding out till they reached Cairo. The consequences were of the character ever likely to attend such incautiousness. What venders this accident the more lamentable is that the victims were men who had escaped the perils of the battle-lield, had survived the vicissitudes of prolonged captivity, and were indulging m bright visions of happy receptions at home. Life is held too cheaply m this couutry. Let us hope that with the close oi: this terrible war there may be an improvement m I this respect. \ The Chicago 7 y imes says the accident occurred eight miles above Memphis, and there were 1958 paroled soldiers from the Andersonville prisons on board. The accident occurred when all wore asleep except tho officers and employes of tho boat. The boat had started out from Memphis one hour before, with only enough steam to propel her eight miles during tho hour. The firwt mate, Wm. Jttowberry — who, m company with six others, clung to a plank, from which they fell off before they were rescued, from exhaustion, and were drowned— describes the scene after the explosion as terrible m the extreme. He was standing m the pilothouse, and was blown into the river, where were struggling the living mass of drowning humanity, some with broken limbs, some scalded, over which scene the wreck, that immediately took lire, commenced to throw its ghastly glare. No succor was at hand, and only the best of swimmers, aided by fragments of the wreck, could hope to be saved. There were fifteen women on board, but two of whom are known to be saved. Some of the people were borne down as far as Memphis, this being the first intimation that reached that point. A yawl was sent out, and picked up seventeen. Among the soldiers on board were tliirty-six commissioned officers.