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I'win the Lmmiatm Chronicle,, 1 UtraWedm-simy Mokmng, Sept. 20rJi, 18415. DREADFUL EXPLOSION,Destruction of the Steamer C/y^r.Great loss of Life.It ms become our mournful duly to reenrd one of the most terrible catastrophes ulitrh lias ever happened on the Mississippi. Ye',-mday, »i about a quarter past 12 uMuth,• a* tho Steamer Clipper No. 1, was backup out from her moorings at our boding sIjp blow up with on explosion that shook earth, air and heaven, -is though tho uatL of ihr world were tumbling lo pieces about onr ears. All tlie boiler* bursting simultaneously «—machinery, va*t fragments of the boiler-, huge beam* of limber, furniture and Itimnn beings in every degree of mutilation iwre alike slwt t‘p perpendicularly roany hundred fathoms in the dir. On reaching the greaiubi height, the various bodie* diverged like th*,-jets of a fountain in all directions—falling to the earth, and upon roofs of houses in *ome instances as much as two hundred and fifty yards from the scene of d« slruction.— The hapless victims were scalded, crushed, torn, mangled and scattered in every possible direction—many into the river, some In the streets, some on the other ide of the Bavou, newly 300 yards—some torn asunder in coming in contact with pickets, and po*i, and others shot like cun non ball* through the solid wall* of houses at a great distance from the boat. All in front of the wheel house* appears as though swept by a whirlwind.— But any thing like an adequate description ol tlie scene of wreck and ruin is utterly out of the question. What remains of the hull has been firmly L*hod to the shore ; but U seems to have broken in two and partially sunk.— She luid ju*t taken on board, at the Itai2-ro.ul depot, about S6 bales of couuti, '.early all of winch, together with the money chest :ud most of the cabin huziituro, vc arc gkul to hoar has boon saved.On reaching the spot under whip and spur, w o Immediate)} hem our steps toward the temporary hospital hast fly prepared fort hr reception of such as might bo found to retain a spark of life-The sight was such as we hope never to look upon ajiain. The iloors of the two largo ware-roams svere literally strewn with the wounded and dying, and others pouring in usflkst as it was possible to convey them—praying, groaning, howling and writhing in every po9ible contortion ol physical agony. In the ntid*t of this confusion aud din, up *t their arrupil* in oil and cotton and bandages, we found utir |iraiseworthy physicians, likegood Sumtimans, doing good quietly mid silently, but with tho energy and stctlviiy apparently of fifty pair of hands—now washing a burn, now dressing a wound, aryJ anon splintering a fractured limb. Indeed our citi/cns generally, every man and mother’s son, appeared only unsioti? as to how they might render most service to the poor sufferers— white and black, without distinction. The following are the most important particulars, us far as we have been able to gatlicr thui*.The crew consisted of 1 capiain, 1 ni.ite, 2 iderks, 3 engineers, 2 pilots, 1 carpenter, I watchman, 1 chambermaid, 3 «Uewanh, i? conks, 13 firemen, and S deck hands.IkisSenger*— L. Thomas,* missing ; Ik B. JVluntariMt, commission merchant, New Orleans ; and onetmaH hoy wounded. Deck Passengers, 1 wounded, 2 nut hurl*Capt. Lduratu escaped unhurt; Mr. Bessy, i lucr rlerk, missing, .ind Lilts hccouiI clerk killed; John Tyson, chief engineer, bidlv wounded; Wm. Stimptei, 2nd engineer, throw ii loO or 200 yaids through the root and gable end of a house, into the backyard against ihe lence. one arm lorn off and fragments of his carcass scattered over the Ucl**.; Wm. Nelson, 3rd engineer, fnuman, nnte and cook, killed ; Arnault J. Lav-and, pilot, mining ; Win. Wall, pilot, killed: John Patterson, male, badly scalded, though likely to recover; Gabriel Pool, Carpenter, missing; watchman killed; chambermaid saved unhurt; si eu aids all killed or missing; two of the cooks killed,ami J wounded ; 8 firemen killed or missing; four deck hands killed or missing.It may be well enough here fo state llut
Newspaper Details
Norwalk Experiment
Norwalk, Ohio, US
Wed, Oct 18, 1843
Page 4
Full Page
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Anonymous
PA, USA 26 Feb 2021
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