1830 — Apr 18, steamer Caledonia boiler explosion, MS Riv., ~9m below New Madrid, MO–10-11

–9-11 Blanchard estimated death toll range.*

–9-14 New York Journal. “Another Steam-Boat Explosion.” 5-7-1830.
— 11 American Almanac and Repository of Useful Knowledge for the Year 1840. 1839, p. 119.
— 11 American Journal of Science and Arts. “List of Steam Boat Explosions…” July 1831, 338.
— 10 Western Sun & General Advertiser, Vincennes, IN. “Another Terrible Explosion!” 5-1-1830, p3.
— 9 US Patent Office. Report…Commissioner of Patents…steam boiler explosions. 1848, p60.

* Blanchard estimated death toll range. It would appear, from the Western Sun & General Advertiser article, that there were at least ten deaths, with possibly others thrown overboard and drowned, based on the fact that there was unclaimed passenger luggage from the boat. The U.S. Patent office report is incorrect as to the date of the loss (highlighted in yellow below), and mentions only crew deaths, when it appears from the two newspaper accounts we note below that there were at least three passenger deaths.

In that an almanac and a journal note eleven deaths we include this number in our range. It is possible that the New York Journal report could be correct in its estimate of nine to fourteen deaths, but in that we only have detail supporting ten deaths. Thus we choose to show a range of ten to eleven deaths.

Narrative Information

American Almanac for…1840: “Caledonia,…1830…Snagged & sunk [sic]…11 [killed]…11 [wounded]…Mississippi River.” (Table 6. “List of Material Accidents and Loss of Life, by Explosions and other Disasters, which have occurred to Steamboats in the United States.” 1839, p. 119.)

American Journal of Science and Arts: “1830…New Caledonia…Mississippi [river]…11 [killed]…11 [wounded].” (“List of Steam Boat Explosions which have occurred in the U. States.” Vol. XX, July 1831, p. 338.)

U.S. Commission of Patents: “Caledonia, Captain Russell, burst her boilers nine miles below New Madrid, Missouri, on the 18th April, 1830, killing nine persons and wounding fifteen. The cause stated was an original defect in one of the boilers. She was not racing nor trying a brag trip, being heavily laden. She was four miles from the last stoppage, going under an ordinary head of steam. The engineer and others of the crew were killed. ” (Report…Commissioner of Patents…steam boiler explosions. 1848, p. 60.)

Whittemore: “The boiler of the steamboat Caledonia, plying on the Mississippi, exploded on the 22d of April, near the mouth of the Ohio River. ” (Whittemore 1909, p. 71.)

Newspapers

May 1 account: “Another Terrible Explosion!

“More horrors! – We appear, now, to be doomed, weekly, to record one or more of those dreadful occurrences, that fill the mind with horror – the explosion of steam boat boilers! The Stranger, the Helen McGregor, the William Tell, the Huntress, have followed each other with appalling rapidity; and now another equally terrific explosion with that of the Helen McGregor has occurred. – When will this – we are almost tempted to say – wanton, infliction of misery and waster of human life cease? Surely public sentiment cannot longer lie dormant!

“Of this event we have been able to collect the following particulars, the Caledonia, towed by the Paul Jones, having arrived at our landing early this morning (the 24th).

“On Sunday morning last, the 18th instant, at 11 o’clock, five miles below Mills’ Point, on the Mississippi, near the right bank of the river, near the right bank of the river, the boat under good head way, the larboard boiler of the Caledonia burst, carrying destruction to everything on that side of the boat, dislodging all the other boilers, and destroying and maiming a great many persons. – There was four hundred persons on board, and it is perhaps owing to the circumstance of the rent being made near the front end of the boiler, and from the bottom laterally outwards, that the loss of lives and injuries sustained were so few. It is stated that the engineer, Joseph Russell, who ws passing the boiler at the moment of the explosion, had expressed his apprehensions a day or two previously, that that boiler was not sound; & the appearance of the rent induce a belief that his apprehensions were correct. The unhappy man was blown fifty yards into the river! It is also stated that the boilers had not been cleaned out since the boat left Louisville – another evidence of extreme neglect. A scene of dreadful confusion, it is thought, also, with loss of life, took place afterwards on the boat’s swinging round to the shore. There was an alarm of the boat being on fire & having powder on board. All self-possession was immediately lost. Great numbers threw themselves overboard, and the ladies in the cabin were only prevented by the greatest exertions from precipitating themselves int the water also. That some were drowned, at this time, our informant has no doubt.

“The boat herself, presents a melancholy spectacle. Desolation seems to reign over every part of her; the furnace and boilers a heap of ruins; one of the chimneys thrown down – the larboard guards blown away – every thing in disorder, and the floor of the cabin strewed with the suffering and dying victims. The scene could not be contemplated without the most painful emotions – and a strong desire never again to hear of such another disaster or witness its results.

“The following list of the killed, wounded and missing, was politely furnished us by gentleman, one of the passengers on board the Caledonia, taken by him on the examination of the register of the boat; but he expresses his opinion that it is by no means correct as there are a number of unclaimed packages now on board, exclusive of those that belonged to the killed here mentioned. It is a remarkable fact, that not a single dead body was found on board: all instantly killed, being blown into the river.

KILLED.

“Philip Orne, of Ky; John G. Sherdon, Ind; Jonas Chamberlain, of do [ditto]; passengers: Joseph Russell, brother to the captain, engineer; four colored men, firemen.

BADLY SCALDED.

“Hardy Carlisle, of Ind. Near Evansville; J. D. Hughes, Henderson; Charles Moore (colored man), Ind; Aasa Levett, Ind; Saml. Murphy, do; Thomas Peals, unknown; Wm. Cheeseman, Ind; Emanuel Victory, do; Jas. Hamilton, Kentucky; Parmenius Palmer, do; ____Marshall, moving with a family; Christmas Disney, an Indian interpreter.

“Of these, two have since died.

“There were many others more or less scalded, but are all likely to do well. Some of the badly scalded are expected to recover.” (Western Sun & General Advertiser, Vincennes, IN. “Another Terrible Explosion!” 5-1-1830, p. 3, col. 2.)

May 7: “Another Steam-Boat Explosion.
(From the New York Journal of May 7.)

“We regret to record another of those distressing casualties resulting from the effects of steam. A letter dated Pittsburgh, April 30, says–

“The steam-boat Home has just arrived, and brings the distressing news of the steam-boat Caledonia having burnt a boiler near the mouth of the Ohio, about the 22nd of April on her passage from New Orleans to Louisville. Two of the crew were killed, and 12 of the passengers jumped overboard and were drowned. No further particulars. The boat is heavily insured at Cincinnati.”

“From the Philadelphia Coffee-house books another letter is copied, dated New Madrid, April 30, and addressed to the owners: —

“I have the melancholy duty,” says the writer, “to let you know, that on the 11th instant the stream boiler of the Caledonia burst, killing and wounding about 15 of the passengers and seven of the crew. Seven or eight more were blown overboard and lost. Some of the wounded will recover, although badly scalded. The boiler burst on the side, while the boat was under way, about two hours after having wooded. The iron must have been defective, as it had been but one year in service. We have a heavy freight, with 400 deck and 60 cabin passengers, which, with the crew, amounted to nearly 500 souls. The hull of the boat is uninjured. We are now in tow of the Paul Jones, and you may expect us at Louisville in a few days.”

“The editor of the Philadelphia Gazette has convened with a gentleman who was on board when the accident occurred. The terror and confusion of the moment, he says, it is impossible to describe.

“Some were wounded, and others dead. Those that were uninjured were endeavoring to save themselves and their property; and each, in endeavoring to accomplish his object, increased the difficulty and danger of escaping from the boat. A number of trunks were hastily thrown from the boat towards the shore. Some of these fell into the water. Our informant saw one unfortunate passenger, who had jumped overbroad, struck on the head by a trunk, and he thinks others perished in the like manner.

“Among the passengers who were injured was a gentleman who had been injured by the explosion on board the Hein Maegregor. He had just recovered from his wounds, when he experienced this second disaster on board the Caledonia.

“The gentleman with whom we have conversed thinks the boiler defective, but is of opinion that the immediate cause of the accident was the boat’s being thrown out of trim, by the passengers précising on one side to view the scenery. In this way he thinks the water was thrown on one side of the boiler, and the other side exposed to the direct action of the fire.”

(From the 2d edition of the New York Journal.)

“The Late Explosion. — The Cincinnati Advertiser of April 27 gives the following particulars relative to the explosion on board the steam-boat Caledonia, when about nine miles below New Madrid, on the Mississippi: —

“Nine were killed, seven badly wounded, and eight slightly, as follows:

“Killed — Philip Orms, John Sheridin, Jonas Chamberlain, deck passengers: Joseph Russell, engineer; John Greenup, Thomas, crew; Adam Taylor, colored fireman; Anthony Hawkins, steward.

“Badly Scalded — Noel Dorsey, Ara Levitt, William Cheeseman, Samuel Murphy, Thomas Peel, James Hamilton, and Frank.

“Slightly Scalded — J.D. Hughes, Henry Carlisle, Charles Moon, black man; John L. Dickson, Francis Worley, Pelletin Marshall, Manley Vickery, Esq.

“The explosion took place while the boat was and had been under way for several hours. The damage other than the loss of the boiler, done the boat is but trifling.

“The undersigned, passengers on board the steam-boat Caledonia, are actuated by a sense of justice in stating, that the distressing accident which has just occurred, can in no way be imputed to negligence, or any lack of care whatever, in the pilot of Captain Russell, whose feeling behavior on the occasion is worthy of their warmest commendation. It is further their belief that the explosion is ascribable to an original but unknown defectiveness in one of the boilers. {Signed in behalf of the passengers.} (New York Journal. “Another Steam-Boat Explosion.” 5-7-1830. Reproduced and also transcribed by Becky Roberts.)

Sources

American Almanac and Repository of Useful Knowledge for the Year 1840. Boston: D.H. Williams, 1839 (Sparks, Jared, Francis Bowen, George P. Sanger eds.). Google digitized. Accessed 2-24-2021 at: http://books.google.com/books?id=c640AAAAMAAJ&dq

American Journal of Science and Arts. “List of Steam Boat Explosions which have occurred in the U. States.” New Haven: Hezekiah Howe, Vol. XX, July 1831. Digitized by Google. Accessed 2-24-2021 at: http://books.google.com/books?id=cWIWAAAAYAAJ

New York Journal. “Another Steam-Boat Explosion.” 5-7-1830. Reproduced and also transcribed by Becky Roberts at: http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ar/county/greene/steamboaexpl1830.htm

United States Patent Office. Report of the Commissioner of Patents, to the Senate of the United States, on the subject of steam boiler explosions. (30th Congress, 2d Session Executive Document No. 18). 12-30-1848.) Accessed 2-21-2021 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=chpLAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Western Sun & General Advertiser, Vincennes, IN. “Another Terrible Explosion!” 5-1-1830, p. 3, col. 2. Accessed 2-24-2021 at: https://newspapers.library.in.gov/cgi-bin/indiana?a=d&d=WSGA18300501.1.3&e=——-en-20–1–txt-txIN——-

Whittemore, Henry. Fulfillment of Three Remarkable Prophecies in the History of the Great Empire State Relating to the Development of Steamboat Navigation and Railroad Transportation, 1808-1908. Henry Whittemore, 1909. Digitized by Google. Accessed at: http://books.google.com/books?id=_ZRDAAAAIAAJ