1843 — Sep 19, steamboat Clipper No. 1 boiler explosion, Mississippi Riv., Bayou Sara, LA–30-40

–30-40 Blanchard estimated fatalities.*

–40-60 US Patent Office. Report…Commissioner of Patents…steam boiler explosions. 1848, p. 59.
— 50 Nash, Jay Robert. Darkest Hours. 1977, p. 680.
–30-40 Green Bay Republican, WI. “Another Explosion.” Oct 24, 1843, p. 3.
— 40 US Patent Office. Report of… Appendix C. Table of explosions.” 1848, p. 39.
–32-33 The Experiment, Norwalk OH. “Dreadful Explosion. Destruction …‘Clipper’.” 10-18-1843, 4
— ~30 Bangor…Whig & Courier, ME. “Loss…Steamboat Clipper No 1… MS.” 10-5-1843, p2.
— 30 Springer. “Principal marine disasters since 1831.” In US House Hearings. “Safety of…”
— 27 Milwaukie Sentinel, WI. “Power of Steam.” Oct. 28, 1843, p. 1.
— ~24 Adams Sentinel, Gettysburg, PA. “Terrible Steamboat Explosion.” Oct 9, 1843, p. 1.
–14 killed
–10 missing
— 9 wounded
— ~24 Republican Compiler, Gettysburg, PA. “Terrible Steamboat Explosion.” 10-9-1843.
— >23 Lloyd’s Steamboat Directory and Disasters on the Western Waters. 1956, p. 214.
— 20 Simonds. The American Date Book. 1902, p. 98.

* Blanchard estimated fatalities. We show sources noting twenty to sixty deaths. It does not appear to us that there is, amongst these sources, a single authoritative source. Thus we resort to a range. For the low-end of our estimated death-toll range we choose to follow Springer in the 1952 House Hearings on Safety at Sea. For the high-end of our range we choose to follow the lower of the two numbers reported by the Commissioner of the U.S. Patent Office in his report to the Senate on steam boiler explosions in 1848. (In a table on p. 39 the number of deaths reported is 40, and on page 59 it is noted that some place the death toll at 40 and others at 60, with the former number probably the more accurate.) We could, of course, be in error, with there being fewer or more deaths.

Narrative Information

Lloyd: “This explosion, of which a very vague account has been preserved, took place on Wednesday, September 19th, 1843, at about a quarter past twelve o’clock… One of the passengers, who lived to relate the story, and who appears to have powers of description peculiar to him¬self, states that the Clipper “blew up with a report that shook earth, air, and heaven, as though the walls of the world were tumbling to pieces about our ears. All the boilers bursted simultaneously; vast fragments of the machinery, huge beams of timber, articles of furniture, and human bodies, were shot up perpendicularly, as it seemed, hundreds of fathoms in the air, and fell like the jets of a fountain in various directions; some dropping on the neighboring shore, some on the roofs of the houses, some into the river, and some on the deck of the boat. Some large fragments of the boilers, &a., were blown at least two hun¬dred and fifty yards from the scene of destruction. The hapless vic¬tims were scalded, crushed, torn, mangled, and scattered in every possible direction; some were thrown into the streets of the neighbor¬ing town, (Bayou Sara,) some on the other side of the bayou, three hundred yards distant, and some into the river. Several of these un-fortunates were torn in pieces by coming in contact with pickets or posts, and I myself, (says the same credible witness,) saw pieces of human bodies which had been shot like cannon balls through the solid walls of houses at a considerable distance from the boat.”

“Every object in front of the wheel-house was swept away as if by a whirlwind. A gentleman who visited the place where the killed and wounded had been deposited, at Bayou Sara, says, “The scene was such as we never hope to look upon again. The floors of the two large ware-rooms were literally strewn with the wounded and dying, and others were pouring in as fast as it was possible to convey them to the spot….” (Lloyd 1856, p. 213.)

Lytle and Holdcamper: “Clipper…299 [tons]…exploded 9 19 1843…(U) [unknown place…(U) [unknown lives lost].” (Lytle and Holdcamper. “Losses of United States Merchant Steam Vessels, 1807-1867.” Merchant Steam Vessels of the United States 1807-1868. 1952, p. 223.)

U.S. Patent Office: “Clipper No. 1…Bayou Sara…1843 [date]…Burst 5 boilers; boilers old; excessive pressure…30,000 [amount of damage]…40 [killed]…34 [wounded]…Explosion at starting; everyone on board either killed or wounded.” (Appendix C. “Table of explosions.” 1848, p. 39.)

U.S. Patent Office: “Clipper No. 1., September, 1843, burst her boilers at Bayou Sara, making a wreck of the boat, and destroying every soul on board [sic.] Her boilers were old ones. They has been assigned as the cause of the accident. The boat and cargo were a total loss. One account states sixty killed, another 40, which is probably near the truth. She was backing out from her moorings when the explosion took place, all the boilers bursting simultaneously. A watchman alive, was thrown 100 yards through the solid wall of Baker’s hotel into a bed. He retained his senses perfectly for some time afterwards, but died that evening. There were thirty-four wounded, the most of whom it was supposed would recover.” (United States Patent Office. Report of the Commissioner of Patents, to the Senate of the United States, on the subject of steam boiler explosions12-30-1848, pp. 59-60.)

Newspapers

Sep 20: “From the Louisiana Chronicle, Extra. Wednesday Morning, Sept. 20th, 1843.”
Dreadful Explosion.
Destruction of the Steamer ‘Clipper,’
Great loss of Life.

“It has become our mournful duty to record one of the most terrible catastrophes which has ever happened on the Mississippi. Yesterday, at about a quarter past 12 o’clock, as the Steamer Clipper No. 1, was backing out from her moorings at our landing, she blew up with an explosion that shook earth, air and heaven, as though the walls of the world were tumbling to pieces about our ears. All the boilers bursting simultaneously – machinery, vast fragments of the boiler, huge beams of timber, furniture and human beings in every degree of mutilation were alike shot up perpendicularly many hundred fathoms in the air. On reaching the greatest height, the various bodies diverged like the jets of a fountain in all directions – galling to the earth, and upon roofs of houses in some instances as much as two hundred and fifty yards from the scene of destruction. – 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 side of the Bayou, nearly 300 yards – some torn asunder by coming in contact with pickets, and posts, and others shot like cannon balls through the solid walls 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 of the scene of wreck and ruin is utterly out of the question. What remains of the hull has been firmly lashed to the shore; but it seems to have broken in two and partially sunk. – She had just taken on board, at the Rail-road depot, about 86 bales of cotton, nearly all of which, together with the money chest and most of the cabin furniture, we are glad to hear has been saved.

“On reaching the spot under whip and spur, we immediately bent our steps toward the temporary hospital hastily prepared for the reception of such as might be found to retain a spark of life.

“The sight was such as we hope never to look upon again. The floors of the two large ware-rooms were literally strewn with the wounded and dying, and others pouring in as fast as it was possible to convey them – praying, groaning, howling and writhing in every possible contortion of physical agony. In the midst of this confusion and din, up to their armpits in oil and cotton and bandages, we found our praiseworthy physicians, like good Samaritans, doing good quietly and silently, but with the energy and activity apparently of fifty pair of hands – now washing a burn, now dressing a wound, and anon splintering a fractured limb. Indeed our citizens generally, every man and mother’s son, appeared only anxious as to how they might render most service to the poor sufferers – white and black, without distinction. The following are the most important particulars, as far as we have been able to gather them.

“The crew consisted of 1 captain, 1 mate, 2 clerks, 3 engineers, 2 pilots, 1 carpenter, 1 watchman, 1 chambermaid, 5 stewards, 3 cooks, 15 firemen, and 8 deck hands.

“Passengers – L. Thomas, missing….Mr. Bessy, chief clerk, missing, and the second clerk killed; John Tyson, chief engineer, badly wounded; Wm. Sumpter, 2nd engineer, thrown 150 or 200 yards through the roof and gable end of a house, into the backyard against the fence, one arm torn off and fragments of his carcass scattered over the trees; Wm. Nelson 3rd engineer, fireman, mate and cook, killed; Arnault J. Lavand, pilot, missing; Wm. Wall, pilot, killed…Gabriel Pool, Carpenter, missing; watchman killed;…stewards all killed or missing [5]; two of the cooks killed… 8 firemen killed or missing; four deck hands killed or missing.

“It may be well enough here to state that those we have put down as missing, are doubtless dead, as every search has been made in the vicinity to recover their bodies in vain. They have doubtless found a watery grave.

“The remains of those picked up on shore were interred decently.

“The watchman, a white man, was thrown alive, 100 yards through the solid wall of Barker’s Hotel, into a bed. He retained his senses perfectly for some time after, but the poor fellow expired during the evening. The cabin boy was thrown about 200 yards thro’ the roof of a shed, and was picked up in a mangled condition….

“P.S. Since the above was in type, we have learned the death of another of the firemen. And the body of Mr. Bessy was found about six miles below, with one leg severed from his body.” (The Experiment, Norwalk, OH. “Dreadful Explosion. Destruction of the…‘Clipper’.” 10-18-1843, 4.)

Sep 22: “The New Orleans Picayune on the 22d, has the following account of another most melancholy catastrophe:

“By the arrival of the Buckeye, we have the following in an extra from the ‘Louisiana Chronicle.’

“It has become our mournful duty to record one of the most terrible calamities that ever happened on the Mississippi. Yesterday, as the steamer Clipper No. 1 was backing out from her moorings at our landing, she blew up, with an explosion that shook the earth, air and heaven, as though the walls of the world were tumbling together about our ears. All the boilers burst simultaneously – machinery, vast fragments of the boilers, huge pieces of timber, and human beings in every degree of mutilation, were alike shot perpendicularly many hundred fathoms in the air.

“On reaching the greatest height, the various bodies diverged like the jets of a fountain in all directions, falling to the earth, and upon the roofs of houses, in some instances as much as two hundred and fifty yards from the scene of destruction. The hapless victims were scalded, crushed, torn, mangled and scattered in every possible direction – many into the river, some into the streets, some on the other side of the bayou, nearly 300 yards – some torn asunder by coming in contact with pickets and posts, and others shot like cannon balls through the solid walls of houses at a great distance from the boat. All in front of the wheel houses, appears as though swept by a whirlwind. But anything like an adequate description of the scene of the wreck and ruin is utterly out of the question. About thirty persons were killed and several severely wounded.” (Bangor Whig & Courier, ME. “Loss…Steamboat Clipper No 1 on the MS.” 10-5-1843, p. 2.)

Oct 9: “The last Southern mail brings accounts of a most terrible steamboat explosion at the town of Bayou Sara, on the Mississippi river – by which fourteen persons were killed – ten others missing, believed to be killed – nine wounded….” (Adams Sentinel, Gettysburg, PA. “Terrible Steamboat Explosion.” Oct 9, 1843, p. 1.)

Sources

Adams Sentinel, Gettysburg, PA. “Terrible Steamboat Explosion” [Clipper]. 10-9-1843, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=3098019

Bangor Daily Whig and Courier, ME. “Loss of the Steamboat Clipper No 1 on the Mississippi.” 10-5-1843, p. 2. At: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=25207

Gould, E. W. Fifty Years on the Mississippi; or, Gould’s History of River Navigation. St. Louis: Nixon-Jones Printing Co., 1889, 750 pages. Digitized by Google. Accessed 2008 at: http://books.google.com/books?id=udyywXOVBvsC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Green Bay Republican, WI. “Another Explosion” [Steamer Clipper] Oct 24, 1843, p. 3. At: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=33444417

Library of Congress. “Louisiana Chronicle (St. Francisville {La.} 1838-1843.” Accessed 2-23-2021 at: https://www.loc.gov/item/sn86053838/

Lloyd, James T. Lloyd’s Steamboat Directory and Disasters on the Western Waters. Cincinnati, Ohio: James T. Lloyd & Co., 1856. Digitized by Google. Accessed 2-23-2021 at: http://books.google.com/books?id=JlYqAAAAYAAJ

Lytle, William M., compiler, from Official Merchant Marine Documents of the United States and Other Sources; Holdcamper, Forrest H. (Editor, and Introduction by). Merchant Steam Vessels of the United States 1807-1868. “The Lytle List.” Mystic, CT: Steamship Historical Society of America (Publication No. 6), 1952. Accessed 8-16-2020 at: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015018039084&view=1up&seq=7

Milwaukie Sentinel, WI. “Power of Steam.” Oct. 28, 1843, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=33442568

Nash, Jay Robert. Darkest Hours – A Narrative Encyclopedia of Worldwide Disasters from Ancient Times to the Present. New York: Pocket Books, Wallaby, 1977, 792 pages.

Republican Compiler, Gettysburg, PA. “Terrible Steamboat Explosion.” 10-9-1843. Accessed 2-23-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/tags/clipper/?pci=7&ndt=ex&pd=9&pm=10&py=1843&pep=bayou-sara&ob=1&search=ymd/

Simonds, W. E. (Editor). The American Date Book. Kama Publishing Co., 1902, 211 pages. Google digital preview accessed 9-8-2017 at: http://books.google.com/books?id=JuiSjvd5owAC

Springer, Adele I. (NYC). Table: “Principal marine disasters since 1831.” In: United States Congress, House of Representatives. Hearings Before the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, United States Congress (74th Congress, 1st Session). “Safety of Life and Property at Sea.” Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1935. Accessed 8-9-2020 at: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Safety_of_Life_and_Property_at_Sea/l9xH_9sUuVAC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq

The Experiment, Norwalk, OH. “Dreadful Explosion. Destruction of the Steamer ‘Clipper’.” 10-18-1843, p. 4. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=12372079

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). “Appendix C. Table of explosions.” 3-7-1848. Accessed 2-23-2021 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=MIcFAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

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