1854 — March 9, Steamer John L. Avery snags/sinks, MS Riv., Black Hawk bend, LA–30-90

–30-90 Blanchard estimated death toll range.*

–80-150 Adams County, MS, Genealogical & Historical Research.
— 150 Iowa State Gazette, Burlington. “Disastrous Accident to the John L. Avery.” 3-22-1854, p.3.**
— ~120 Yazoo City Weekly Whig, MS. “Terrible Steamboat Accident.” 3-17-1854, p. 2.***
–80-90 deck passengers
— 19 deck hands
–35-40 cabin passengers
–~10 female cabin passengers
— 3 officers (2nd mate and two pilots
— 13 slaves owned by passengers (all but one child of five months)
–50-100 Milwaukee Daily Sentinel, WI. “Steamboat Disasters,” Mar 22, 1854, p. 2.
— 80-90 Bragg. Historic Names…Places on…Lower Miss. Riv. “Black Hawk Pt. LA, 1977, 193
— 80-90 Gould. Fifty Years on the Miss.; or, Gould’s History of River Navigation. 1889, 466.
— 80-90 Lloyd’s Steamboat Directory and Disasters on the Western Waters. 1856, 199.
— 85 Nelson, S. “‘Oh, mother, he cannot save me!’” Concordia Sentinel, LA. 12-16-2015.
— >80 Erenow. The Great American Steamboat Race. Webpage accessed 9-16-2020.
— 72-80 NY Daily Times. “Steamboat Burnings and Boiler Explosions,” Mar 22, 1854, p. 4.
— 75 Nash, Jay Robert. Darkest Hours. 1977, p. 683.
— 50-75 Weekly Wisconsin, Milwaukee. “The Wreck of the John L Avery,” Mar 3, 1854, 3.
— 60-70 New York Daily Times. “The Loss of the Steamer J. L. Avery,” Mar 21, 1854, p. 1.
— 40-60 Fort Wayne Times, IN. “Disaster,” 3-29-1854, p. 2.
— 40-50 Christian Age, Cincinnati. “Another Terrible Disaster…John L. Avery.” 3-16-1854, 6.
— 40 Berman, Bruce D. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. 1972, p. 175.
— 40 Way’s Packet Directory, 1848-1994…Steamboats…MS River System. 1994, p. 253.
— 12-30 Board of Supervising Inspectors. Report of Board of… 10-10-1854, p. 394.
— >30 New Orleans Daily Crescent, LA. 3-20-1854, p. 2, col. 3.

*Blanchard death-toll estimate: We use 30 as the low-end of our estimated death toll in that this was the lowest number of fatalities we have seen reported other than the range of 12-30 reported by the Board of Supervising steamboat Inspectors. This Board reported that the officers of the Avery were not interviewed, thus from what sources their range derived is not known.

We choose 90 as the high-end in that this was the high end of the 80-90 range used in the books by Bragg, Gould and Lloyd, all of whom reported on a large range of steamboat incidents.

There were higher estimates of the death toll but these tended to be newspaper reports or based upon newspaper reports, which, when credit is given to the source, reported surviving passenger estimates.

** Estimate of 150 fatalities is attributed to surviving passengers.

***Yazoo City Weekly Whig. The numbers within the article, if we understand them correctly, add to 150. If we subtract the thirteen slaves, assuming their deaths were previously accounted for within the notations of deck and cabin passenger losses, the death-toll would be 137, or seventeen more than noted in the article subtitle.

Blanchard on location of the loss. If the loss was approximately ten miles above Fort Adams (MS shore), as reported, then the loss would be approaching, or in, the Black Hawk bend (or Point), which juts into the Mississippi from Louisiana side. The boundary between the states of Louisiana and Mississippi run through the Mississippi River, sometimes closer to the Mississippi shore, some places closer to the Louisiana shore, and at some places right about equidistant. Several accounts note that the snagging was off the Louisiana shore – thus our placement at Black Hawk bend, LA.

Narrative Information

Adams County: “Overloaded – Struck snag upriver from New Orleans & sank within 5 minutes – 80 to 150 lives lost.” (Adams County, MS, Genealogical & Historical Research.)

Berman: “John L. Avery…323 [tons]; 1853 [built]; Mar 9 1854 [lost]; Snagged. Fort Adams, Miss. 40 lives lost.” (Berman 1972, 175)

Board of Supervising Inspectors: “The steamer ‘John L. Avery’ was, on 15th March last, snagged or swamped near Palmetto Point. The loss of life is variously stated at from twelve to thirty. The boat was bound to St. Louis, and the exact number could not be ascertained, as the officers did not return to New Orleans. For this reason, also, no investigation was had.” (Report of Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats. Detroit: Oct 10, 1854, p. 394.)

Bragg: “Black Hawk Point, Louisiana. Mile 320.1 AHP…. In March 1854, the steamer John L. Avery hit a snag at Black Hawk Point and sank. The boat was carrying a heavy load of freight. She had stopped at Pointe Coupee on her way up the river, to pick up some hogsheads of sugar. The sugar was stacked along the outside edge of the deck, effectively hemming in all the deck passengers. When the boat went down so rapidly, they were unable to escape, and it was estimated that 80 to 90 had drowned. Most of them were Irish immigrants, whose names had not been recorded.” (Bragg. Historic Names…Places on…Lower Miss. Riv. “Black Hawk Pt. LA, 1977, p. 193.)

Lloyd: “The J. L. Avery, J. L. Robertson commander, was a new boat, built in the most substantial manner, and furnished with every neces¬sary equipment for a first class passenger boat, being designed as a regular packet between New Orleans and Natchez. She left New Orleans, on her customary trip up the river, on March 7th, 1854. She stopped at Point Coupee and took in a large quantity of sugar and molasses; and on the 9th of the same month she passed the steamer Sultana, off Black Hawk point, forty miles below Natchez; and having left the Sultana, (with which she appears to have been racing,) about a mile astern, [between Black Hawk and Jackson point] she struck what was supposed to be a tree washed from the shore by a recent freshet. A very large leak in the bottom of the boat was the consequence of this accident, and although the pilot im¬mediately steered for the shore, the steamer sunk before she could get near enough to land the passengers. Mr. J. V. Guthrie, an engineer, and the carpenter, were standing just forward of the boilers when they heard the crash—the boat at the same time making a sudden surge to one side. The carpenter immediately lifted the scuttle-hatch and leaped into the hold, but finding the water pouring in too fast to admit of any attempt at repairing the damage, he made haste to get out again, at the same time giving notice to the engineer that the boat had snagged. Mr. Guthrie, perceiving that the boat was going down, hastened to the engine, but before he got there, he was up to his knees in water. The cabin passengers were hurried up to the hurricane-deck. Soon after, the boat righted, and the hull separated from the cabin and sunk in sixty feet of water.

“As the hull parted from the upper works, the surging of the waters caused the cabin floor to rise up against the hurricane roof, and six persons who remained in the cabin were dragged out through the sky-lights by Capt. Robertson and his two clerks…. But the situation of the deck passengers was the most calamitous; there was a large number of them crowded in their allotted place, where they were walled-in by hogsheads of sugar, which would have prevented their escape, if escape had been otherwise possible. These unfortunate people were nearly all drowned.

“There were many Irish emigrants on board, whose names were un¬registered, and there is a great deal of uncertainty respecting the num¬ber of those who perished. Eye-witnesses testify that a large number of men, women and children could be seen drowning at one time. Of the twenty firemen on board, twelve were drowned. The second mate and another person launched the life-boat, but it was almost immedi¬ately upset, probably by the eager and ill-directed efforts of the drowning people to get into it. The steamer Sultana, with which the Avery had been racing, promptly came to the rescue of the drowning crew and passengers, and was the means of saving some of them; but the number lost is believed to be at least eighty or ninety.” (Lloyd 1856, pp. 197-199.)

Nelson: “Almost two decades after the Ben Sherrod sank at Black Hawk Point along the Mississippi in southern Concordia Parish [LA], another steamboat disaster claimed dozens of souls at the same location.

“In 1854, the John L. Avery hit a snag and quickly filled with water. In a short period, an estimated 85 passengers and crew members were dead….

“…more than three-dozen undocumented immigrants – all Irish – were among the victims….”
(Nelson, Stanley. “‘Oh, mother, he cannot save me!’” Concordia Sentinel, LA. 12-16-2015.)

Way: John L. Avery. Sidewheel packet, built in 1853 in Cincinnati, OH. “Hit a snag and sank at Fort Adams, Miss., Mar 9, 1854. She was downbound with a big trip. Had been operating New Orleans-Natchez. Went down in five minutes with only top of cabin showing. Official report says 40 lives were lost.” (Way’s Packet Directory, 1848-1994…Steamboats…MS River System. 1994, 253.)

Newspapers at the Time

March 11, Daily Comet, Baton Rouge: “The steamer Glen Dale, from Cincinnati, passed our landing yesterday evening, about 3 o’clock, and reports the John L. Avery, bound up, to have sunk at Black Hawks point, ten miles above Fort Adams. A number of lives are reported lost. Some parties from Baton Rouge were aboard – among others Mr. McKnight of Buffalo.” (Daily Comet, Baton Rouge, LA. 3-11-1854, p. 2, col. 1.)

March 11, Natchez Courier (in Yazoo City Weekly Whig, MS, of March 17): “The steamer Sultana bound for Louisville put off at this port [Natchez] on Thursday night between thirty or forty of the surviving passengers from the wreck of the steamer John L. Avery, which struck a snag about ten miles above Fort Adams on Thursday afternoon the 8th inst. About 3 o’clock, and almost immediately sunk:

“Those of the passengers that arrived here were very generally in a state of destitution many of them being hardly clad and evidencing their recent exposure and calamity. – From conversation of several of them we gather the following particulars.

“The steamer John L. Avery, Richard Robinson master, left New Orleans on Tuesday evening the 7th inst. For Cincinnati. – She had a large freight on board and a great many passengers. On Wednesday and Thursday morning, she took in an additional number. The passengers state her to have so much so that the water would occasionally come up on her guards. The number on board probably amounted to three hundred nearly all of whom were cabin passengers. They further state that the Avery had been striking all day to keep ahead of the Sultana, some of her officers freely offering to bet that they would beat the latter boat to Louisville.

“The boat was about 150 to 200 yards from the Louisiana shore when she struck a snag. The forepart appeared immediately to separate from the hind portion, the chimneys going overboard, and the stern rapidly settling. As the stern settled, the cabin careened, rolling overboard a large number which had gathered upon it for safety. The sinking was almost instantaneous; some of the passengers stating that it was hardly two minutes, and others that not more than four or 5 minutes elapsed at the utmost, before all was over and the entire steamer out of sight except the top of her upper cabin on which were congregated most of the passengers that were saved. Many were however rescued from the water. The wind at that time was very high and the waves rolled with quite a heavy swell.

“The steamer Sultana, which was immediately behind, came alongside in the course of twenty minutes and succeeded in rescuing those clinging to the wreck and also several found floating in the water. A steamer was lying tied to the shore near the scene of this awful disaster. Her steam however was not up. A yawl put out from her and succeeded in rescuing several from the river. The rescued ones were most kindly treated on board of this boat and also on the Sultana.

“Our informants generally estimate that 80 to 90 of the deck hands [passengers?] were drowned. Of thirty-two hand belonging to the boat they say only 13 [not clear, could be 15] were known to be saved. One of our informants say that of the cabin passengers about 25 were ladies of whom he estimated at least ten were drowned and that in all the probability the loss of life among the cabin passengers amounted to thirty-five or forty. The Captain, first mate and the first and second clerks were saved; the second Mate, and two Pilots were drowned. –

“The mate was drowned in getting the life boat overboard. Of fourteen negroes on board belonging to passengers, only one, a child of five months was saved. But few of the passengers saved their baggage: what was saved was cut out of the state rooms from the upper deck. As an evidence of how sudden was this horrid catastrophe, 1 of the firemen states that when the Avery struck he was asleep on some sugar hogs-heads, behind the Engine, and as he jumped down he found himself up to his waist in water.

“The Sultana had on board probably from 150 to 200 of the survivors; among them the second clerk who proceeded up the river; the Captain and first remaining near the wreck.

“The liberality of the German Society in Natchez, was well tested yesterday – that benevolent association having undertaken to relieve their immediate necessities. Its members received the hearty thanks of those whom they thus aided….” (Yazoo City Weekly Whig, MS. “Terrible Steamboat Accident. One Hundred and Twenty Lives Probably Lost.” 3-17-1854, p. 2.

March 16, Christian Age, Cincinnati: “By the arrival of the steamer James Robb, we learn that another awful steamboat disaster has occurred on the Mississippi river, involving the sol los some forty or fifty lives.

“We are indebted to Mr. George T. Gray, the gentlemanly clerk of the Robt. J. Ward, for the following particulars of the terrible calamity:

“The steamer John L. Avery, Captain Richard Robertson, bound from New Orleans to Cincinnati, struck a snag at Black point (about 40 miles below Natchez) on Thursday, March 9, at 3 o’clock, A.M., and sunk immediately. As the boat sunk, the cabin floated off, and it is thought that at least 40 or 50 lives were lost, principally deck passengers, and probably many more, as she was very full both cabin and deck.

“The second mate and cook are among the missing. The snag struck the bottom of the boat and came up through amongst the firemen. The Sultana picked up the survivors and brought them to Natchez. It is thought by many that she did not strike a snag, but was swamped in the heavy gale that prevailed at that time. She was loaded very deep.

“The Memphis papers report that 150 lives were lost. The Avery was a new boat and was owned in Cincinnati.” (Christian Age, Cincinnati. “Another Terrible Disaster Sinking of the John L. Avery.” 3-16-1854, 6.)

March 20, New Orleans Daily Crescent: “It is thought that the number of lives lost by the sinking of the John L Avery will not fall short of 30, among whom was the Rev. Mr. Benson, of Mt. Vernon, Ohio, a child of Mrs. Permion, the 2d mate, and ten negroes belonging to John Purnell, Esq., of Maryland. The lives lost are principally those of deck passengers.” (New Orleans Daily Crescent, LA. 3-20-1854, p. 2, col. 3.)

March 20, New York Daily Times: “Cincinnati, Monday, March 20. The officers of the ill-fated steamer J. L. Avery arrived here to-day, and furnished full particulars of the disaster to that vessel. The boat sunk in two minutes after striking a snag. The cabin parted from the hull, and the latter went down in sixteen feet of water. Mr. Guthrie, the engineer, says the loss of life cannot be less than sixty or seventy persons, including eight cabin and nearly all the deck passengers. The boat had a large and very valuable cargo on board, all of which was lost….” (NY Daily Times. “The Loss of the Steamer J. L. Avery,” Mar 21, 1854, p. 1.)

March 22. Milwaukee Daily Sentinel: “Great loss of life…by the sinking of the J. L. Avery, near Natchez on the 9th instant, the loss of life is variously reported at from fifty to one hundred; most of those drowned being German emigrants.” (Milwaukee Daily Sentinel, WI. “Steamboat Disasters,” Mar 22, 1854, p. 2.)

March 27, Gettysburg Republican Compiler: “The steamer John L. Avery, which left New Orleans on the 7th inst. For Cincinnati, sank in the Mississippi by striking a snag, and a large number of lives were lost. It appears she had on board nearly 300 passengers, including about 100 in the cabin, and was heavily laden with freight, and, as is alleged, was, at the time of the accident, racing with another boat. The Natchez Courier says:

She was about 150 to 200 yards from the Louisiana shore when she struck the snag. The forepart appeared immediately to separate from the hind portion – the chimneys going overboard and the stern rapidly settling. As the stern settled, the cabin careened, rolling overboard a large number who had gathered upon it for safety. The sinking was almost instantaneous: some of the passengers stating that it was hardly over two minutes, and others that not more than four or five minutes elapsed at the utmost, before all was over, and the entire steamer out of sight, except the top of the upper cabin, on which were congregated most of the passengers that were saved. Many were, however, afterwards rescued from the water. The wind at the time was very high, and the waves rolled with quite a heavy squall.

The steamer Sultana, which was immediately behind, came alongside in the course of 20 minutes, and succeeded in rescuing those clinging to the wreck, and also several found floating in the river – in all from 150 to 170.

Mr. Guthrie, the engineer, says that the loss of life cannot be less than sixty or seventy…”

(Republican Compiler (Gettysburg, PA). “Sinking of the Steamer John L. Avery.” 3-27-1854, p. 4.)

March 29, Weekly Wisconsin, Milwaukee: “The wreck of the John L Avery on the Lower Mississippi, a week or more since resulted in the loss of between fifty and seventy-five lives – all deck passengers but two, many of them women and children. The Sultana arrived alongside, and her deck hands commenced plundering the Avery, and no control could be exerted over them. The steamer Michigan came along side, and took the survivors to St. Louis and Natchez.” (Weekly Wisconsin, Milwaukee. “The Wreck of the John L Avery,” 3-29-1854, p. 3.)

Sources

Adams County, MS, Genealogical & Historical Research. “Some Steamboat Accidents and Disasters in the Natchez area, and on The Lower Mississippi River.” Accessed 9-16-2020 at: http://www.natchezbelle.org/adams-ind/silver.htm#accidents

Berman, Bruce D. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. Boston: Mariners Press Inc., 1972.

Board of Supervising Inspectors. “Report of Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats,” Oct 10, 1854, pp. 392-394. In: Index to Executive Documents Printed by Order of The Senate of the United States, Second Session, Thirty-Third Congress, 1854-’55 (in Twelve Volumes). Washington: Beverley Tucker, Senate Printer, 1855. Digitized by Google. Accessed 9-16-2020 at: http://books.google.com/books?id=sIcFAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

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