1857 — March 30, steamer Forest Rose boiler explosion, MS Riv., 2M below AR Riv., AR–11-14

–6-14 Way’s Packet Directory, 1848-1994: Passenger Steamboats…[MS Riv. Sys.]… 1999, 169.
— 13 American Volunteer, Carlisle, PA. 4-16-1857, p. 2, col. 3 bottom.
— 13 Monroe Sentinel, WI. “Explosion – Loss of Life,” April 8, 1857, p. 2.)
— 12 Gould. Fifty Years on the Mississippi… 1889, p. 437.
— 11 U.S. Steamboat Inspection Service. Annual Report 1857, p. 221.
— 9 New Orleans Daily Crescent. “Explosion of the Forest Rose.” 4-7-1857, p. 1.
— >7 Athens Messenger. “Forest Rose Explosion.” 4-17-1857, p. 4.
— 6 Lytle and Holdcamper. Merchant Steam Vessels of the [U.S.] 1807-1868. 1952, p. 241.

Narrative Information

U.S. Steamboat Inspection Service: “In the month of May last, on the steamer “Forest Rose,” while on her passage down the Mississippi, the boilers exploded, entirely destroying the boat, which, with the cargo, were a total loss. The engineer on watch at the time run away, and most of the officers and crew were killed; so that no evidence could be obtained as to the cause of the accident, but supposed to be the negligence of the engineer on watch. There were by the accident eleven of the crew who lost their lives, but none of the passengers.” (U.S. SIS. Annual Report 1857, p. 221.)

Way: Forest Rose. Sternwheel wood-hull packet, built in California, PA in 1852; 205 tons, measuring 154 x 28.5 x 5. “She ran trips Pittsburgh-St. Louis… Owned by Capt. Richard E. Allen of Paducah she exploded boilers near Napoleon Ark., on Mar. 25, 1857. Was upbound from New Orleans to Arkansas River. Life loss was given between six and 14 persons, one of whom was the seven-year-old son of Captain Allen. This happened about two miles below Napoleon, and the sound was heard there. The Arkansas went to the scene to render aid.”

Newspapers

April 1: “New Orleans, April 1. The steamer Forest Rose blew up yesterday near Napoleon, Arkansas. Many lives were lost. No particulars.” (Daily Hawk-Eye and Telegraph, Burlington, IA. 4-3- 1857, p. 3.)

April 2: “From the Memphis Appeal, April 2d….We learn from Mr. Kane, who came passenger on the steamer Kate Frisbee last night [Wednesday], that on Monday afternoon [March 30], between three and four o’clock, the steamer Forest Rose exploded both her boilers when within two miles of Napoleon, Ark. The boat was torn to pieces, and four men and a boy were instantly killed, and thirteen wounded, one of whom has since died, and it is feared that several others cannot survive.

“The Forest Rose was from New Orleans, bound up the Arkansas river, and was heavily laden with freight for towns on that stream. She was owned by Captain Allen, of Paducah, Ky., who was her commander….

“We have only ascertained the names of two of the killed, Mr. Thompson, one of the engineers, and Capt. Allen’s son, a lad about eight or ten years of age. The bar-keeper and mate are among the killed….One of the pilots is horribly mutilated, and it is thought cannot possibly survive….” (Daily Gazette, Vincennes, IN. “Explosion of the Forest Rose.” 4-11-1857, p. 2.)

April 3: “Cincinnati, April 3…It has been ascertained, that thirteen persons were killed and wounded by the explosion of the steamer Forest Rose near Napoleon, a few days since.” (Monroe Sentinel, WI. “Explosion – Loss of Life,” April 8, 1857, p. 2.)

April 7: “The following particulars of the explosion of the steamer Forest Rose have been furnished us by Mr. Edward A. Royael, carpenter of the ill-fated boat, who came down in the Ingomar.

“The explosion took place at about 1 o’clock on Monday afternoon, the 30th ult., whilst the boat was ascending the river about a mile and a half this side of Napoleon. The forward part of the cabin was blown to atoms, a large section of one of the boilers having alighted far back in the cabins without having passed through either the floor beneath or the roof above, and one of the chimneys failing across the forecastle. The carpenter, who was in the pilot house at the time, with Meldew [unclear] the head pilot, was blown out at one side and fell some distance back on the hurricane deck and some broken timbers. Not being hurt much, he went down to the larboard guard and got some others to help his let the yawl down to the water. This done, he set about rescuing the persons who were struggling in the water.

“The first person rescued was Mr. Benjamin Hite, a passenger, who kept a store eight miles from the Arkansas Springs. He was surrounded by drift from the wreck, and was supported by an Irish serving man whom he had recently hired, this man being seated on a portion of the wreck. Mr. Hite’s cheek was cut open and he complained that his shoulder was either broken or dislocated. He suffered so much that he made his rescuers pull away all the drift from around him before lifting him into the boat. Several other persons were taken out of the water by Mr. Royael and his companions, when Mr. Tucker, the mate of Spalding & Rogers’ Floating Palace, came to their assistance. In due time the wounded men and other survivors of the explosion were transferred to the steamer Arkansas and landed at Napoleon, the wounded being taken to the hospital there.

“Soon after the explosion the wrecked steamer sank in water deep enough to cover part of her hurricane deck. As she went down a party of men were at work on the forecastle, endeavoring to extricate David Thompson, the chief engineer, who was lying beneath the fallen chimney. He had to be left to his fate, and those who attempted to rescue him had to struggle bravely for their own lives.

“The following is a list of the killed and wounded, as nearly as Mr. Royael could recollect.

“Killed. – Mr. Benjamin Hite, a passenger – died at the hospital next day.

“Capt. Allen’s son, a lad o’ sixteen – body not found.

“David Thompson, first engineer – went down with the wreck, being fast under machinery.

“Francis Hester, bar keeper – body not found.

“One of the pilots, a young man named Hurt, or Hertz – body not found. Was a native of Paducah, Ky., and leaves a wife in Louisville.

“Thomas Ruth [unclear], mate – body not found. Leaves a wife and children, who reside in the Fourth District of this city [New Orleans].

“Second cook, name unknown – died at the hospital.

“One deck-hand and one foreman, names unknown – body of the later not found.

“Wounded. – Alex. Meldew [unclear] chief pilot, scalded all over, but it is thought not mortally.

“Second steward, name unknown – badly scalded, not expected to recover.

“An Indian, employed as a pantryman – scalded and not expected to live.

“Head cook, slightly scalded on the back of the neck.

“Six or seven deck-hands and firemen bruised, and scaled in different extent.

“Capt. Allen was at Napoleon when Mr. Royael left, and had succeeded in saving a good part of the cargo of the sunken boat.” (New Orleans Daily Crescent. “Explosion of the Forest Rose.” 4-7-1857, p. 1.)

April 17: “The Napoleon (Ark.) Telegraph has the particulars of the explosion of the steamer Forest Rose, near that place, and publishes the following list of persons injured by the disaster: [We break the list of names within a paragraph into separate lines.]

John Collins, New Orleans;
D. Carroll, Memphis, Tenn.,
Geo. Liner, New Orleans;
Wm. Ervin, St. Louis;
Geo. Turner, Xenia, Ill., (dead);
B. C. Marshall, New Orleans, do. [ditto]
P. Butler, do. [ditto], negro man;
A. J. Barker, do. Do. [ditto];
W. Smith, Lancaster City, Pa.;
George Hughes, New Orleans;
Richard Nogle, do. [ditto]
G. Brown, do. [ditto];
Henry Winter, Phila.’
Tom Lyon, New Orleans;
John Kelley, do.;
John McGinnis, do.’
G. W. Dunivan, Logan, Ohio;
Ales. Meloin, Cincinnati, Ohio;
Benjamin Hyde, Hot Springs, Ark., (dead);
Henry Mitchell, New Orleans;
Tom Flenning, do.

“The following are the killed and missing:

David Thompson, first engineer, killed; has a wife and family living somewhere in
Missouri or Illinois.
Thos. Routh, mate, missing.
Son of Captain Allen, the master and owner of the Forest Rose, of Paducah, Ky., aged 17
years, killed.
The bar keeper of the boat [Hester], missing.
The watchman, missing.

“Respectfully, &c., A. A. Edington, Sup’t and Dist. Ag’t U.S. Marine-Hospital. Napoleon, Arkansas.” (Athens Messenger. “Forest Rose Explosion.” 4-17-1857, p. 4.)

April 23: “The following account of the explosion of the Forest Rose, a short time since, near Napoleon, Ark., is from the Napoleon Planter, and is a more full account of any hitherto published –

“One of the most appalling scenes that was ever witnessed by the citizens of Napoleon, occurred on last Monday, at about 1 o’clock, p.m. The steamer Forest Rose, bound from New Orleans to Fort Smith [Ark.] burst her larboard boiler just above the point of Ozark Island, making her a complete wreck from the forecastle to her midship. The Captain, at the time of the accident, had just seated himself on the hurricane deck, when the explosion occurred, landing him on the forecastle, considerably jarred, though not seriously injured.

“His first thought was of those whom he had just left seated in the social hall (previous to his ascending from the social hall to the hurricane deck), some five or six in number, including his son. No traces of them could be discovered in the confused mass of lumber, machinery and merchandise piled on the hull. At this juncture, the noble hearted Capt. Danley arrived, with the steamer Arkansas, which boat had started for the wreck immediately after the explosion was known. Captain Danley gathered up all he could find, and then towed the hull into shallow water, where she soon after sunk.

“When the Arkansas returned to her landing, with her freight of mangled and dying humanity, the heart-rending spectacle presented to our view was utterly indescribable. The sufferers were taken to the Marine Hospital, where they received all the attention that the humane officers of the institution could render. Twenty-one persons were either killed, scalded or crippled by the catastrophe.” (Randolph Citizen, Huntsville, MO. “Steamboat Explosion.” 4-23-1857, p. 2.)

Sources

American Volunteer, Carlisle, PA. 4-16-1857, p. 2, col. 3 bottom. Accessed 8-30-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/carlisle-american-volunteer-apr-16-1857-p-2/

Athens Messenger. “Forest Rose Explosion.” 4-17-1857, p. 4. Accessed 8-30-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/athens-messenger-apr-17-1857-p-4/

Daily Gazette, Vincennes, IN. “Explosion of the Forest Rose.” 4-11-1857, p. 2. Accessed 8-30-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/daily-vincennes-gazette-apr-11-1857-p-2/

Daily Hawk-Eye and Telegraph, Burlington, IA. 4-3- 1857, p. 3. Accessed at: https://newspaperarchive.com/

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

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=9&size=125&q1=ceres

Monroe Sentinel, WI. “Explosion – Loss of Life,” April 8, 1857, p. 2. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=37539123

New Orleans Daily Crescent. “Explosion of the Forest Rose.” 4-7-1857, p. 1. Accessed 8-30-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/new-orleans-daily-crescent-apr-07-1857-p-1/

Randolph Citizen, Huntsville, MO. “Steamboat Explosion.” 4-23-1857, p. 2. Accessed 8-30-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/huntsville-randolph-citizen-apr-23-1857-p-2/

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Memphis District, Facebook post of 2-27-2015. Accessed 8-30-2020 at: https://www.facebook.com/MemphisUSACE/posts/did-you-know-island-no-75-was-located-at-mile-579-along-the-western-bank-of-the-/881879321877880/

United States Steamboat-Inspection Service. Fifth Annual Report of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats (October 27, 1857). In: Treasury Department. Report of the Secretary of the Treasury on the State of the Finances for the Year Ending June 30, 1857. Washington: House of Representatives, 35th Congress, 1st Session, Ex. Doc. No. 3, 1857. Digitized by Google at: http://books.google.com/books?id=GIPPAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_atb#v=onepage&q&f=true

Way, Frederick Jr. (Author and Compiler), Joseph W. Rutter (contributor). Way’s Packet Directory, 1848-1994: Passenger Steamboats of the Mississippi River System Since the Advent of Photography in Mid-Continent America (Revised). Athens OH: Ohio University Press, 1999.