1866 — Aug 6, Steamer General Lytle boiler explosion ~Bethlehem IN, OH Riv., KY side–20-24

–20-24 Blanchard estimated range.*

–30-35 Way’s Packet Directory, 1848-1994: Passenger Steamboats…[MS Riv. Sys.]… 1999, 181-182.
–20-30 Madison Courier, IN. “Sad Catastrophe! Explosion of the General Lytle!” 8-8-1866, 3.
— 8-24 Cincinnati Commercial. “Terrible Steamboat Accident…General Lytle.” 8-7-1866, p. 4.**
–15-20 NYT. “The Explosion on The Ohio. The Gen. Lytle Bursts her Boiler…” 8-11-1866, p.6.
— 20 Specific fatalities noted in sources below.
— 11 Bodies before Coroner’s inquest. Madison Courier, IN. “Sad Catastrophe!” 8-8-1866, 3.

*Blanchard on fatalities: The low-end of our estimated range (20) is based on specific fatalities noted in the sources noted below. For the high-end (24) we use the Cincinnati Commercial report of Aug 7. While we are aware of Way and newspaper reports of a higher death toll, particularly in the first two days after the explosion, the reports that followed tended toward a smaller death-toll. There may indeed have been a higher death-toll than the 20-24 we show, but we seek to be conservative and rely on specificity where we can and not speculation.

**Eight bodies had been recovered and 16 persons were missing – 4 passengers and 12 of crew.

Narrative Information

Way: General Lytle. Sidewheel wood-hull packet, built in Cincinnati, OH, in 1864, at 1,053.25 tons, measuring 270 x 40 x 7. “…Built for the U.S. Mail Line Co., and ran Cincinnati-Louisville. She exploded boilers upbound about a quarter mile below Bethlehem, Ind., on Monday, Aug. 6, 1866. She had left Louisville [KY, downriver] at noon, and had landed at Westport [KY] where the St. Charles caught up and went by. The Lytle was overtaking the St. Charles when the explosion occurred. Witnesses aboard the St. Charles, still about 150 yards in the lead, said the blast sounded like the discharge of a six-pounder. A cloud of smoke and ashes arose as high as her chimneys, and no steam was visible. The Lytle’s whole front works, from the center as the wheelhouses to about the center of the office, went up about 60 or 70 feet. The debris showered to both sides of her. The St. Charles immediately backed down and came along the port side. Passengers were vacated by the back stairs as the Lytle was afire near the port wheelhouse. Flames were quenched by fire hoses from the St. Charles. A piece of boiler flue, about eight feet long, lay across the Lytle’s office desk. Capt. Godman, master of the Lytle, resident of Madison, Ind., was on the roof, over the barbershop. He lived about ten minutes, unable to talk. William Miller, chief engineer, was taken to Louisville badly scalded. His son Charles, striker engineer, was not found. Henry Edwards, second engineer, died soon after the accident. The wrecked boat was towed to Cincinnati by the General Buell, where a reporter wrote: ‘She is one of the most complete wrecks we have ever seen.’ The life loss was variously estimated as 30 to 35 lives. Silverware and fragments of dishes, etc., were picked up in the area for many years after. She was completely rebuilt and ran many years.” (pp. 181-182.)

Newspapers

Aug 6: “Madison, Ind., August 6. The steamer General Lytle exploded her boiler twenty-five miles below Madison at 3 o’clock this afternoon. The boat is a total wreck. The ladies were all saved uninjured. Eight dead bodies, including Captain Godman, and seventeen persons badly wounded, have been rescued from the wreck by the steamer St. Charles. Four passengers and twelve of the crew are missing.

“{Second Dispatch.} Particulars of the Disaster…Madison, Ind., August 6. The steamer General Lytle blew up this afternoon at Bethlehem, Indiana. Passengers say she had been racing with the St. Charles all the way from Louisville. When the accident occurred they were close together. From fifteen to twenty lives were lost; most of the crew are saved….” (Cincinnati Commercial. “Terrible Steamboat Accident. Boiler Explosion on the General Lytle.” 8-7-1866, p. 4.

Aug 8: “(From the Louisville Democrat, Aug 8.)

“We are called upon this morning to add another to the long list of steamboat disasters. The General Lytle, of the United States Mail Line, exploded her boilers between 3 and 4 o’clock Yesterday afternoon, near Bethlehem Landing, about 20 miles below Madison, Ind. The General Lytle and St. Charles were near together, and were racing at the time the explosion took place. The Lytle had gotten into shoal water, and had stopped the larboard engine, and the St. Charles had passed her a short distance, and, just as the signal was given to go ahead on the larboard engine, the boilers exploded. The force of the explosion was sideways and upwards, from forward of the wheel-houses to the office, tearing off the decks and pilot-house, and making a complete wreck of the boat. It is impossible at this time to form a correct estimate of the number lost. It is generally estimated at from 15 to 20, though some estimates are higher than either of the above. We give below a partial list of the killed and wounded, and of some that are known to be among the saved.

“Capt. Goodman, killed. He was in his room asleep at the time and expired in a few minutes after he was taken on board of the St. Charles. Chas. Miller, assistant engineer, who was on watch at the time is supposed to have been lost. Passengers by the Gipsey report having seen six dead bodies on the guards of the St. Charles. Wm. Miller, engineer, badly scalded, and Willis Adams, colored cabin boy, wounded in the back of the neck by a piece or iron, and considerably burned, were brought down on the Gipsey. The second engineer, Henry Evans, badly scalded, was taken to Cincinnati on the St. Charles. Charles Reese, first mate, badly scalded; one of the barkeepers (name unknown), badly scalded; Norman Bondurant, passenger, badly scalded; James Leonard, baker, badly scalded. The head cook is supposed to have been killed outright. Rev. Mr. Crow, of Jeffersonville, badly scalded. It is reported that most of the deck hands on watch were either killed or badly wounded. A note brought down by a passenger on the Gipsey states that Maggie Hataway and party are all safe. Joseph Merker, Chas. Defour (slightly injured), and Chas. Brashear, pilots, and the third clerk, whose name we were unable to learn, were in the pilot-house at the time of the explosion, and all escaped. They were standing on the larboard side, and as the pilot-house was blown off they fell back into the wreck, and escaped with slight bruises, except Defour. The St. Charles backed down immediately after the explosion, and took off the survivors. Her officers rendered every assistance in their power. A number of persons floated down the river on pieces of the wreck, and were rescued by the St. Charles. It is believed that all of the lady passengers escaped unhurt, as the ladies’ cabin was almost entirely uninjured. The bar was blown out into the river, and one of the barkeepers, who was on duty at the time, was blown out with it, and floated down the river to Oldham’s landing, where he was received unhurt with the exception of a few bruises.

“The Gen. Lytle was provided with the old-fashioned two-flued boiler, five in number, and it is thought by parties that saw the wreck that all of her boilers must have exploded. Fragments of the boilers must have passed downward, as she sunk immediately. The wreck caught fire, but was extinguished by the St. Charles….” (New York Times. “The Explosion on The Ohio. The Gen. Lytle Bursts her Boiler – Fifteen or Twenty Lives Lost.” 8-11-1866, p. 6.)

Aug 8: “With profoundest sorrow we have to announce one of the most appalling calamities it has ever been our sad duty to mention, as occurring near our city – the explosion of the Cincinnati and Louisville Mail Company’s steamboat Gen. Lytle, involving a heavy loss of life and property. The Lytle and St. Charles were both due at Madison at four o’clock, and as it was near half past six with the latter came in sight at the ‘Bend’ below, people wondered what might be the matter; and as the Charles neither rang her bell nor blew her whistle, as she neared the landing, ‘still the wonder grew.’ When the wharf-boat was reached, however, the sad story was soon told; and as the news spread like a cloud of gloom over the city, that the St. Charles had arrived with her cabin full of dead and wounded, taken from the wreck of the ill-fated Lytle, vast crowds of sympathizing citizens hastened to the scene of suffering and of death, and like good Samaritans they went to work, relieving as far as possible their sufferings, and whispering words of comfort in their ears. All over the interior of the wharf, and on the deck and in the cabin of the St. Charles, were scattered the dead and dying, white and black, side by side – for death is no respecter of persons. Among the instantly killed was Captain H. Godman, whose remains were conveyed last evening to the residence of his brother-in-law, Colonel Samuel B. Sering, corner Vine and Second streets. He will be buried at Madison, his old home. There were also other Madisonians killed – David Scherott, Bob Schlate and Martin Garrity.

“As soon as the accident became known, Commissioner Bowman placed Dr. Kunkler in charge of all the wounded, authorizing him to take all necessary steps to relieve the sufferers at the county’s expense….

“It has not been ascertained yet the exact number of lives lost, but it is supposed that between 20 and 30 will cover the loss. The number besides these, who were more or less hurt will probably reach 75 or 80. The engineer of the Gen. Lytle was brought on board of the St. Charles, it was thought in a dying condition, and said that he was carrying but 155 pounds of steam when the explosion occurred. River men attribute this fatal accident to the defective boilers of the Lytle.

“Passengers – From Louisville to Cincinnati.

….Elster, badly scalded…
Thomas, badly scalded…
Snider and boy, missing;
Peak, missing…
Rolston, missing…

From Louisville to Madison.

Rosinberg, missing….

Crew.

H. Godman, captain, killed;
Chas. Mains, clerk, badly scalded;
Chas. Comeges, clerk, safe;
Charles Cufour, pilot, safe;
Charles Brasherrs, pilot, badly cut;
Joe. Meeker, pilot, safe;
Wm. Miller, first engineer, badly scalded;
Henry Edwards, second engineer, badly scalded…
Charles Miller, striker, missing…
Joe. Molomaker, cook, missing…
N. Herganreather, bar-keeper, badly scalded…
Ben. Smith, cook boy, missing…

“Still Later! Other Victims Dead! Inquest – Verdict of the Jury!

“There were some eight or ten others taken to various parts of the city. A number of the severely wounded were taken on to Cincinnati, and others to Louisville. There is one dead on the wharfboat this morning, supposed to be from Covington Kentucky….

“The Coroner, Mr. Bucher, this morning held an inquest of the bodies of the following persons:

James Green, Cincinnati, colored man, dead.
_____ Bourbon, Cincinnati, colored man, dead.
C. Graciani, Covington, Kentucky, white man, dead.
Andrew Schlate, Madison, Indiana, white man, dead.
N. Herganreather, Covington, Ky, white man , dead.
William Moore, Hibernia P. O., Scott co., Ind., white man, dead.
Homan Turner, Cincinnati, black. His mother is Salina Payne.
John Crittenden, Cincinnati, black man, dead.
Henderson Godman, Madison, white man, dead…
Martin Garrity, a white man, Madison, dead.
Body of an unknown colored man, sent to Cincinnati.

Verdict of the Jury.

“‘We, the jury, do say that these men came to their death by the explosion of the General Lytle, on the Ohio river, while racing with the steamboat St. Charles.’” (Madison Courier, IN. “Sad Catastrophe! Explosion of the General Lytle!” 8-8-1866, p. 3.)

Aug 8: “Cincinnati, Aug. 8. – Eds. Com. – You will please publish the following, my statement relative to the explosion of the General Lytle: The General Lytle landed at Westport, and before we could get under way the St. Charles was alongside of us, and kept alongside of us all the way to Bethlehem. Captain Godman backed the Lytle out from Westport. He then came into the hall, in the Texas, where Mr. Miller, the engineer, was sitting. Captain Godman made the remark to Miller that the St. Charles would run alongside of us until we got to Madison. Mr. Miller then remarked to Captain Godman that he could not crowd the boat on account of her boilers; and that the St. Charles would have to stay alongside of us because 300 pounds of steam would not make us run past her. I went into the pilot-house just after we left Westport, and found that the Lytle steered very badly for shoal water. I then took the wheel in order to help run Brashier’s steer. We then run side by side with the St. Charles until we got to Bethlehem. The Lytle then sheered off for the Kentucky shore. I then stopped the larboard wheel of the engine in order to let her (the Lytle) straiten up in the channel. We run on one wheel on the Kentucky shore as long as 1½ minutes. We started to swing back toward the St. Charles, on the larboard side. I then rang the bell to go ahead on the larboard engine. She then exploded, before the order could be obeyed. Every boiler on the boat exploded.

“I could not see but one piece of one of the boiler heads up by the baggage room, and one twisted sheet of the boiler back in the deck room. Mr. Edwards, the second engineer, after he got aboard of the St. Charles, said that he was running with one hundred and fifty-five pounds of steam at the time. I don’t think that there could be any more than that, because she was not blowing off at the time. I remarked to Mr. Brashiers that the Lytle was not running like she was when she left Louisville. Mr. Miller, the head engineer, was on watch when we left Louisville, and she generally runs better from Louisville to Twelve-mile Island than she does above there. Mr. Miller is always very particular about carrying water in the boilers when he is on watch himself, and he never allows his strikers to attend to it. I don’t think that the officers and head engineer are to blame for the explosion, nor the company for running the boat, as the boilers were strong enough to carry the amount of steam that the law allows. I don’t believe that nobody on the boat was to blame, except the second engineer, who was on watch at the time of the explosion. Captain Martin and all the officers and crew of the St. Charles did every thing in their power for the benefit of the sufferers. Yours respectfully, Charles Dufour, Pilot, General Lytle.” (Cincinnati Commercial. [Statement of Charles Dufour, Pilot, General Lytle.] 8-9-1866, p. 7.)

Aug 9: “The following are additional names of those killed by the explosion of the steamboat General Lytle:

“James Green, 35 years of age, colored, boatman, married, residing on Sixth street; Wm. Lewis, 41 years of age, colored, boatman, married, residing on Beme alley, near Mill; Richard Nelson, 65 years of age, colored, boatman, married, residing on Eighth street, near Broadway.” (Cincinnati Commercial. “More of the Victims.” 8-9-1866, p. 10.)

Aug 10: “….From this morning’s [Aug 10] Louisville Courier we copy the following in reference to the late disaster on the steamer Gen. Lytle:

“The Disaster To The Gen. Lytle – More Bodies Recovered. – The steamer Gipsey, that went to the wreck of the Gen. Lytle, has succeeded in pumping the water out of the hold, and partially cleared the wreck. She now lies afloat in the river, held by the water-wheel shafts, which will have to be detached from the hull, and left in the river until they can be recovered by a regular wrecking craft. The hull of the boat is to be towed to Cincinnati to be dismantled or reconstructed. The engine and hull are as good as ever.

“We hear of more victims of the disaster; also, the recovery of bodies of many of those reported missing. Among the latter was that of young Miller, son of the first engineer. His remains were brought here on the United States yesterday.

“The body of Rosenburg of this city [Louisville] was found in the river, and brought to this city yesterday in a skiff. In all, seven additional bodies have been recovered, most of which have been identified. To the list of dead must be added the name of Chas. Rees, the first mate; also the second mate, whose name we did not learn. The scene of the disaster and the wreck is visited by hundreds of persons, who are coming and going continually, and all sorts of conveyances are called into requisition, and the river is full of skiffs laden with people, who have ben drawn thither, some out of curiosity, others, no doubt, for plunder, but very many in the river search for relatives or friends lost by the dreadful disaster.

“As usual in cases of this sort, the cause of the disaster is most eagerly sought for, and rumors of all sorts are flying about. It is the duty of the Inspectors of this district to investigate the affair, and no doubt they are at work, and their report will be forthcoming in time. The public, however, will not wait, and already have half a dozen versions of the casualty been circulated. The boat was built in Cincinnati, and the ill-fated Missouri was built in Cincinnati. The former had double flued boilers, and the latter had the now discarded tubular boilers. The engineers of each boat were old, experienced, well tried boat men, were skillful, and enjoyed high reputations….

“The General Lytle had double-flued boilers, we believe, and she has just exploded, tearing her boilers to pieces. Now, one of two things caused the disaster – the boilers had too little water in them or the iron was very defective.

“It was said that the Gen. Lytle was racing. If so, it was slow racing, for she was much faster than the boat she was with – the St. Charles – and it did not require much pressure of steam to beat her in a race. Now William Miller, the engineer of the Gen. Lytle, had been employed on real racing boats, first the Telegraph No. 2, and then the Telegraph No. 3. They actually ran races in their day, and ran at high speed, and with high steam, and Miller was the engineer during their whole career, and never met with an accident.” (Daily Ledger, New Albany, IN. “River News.” 8-10-1866, p.2.)

Named or Identified Fatalities

1. Bourbon, ____, Cincinnati, OH, black.
2. Brasher, Miss Cincinnati, OH.
3. Crittenden, John, Cincinnati, OH, black.
4. Garrity, Martin, Madison, IN, white
5. Godman, Cpt. Henderson, Madison, IN, white.
6. Graciani, C., Covington, KY, white.
7. Green, James, 35 Cincinnati, OH, black.
8. Herganreuther/Harbenrother Covington, KY, white. (or Madison, IN; barkeeper)
9. Lewis, Wm., 41, Cincinnati, OH, black.
10. Miller, “young” son of engineer.
11. Moore, William, Hibernia P.O., Scott county, IN, white.
12. Murray, Paul.
13. Nelson, Richard, 65 Cincinnati, OH, black
14. Rees, Chas, first mate.
15. Rosenburg Louisville
16. Scherott, David, Madison, IN.
17. Schlate, Andrew, Madison, IN, white.
18. Turner, Holman, Cincinnati OH, black.
19. Second mate, name not known at time of story.
20. Unknown man, body sent to: Cincinnati, OH, black.

Sources

Cincinnati Commercial. “Gleanings from Our Exchanges.” 8-10-1866, p. 7, col. 1. Accessed 9-2-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/cincinnati-commercial-aug-10-1866-p-7/

Cincinnati Commercial. “More of the Victims.” 8-9-1866, p. 10. Accessed 9-2-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/cincinnati-commercial-aug-09-1866-p-10/

Cincinnati Commercial. “Personal.” 8-27-1866, p. 3. Accessed 9-2-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/cincinnati-commercial-aug-27-1866-p-4/

Cincinnati Commercial. [Statement of Charles Dufour, Pilot, General Lytle.] 8-9-1866, p. 7. Accessed 9-2-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/cincinnati-commercial-aug-09-1866-p-11/

Cincinnati Commercial. “Terrible Steamboat Accident. Boiler Explosion on the General Lytle.” 8-7-1866, p. 4. Accessed 9-2-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/cincinnati-commercial-aug-07-1866-p-5/

Daily Ledger, New Albany, IN. “River News.” 8-10-1866, p. 2. Accessed 9-2-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/new-albany-daily-ledger-aug-10-1866-p-2/

Madison Courier, IN. “Sad Catastrophe! Explosion of the General Lytle!” 8-8-1866, p. 3. Accessed 9-2-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/madison-weekly-courier-aug-08-1866-p-3/

New York Times. “The Explosion on The Ohio. The Gen. Lytle Bursts her Boiler – Fifteen or Twenty Lives Lost.” 8-11-1866, p. 6. Accessed 9-2-2020 at: https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1866/08/11/90434067.html?pageNumber=6

Pittsburgh-Gazette, “River News,” 8-14-1866, p.4, col. 3. Accessed 9-2-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/pittsburgh-gazette-aug-14-1866-p-4/

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.