1867 — Feb 17, Steamer David White boiler explosion, Miss. River, Point Chicot, MS –35-60

–35-60 Blanchard estimated death-toll range:

While our tally by name (below) shows 37 deaths, with two unidentified bodies, several accounts note upwards of thirty unidentified deck passengers were killed. However, in that Berman and Lytle and Holdcamper note 35 deaths, we choose to show this as the low-end of our death toll. We use, for the high-end of our death-toll, the statement of the investigating steamboat inspectors in May that “some sixty” people died.

— 65 New York Times. “Steamboat Explosion on the Mississippi River.” Feb 21, 1867, p. 5.
–31-61 Cincinnati Commercial, OH. “Our Special River Correspondence.” 2-23-1867, p7, c.1.*
— ~60 Cincinnati Commercial. “River and Steamboat News.” 5-9-1867, p. 7, col. 2.**
— >60 New York Times. “The Old Year. Chronology of 1867,” Jan 1, 1868, p. 2.
— 35 Berman, Bruce D. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. 1972, p. 164.
— 35 Lytle and Holdcamper. Merchant Steam Vessels of the [U.S.] 1807-1868. 1952, p. 244.
— 35 Memphis Daily Appeal, TN. “The David White Disaster.” 2-21-1867, p. 8, col. 3.***
— 35 Nash, Jay Robert. Darkest Hours. 1977, p. 686.
— 34 Cincinnati Commercial, OH. “The David White Disaster.” 2-24-1867, p. 1.

*Cincinnati Commercial: Names 31 fatalities, including description, such as officer, cabin crew, deck crew or passenger, and then notes “thirty others, names unknown.”

**Cincinnati Commercial: From statement of Reuben Dawson and John L. Crane, Local Steamboat Inspectors: “….Some sixty persons lost their lives…and among them the second engineer and all his attaches…”

***Memphis Daily Appeal: Names 33 fatalities, and notes two unknown people found dead on the bank of the river. Location noted as one mile below Columbia, MS. The only Columbia, MS we can locate is in Marion County on the Pearl River, far to the east of where the David White would need to travel to move between New Orleans and Louisville.

Blanchard on location of the explosion: Today Chicot Point is a piece of land within Arkansas, with the Mississippi and Arkansas borders moving quite markedly through the Mississippi River and beyond to the east and to the west. It has the appearance of a loop of land jutting from a narrow band of land to the south to a larger loop to the northeast, surrounded by Mississippi.

Thus there is Mississippi land to the west of the Mississippi River and Arkansas land to the east of the Mississippi River. Generally Arkansas is found to the west and Mississippi to the east. The crisscrossing borders most likely represent the historical borders prior to the shifting of the Mississippi River at this point to a more north-south direction, instead of meandering loops to the east and to the west as the river flows south.

Accounts of this event at the time note the explosion occurred about in the middle of the river between the two states. In that the boat had just left Greenville, MS, moving north when the explosion occurred just past Chicot Point, and in that most of the activity taking place afterwards was located at Greenville (where injured survivors were taken), we place the location within Mississippi waters rather than Arkansas. Indeed, on today’s maps all of the Mississippi River is within the state of Mississippi from Greenville northward until almost the end of Chicot Point, where the dividing line between the two states begins to move into the river once again, with somewhat the greater portion being on the Mississippi side.

Narrative Information

Berman: “David White; St. p. [steam propeller]; 636 [tons]; 1853 [built]; Feb 17, 1867 [date of loss]; Exploded. Columbia, Miss. 35 lives lost.” (Berman 1972, p. 164.)

Lytle and Holdcamper: “David White…636 tons…exploded…2 17 1867…Columbia, Miss. …35 [lives lost].”

Nash: “1867…Feb 17. David White. 35 [deaths]. The 636 ton steam side-wheel, built in 1853, exploded at Columbia, Miss.”

Way: David White; built at Madison Ind., at A. F. Temple yard in 1853; five boilers; paddlewheels 37 ft. diameter with 12 foot buckets. “Exploded boilers upbound on the Mississippi River at Point Chicot [AR] on Feb 17, 1867, Capt. Dan Kinney. Large life loss. Passengers testified that Mollie Able had left New Orleans same time as the White, and there was much racing up the river. The Able dropped out after she blew a cylinder-head on the post side and lost her pitman, this near Rodney.” (Way’s Packet Directory, 1848-1994: Passenger Steamboats…[MS Riv. Sys.]. 1994, p. 121.)

Newspapers

Feb 7, Memphis Daily Appeal: “The superb passenger steamer David White, in command of that amiable and experienced officer, Capt. Dan. Kinney, will leave the Star wharfboat to-day at 5 p.m., for New Orleans and all intermediate landings. Mr. Shaw, a genial and clever gentleman, presides in the office.” (Memphis Daily Appeal, TN. “River Matters.” 2-7-1867, p. 8.)

Feb 20, New Albany Daily Ledger, IN: “Explosion of the Steamer David White. Captain Kinney and Clerk Shaw Killed.

“Memphis, Feb 20. “No further particulars of he explosion of the steamer David White. A Nashville dispatch of the 19th announces the receipt of a private dispatch stating that the steamer David White blew up, an that Capt. Kinney and Dr. Shaw, Clerk, were lost [Kinney was not killed]. No locality is given, but it is supposed to be between Memphis and Vicksburg. She was coming up from New Orleans. The lines are down south, and we can get no particulars yet.” (New Albany Daily Ledger, IN. “Another Reported Disaster.” 2-20-1867, p. 3, col. 3.)

Feb 21, New York Times: “Memphis, Wednesday, Feb. 20. The Avalanche of this morning says: ‘The steamboat David White, which left New-Orleans on Thursday night for Louisville, with 300 passengers and 500 tons of freight for Nashville and Louisville, exploded her larboard boiler on Sunday noon [17th], near Columbia, 225 miles south of this city. The forward part of the boat was literally torn to atoms, and many of the passengers and crew were blown one hundred feet in the air, together with fragments of the boat. The scene is described as heart-rending; the cloths were blown off of some of the officers.

“Capt. Kinney was hurled one hundred feet in the air, and landed in the river much bruised and scalded.

“The clerk of the boat reported a loss of sixty-five passengers, many of whose names are unknown, as the books are lost.

“The boat is a complete wreck; a part of the boiler exploded upward and a part downward, tearing the hull wide open. The engineers and firemen on watch were blown down with the hull.

“The steamer Silas Bolen picked up the survivors, and the steamers Emerald and Pauline Carroll brought them here….

“Of all the cabin passengers only eleven are unhurt.” (NYT. “Steamboat Explosion on the Mississippi River.” Feb 21, 1867, p. 5.)

Feb 22, Cincinnati Commercial: “….The Courier, of yesterday, says:….A subsequent dispatch from Nashville stated that Captain Kinney, of the David White, was at Memphis, badly scalded, but not considered in a dangerous condition. Later dispatches distinctly state that the David White had blown up some distance above Greenville, and that Dr. Bush, a passenger well known in this city, was among the victims. His thigh was broken, and he was taken back to Greenville, where he was left in a very critical condition. This was in a dispatch to Dr. Scott, of this city…” (Cincinnati Commercial, OH. “Gleanings from Our Exchanges.” 2-22-1867, p. 7, col. 2.)

Feb 23, Cincinnati Commercial: “Eds. Com. – We send you a list of the killed and wounded by the explosion of the David White: [We break the original paragraph into separate numbered lines.]

“Killed—Officers:
1. Captain H. B. Shaw, of Nashville, Tenn.; [1st Clerk and part owner]
2. Wm. Smithwick, Second Clerk, of Nashville, Tenn.;
3. J. R. Toombs, First Mate, of Nashville, Tenn.
4. John Jewel, First Carpenter, of Canada;
5. J. Storey, Second Engineer, of New Albany, Ind.; [or William L. Story]
6. Robert Elam, Striker of Paducah, Ky.; [Reference to apprentice engine room helper?]
7. Andrew McKnight, Third Clerk, of Louisville.
“Passengers:
8. Mr. Brewster, of Kentucky;
9. William Lilly, of Kentucky;
10. J. G. Shute, Ohio; [Had been Capt. of the Cuba – on way to home in Lawrence Co., OH.]
11. J. Mitchell, Ohio;
12. Capt. [Charley] Harrison, Paducah;
13. Daniel Carleton, Humphreys county, Tenn.;
14. Eddie Klein, New Madrid, Missouri.
15. [W. T. Brantz]
16. [Louis Y. Brome, Wapello County, Iowa.]
17. [Martin Kilman, Madison, MO]
18. [Butler Mills, Lebanon, Kentucky.]
19. [J. G. Phutz, Ohio]
Cabin Crew:
20. Jerry Bell, Steward;
21. Wm. Brown,
22. Doc. Brown,
23. Jim Ricks,
24. Sam Johnson;
25. John Davis, Assistant Clerk of Nashville;
26. Tom Taylor, porter.
Deck Crew:
27. Pat Cafney,
28. Pat White,
29. Jim Woods,
30. _____Parker,
31. Martin Moran,
32. Peter Hines,
33. Charles Reddrick,
34. Frank Boozien,
35. Henry Graham,
36. John King;
Other:
37. [Mr. Strong of Memphis; whether crew or passenger not noted.]
38. [Unidentified person found on bank at Point Chicot.]
39. [Unidentified person found on bank at Point Chicot.]

“thirty others, names unknown. [Tends to be problematical when such a number is tacked on.]

“Wounded – Jack Dehart, Pilot, badly bruised; John Richardson, Pilot, badly bruised; John Ray, First Engineer, badly bruised; Robert Ray, Striker, badly bruised; Charles Gross, Barkeeper, badly scalded, Dr. Bush, of Louisville, thigh broken; F.P. Buckner, firm of R. H. Frazier & Co., New Orleans, badly burned.

“Of course, many passengers’ names are unknown. Of all the cabin passengers only eleven escaped unhurt. To the officers of the steamer Emerald we are deeply indebted. They have taken all of our officers, passengers and crew who were able to be moved, given us our passage from Greenville free, and shown us every attention that their generous hearts can suggest. May an appreciative public award them for it.” (Cincinnati Commercial, OH. “Our Special River Correspondence.” 2-23-1867, p. 7, col. 1.)

Feb 23, (from the Louisville Democrat of Feb 23): “Dr. T. J. Shaw, a relative of Captain H. B. Shaw, the principal owner of he ill-fated boat, arrived in the city [Louisville] yesterday, on his way to his home in Clarksville, Tennessee. To him we are indebted for the following additional particulars concerning the explosion. Dr. Shaw as the first clerk of the boat, and as the office-safe, books, papers, &c., were destroyed, it will be almost an impossibility to give a correct list of those killed and wounded, or of the freight she had on board.

“The David White, in command of Capt. Dan. Kinney, left New Orleans on Thursday of last week, with about one hundred passengers and five hundred tons of freight for this port, Nashville and points on the Cumberland river. She arrived at Greenville, Mississippi, on Sunday morning. She left Greenville and was running at the rate of about eight miles an hour until she reached Point Chicot, about eight miles above Greenville, when her larboard boiler exploded with terrific force, scattering death and destruction in every direction. The entire cabin, from the aft part of the wheelhouses to the jackstaff, was literally blown to atoms. But a few moments before, Dr. Shaw went back into the ladies’ cabin, and fortunately escaped. He says the scene cannot be written or described. It was just before dinner, and quite a number of passengers were gathered around the stove, almost immediately over the boilers. Captain Dan. Kinney was talking to Mr. F. P. Buckner, of New Orleans, at the time, near the bar. Both were blown high in the air and fell among the fragments in the river. Captain Kinney was saved, though his thigh was broken. He is in Memphis, doing well. Captain H. B. Shaw, the second clerk, Mr. McKnight, of this city, and mate were sitting in front of the boiler on the lower guard. They were never seen or heard from afterwards. The second clerk, Mr. Davis, from Nashville, was sitting at a table in the cabin, writing a letter to his wife. He was blown up and never heard from. Mr. John Richardson, who was at the wheel, was blown up and fell amid the debris; fortunately he escaped with a few slight bruises. Mr. Jack DeHart, the other pilot, was in the Texas lying down; he was extricated from the wreck, though badly hurt. He and Richardson are at Greenville where they will remain until DeHart can come home. The engines were in charge of the second engineer, Story, and Robert Elam, striker, both of whom are killed and went down with the hull. John and Robert Ray, the other engineers, were badly hurt. Charles Gross, of this city, who was bar-keeper, was badly scalded, and is at a relative’s in Memphis. Mr. William Lilly, and Mr. Brewster, who went down the stock, and were on their return, were both standing together in the cabin. Both were killed. Brewster’s body was recovered and taken to Greenville. Mr. Shute, of Ohio, was blown into the river and killed. His body was recovered and taken to Greenville. Mr. P. Duran [unclear], correspondent on the New York Metropolitan Record, was blown into the river and saved. There were many others whom Dr. Shaw does not remember, and whose names he has forgotten, who were either drowned with the hull sent down, killed by the explosion or wreck falling upon them, or losing their lives by attempting to swim ashore. The boat was in the middle of the river, half a mile from either shore. The boiler, or a part of it, went down through the bottom of the boat, causing her to sink in a few minutes. The ladies’ cabin floated off, with quite a number on it. There were but three lady passengers on board, Mrs. Dr. Shaw, of Clarksville, Tennessee, Mrs. Dr. Shaw, of Memphis, and Mrs. Kline of New Madrid, Missouri, all of whom were saved. The stove in the ladies’ cabin upset, and set the cabin on fire, but Dr. Shaw extinguished it. Mrs. Kline’s husband was sick in his room, but was carried out and saved by Dr. Shaw. She lost a little son, who was blown overboard and drowned. Some deck-hands had taken the yawl and gone ashore; but the carpenter of the boat brought it back to the floating cabin, and Dr. Shaw put the three ladies and Mr. Kline into it, and started for shore. On the way he picked up Captain Dan. Kinney and Col. P. Doran in the river. Dr. Shaw started to shore with the ladies in the life-boat, but about twenty-five or thirty persons jumped into it and sank it, many of whom were drowned. He saved the ladies by pulling them back upon the floating cabin, and several persons were saved from drowning by hanging on to the dresses of the ladies.

“At the time of the explosion a little store boat was floating down the river, about a mile above. The owner of it, and a lady named Mrs. Thompson, with a little boy, pulled the boat towards the wreck, and overtook the floating cabin. They saved all who were left upon it.

“When all became quiet about the wreck and on board the little…[unclear word], cries were faintly heard across the mighty waters for ‘help!’ Death had hold of its victim, wrestling with it upon the bosom of the mighty Mississippi. Mrs. Thompson stood for a moment with an oar in her hand, while her eye surveyed the broad waters, and her ears drank in those appealing words ‘help!’ ‘help!’ Looking far across the river she saw an object clinging to a piece of the wreck, but the cry of ‘help’ had passed away. Without hesitation, she placed here little son in a skiff, manned the oars herself, and rowed away from the flat in the direction of the object she had seen. With true woman’s heroism and bravery she rowed her boat until she reached the object. Dropping her oars, she lifted the lifeless form of a young man from the cold water, but not until she had wrenched his grasp from the piece of wreck to which it was fastened with the grip of death. Covering the body with her dress, she rowed back to the flat. You young man showed signs of life, after tender care and nursing, and, when able, thanked his deliverer with words sworn to by tears. It was Mel. Rhorer, of his city. He was taken to Greenville and brought up to Memphis, where he was doing well at last accounts. The scene was closed about the time the Peter Balen, bound down, came in sight. She picked up all the survivors along both shores and took them to Greenville. The Emerald, from New Orleans, bound up, brought a number of he survivors to Memphis.” (South-Western, Shreveport, LA. “The David White Disaster – Further Particulars.” 3-1-1867, p. 1.)

Jan 1, 1982: “Feb. 19.—The steamboat David White exploded her boiler near Memphis, over sixty passengers lost.” (New York Times. “The Old Year. Chronology of 1867,” 1-1-1868, p. 2.)

Sources

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

Cincinnati Commercial, OH. “Gleanings from Our Exchanges.” 2-22-1867, p. 7, col. 2. Accessed 9-17-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/cincinnati-commercial-feb-22-1867-p-7/

Cincinnati Commercial, OH. “Gleanings from Our Exchanges.” 2-25-1867, p. 7, col. 2. Accessed 9-17-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/cincinnati-commercial-feb-25-1867-p-7/

Cincinnati Commercial, OH. “Our Special River Correspondence.” 2-23-1867, p. 7, col. 1. Accessed 9-17-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/cincinnati-commercial-feb-23-1867-p-7/

Cincinnati Commercial, OH. “River and Steamboat News.” 2-25-1867, p. 7, col. 1. Accessed 9-17-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/cincinnati-commercial-feb-25-1867-p-7/

Cincinnati Commercial, OH. “River and Steamboat News,” 2-26-1867, p. 7, col. 2. Accessed 9-17-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/cincinnati-commercial-feb-26-1867-p-7/

Cincinnati Commercial. “River and Steamboat News.” 5-9-1867, p. 7, col. 2. Accessed 9-17-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/cincinnati-commercial-may-09-1867-p-7/

Cincinnati Commercial, OH. “The David White Disaster.” 2-24-1867, p. 1, col. 3-4. Accessed 9-17-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/cincinnati-commercial-feb-24-1867-p-1/

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=8&size=125

Memphis Daily Appeal, TN. “River Matters.” 2-7-1867, p. 8. Accessed 9-17-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/memphis-daily-appeal-feb-07-1867-p-8/

Memphis Daily Appeal, TN. “The David White Disaster.” 2-21-1867, p. 8, col. 3. Accessed 9-17-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/memphis-daily-appeal-feb-21-1867-p-8/
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.

New Albany Daily Ledger, IN. “Another Reported Disaster.” 2-20-1867, p. 3, col. 3. Accessed 9-17-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/new-albany-daily-ledger-feb-20-1867-p-3/

New York Times. “Steamboat Explosion on the Mississippi River; Total Wreck of the David White…” 21 Feb 1867, 5. At: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9801E6D8123AEF34BC4951DFB466838C679FDE

New York Times. “The Old Year. Chronology of 1867.” 1-1-1868, p. 2. Accessed at: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E0CE4DB1630EE34BC4953DFB7668383679FDE

Sanders, Capt. Don. “The River: Finding night watchman’s job after college, meeting characters and gathering up stories.” Northern Kentucky Tribune, 4-28-2019. Accessed 9-17-2020 at: https://www.nkytribune.com/2019/04/the-river-finding-night-watchmans-job-after-college-meeting-characters-and-gathering-up-stories/

South-Western, Shreveport, LA. “The David White Disaster – Further Particulars.” 3-1-1867, p. 1. Accessed 9-17-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/the-south-western-mar-01-1867-p-1/

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.