1882 — March 30 steamboat Golden City burns, Mississippi River, Memphis, TN –28-32

–28-32 Blanchard estimated fatality range.*

–~50 Geifuss, John. “A Bluff City Bicentennial…” Memphis Commercial Appeal. 4-23-2019.
— 35 Coggins. Tennessee Tragedies: Natural, Technological, and Societal… 2011, p. 182.**
–~35 New York Times. “A Burning River Steamer…Loss of 35 Lives…” 3-31-1882, p. 1.***
— 32 Blanchard count of names or position identifiers of those listed as dead (28) or missing (4)
— 30 Way’s Packet Directory, 1848-1994: Passenger Steamboats…[MS Riv.]… 1999, p. 190.
— 28 Blanchard count of names (or position identifiers) in fatality list below.
— 26 Memphis Daily Appeal, TN. “Who Did It?” 4-1-1882, p. 13.
— 25 U.S. Office of Supervising Inspector-General of Steamboats. Report of… 1882, pp. 13-14.

* Blanchard estimated fatality range. As the low-end of our estimated range (26) we use the number used by the Memphis Daily Appeal of April 1, even though the list we show below includes twenty-seven names, or descriptions (deck hand or servant boy). Given that the great majority of bodies were carried down with the burned out wreckage, such notations as “three deck-hands” could be in error.

We use thirty-five as the high-end of our fatality range based on Coggins and the New York Times report. While not definitive, we believe this to be a very plausible number, in light of the four people reported as missing in addition to the twenty-seven reported as dead.

** On Coggins: We do not use in our estimated death toll range in that we see no supporting evidence and speculate this number was based on New York Times reporting of March 31, before it could be known how many went down with the ship, or similar reporting.

*** On New York Times report: Though published the day following the fire and sinking, the story was date-lined March 30. A firm death toll was never established. Though very close to what we believe to be a more defendable range of deaths, we are not inclined to use a day-of report as a fact, when we do not find that the local paper, the Memphis Daily Appeal, ever noted thirty-five deaths.

Narrative Information

U.S. Steamboat Inspection Service: “March 30. – The steamer Golden City was entirely destroyed by fire at Memphis, Tenn., while about to make a landing. This disaster resulted in the death of twenty-fiver persons, twenty-two of whom were cabin passengers, and asleep at the time the fire broke out.” (Office, Supervising Inspector-General of Steamboats. Report of the Supervising Inspector-General of Steamboats. Sixth District, pp. 13-14.)

Way: Golden City: Sternwheel wood-hull packet, built in Cincinnati, OH in 1876, measuring 280 x 40.5 x 6.3. “…ran Cincinnati-New Orleans….Capt. Sterling McIntyre was in command when she burned at President’s Island, below Memphis, Mar. 25 [sic., was 30th], 1882. She was upbound, a stiff wind blowing, when fire broke out in the tiller room disabling the rudders. Grounded on President’s Island. Many of the passengers jumped in the river and were drowned. The complete outfit of Stowe’s Circus was on board….The life loss in this catastrophe reached 30, including wife and three children of Capt. Louis E. Kouns. The wreck was visible into the early 1900s.”

Newspapers

March 30: “The Golden City destroyed by fire – flames spreading with terrible rapidity – the loss of life not definitely known – scenes on the burning boat.

“Memphis, Tenn., March 30. The Cincinnati and New Orleans packet Golden City, enroute from New Orleans to Cincinnati, was burned at the wharf at 4:30 o’clock this morning. It is believed that about 35 lives were lost, the victims being principally women and children. The steamer when approaching the wharf this morning at 4:30 o’clock, was discovered to be on fire by the second engineer, Albert Kelley, who immediately informed Capt. Bryce Purcell, Sr., the pilot on watch. The boat’s bow was at once headed for the shore, and in four minutes afterward she touched the wharf at the foot of Beale-street, where the coal fleet is moored. A line was hastily thrown and made fast to one of the coal barges, but the current being swift, it soon parted, and the burning steamer floated on down the river a mass of flames, with many of her passengers and crew aboard, who were unable to reach the shore and were lost.

“The Golden City left New Orleans last Saturday en route to Cincinnati. She carried a crew of about 60. She had on board 40 cabin passengers, 15 of whom were ladies, and 9 children. Her cargo consisted of 300 tons, among which was a lot of jute. The fire is said to have its origin in this combustible material. Among those known to have been lost are the following:

Bell, John, cigar man.
Boyd, Anna [or Mary], colored chamber-maid and her assistant [Amanda Atchison?]
Campbell, Miss., Burlington, IA.
Crary, Mrs., of Cincinnati.
Crary, Miss Luella, of Cincinnati.
Crone [or Cronk], J. C., owner of a side-show to Stowe’s Circus.
[Jones, John, deck roustabout. Body came to surface April 9.]
Kelly, Albert, second engineer. He it was who first discovered the fire and gave the alarm.
He remained at his post until out off by the flames.
Kounz, Mrs. L. E., and three children. Mrs. Kounz was the wife of Capt. Kounz, a well-
known steam boat owner.
Monahan, Dr., of Jackson, Ohio, and wife.
Percival, Mrs. Helen. [or “Mrs. Percival Mastin, Hawesville, Ky.”]
Smith, Mrs. Anna, of Massachusetts.
Stowe, W. H., wife and two children…. [Body of Mrs. Stowe came to surface April 9.]
Wood, Ollie, of Henderson, Ky., and his wife.
Three colored deck-hands and a negro servant boy….
[Unnamed German youth from New Orleans. Or “A German pop-corn dealer…”]

“Mr. Stowe was famous as a singing clown, and was on his way to New Orleans with his wife and two children, having just been released from Natchez, where they had been imprisoned by the floods. He came of a family of performers, and was also known as a lightning-change artist, performing in variety theatres during the Winter season. His last appearance in New York was at Bunnell’s Museum. He had traveled all over the world, having been connected with Barnum’s, Murray’s, and Forepaugh’s shows. In January, 1881 he joined Dan Rice, and they opened a show in New Orleans, but the firm was soon dissolved, and he became sole proprietor. He was traveling through the South when this accident occurred. His wife was Lizzie Marcellus, the famous pad rider, and his two children were 6 and 8 years old.

The books of the steamer were lost, so it is impossible to gather a complete list of the lost and saved. All of the officers of the steamer, except Second Engineer Albert Kelly and three roustabouts, escaped.

“Kelly it was who first discovered the fire and gave the alarm, remaining at his post of duty until cut off by the flames, for the fire spread like lightning, and he sacrificed his life to save others. The saved, so far as known, are: Capt. S. C. McIntyre, First Clerk W. F. McIntyre, Second Clerk James W. Vithlin, Third Clerk Frank Stern, Mate Dock Bondurant, Pilots Bryce Purcell, Sr., Marion Purcell, and Joseph Purcell, Jr.; First Engineer Mike Kelly, Miss Iona Maston, of Hawesville, Ky.; Willie McKinney of Hawesville, Ky.; James Myers New Orleans; Charles Ross, Jr., E. C. Underwood, St. Louis; H. B. Howell, Philadelphia; John H. Trewalla, business agent; Burt Stowe, brother to the proprietor, Frank Stowe; James Swift, John Filbert, John Mullane, J. C. Kimpel, John G. Glenroy, James Bloomfield, and James Burke, all members of Stowe’s Circus; W. C. Jewett, Point Pleasant, West Va., George W. Green, New Richmond, Ohio; A. B. Veatch, Evansville, Ind.; R. H. Chittenden, Carrsville, Ky.; W. H. Caruthers and J. B. Jordan, Ripley, Tenn. Nearly all the cabin and deck crew of the steamer saved themselves. Stowe’s Circus, which was taken on board at Vidalia, La. and six cages of animals and birds, together with the ticket and band wagons, tents, and horses, were lost.

“Marion Purcell, one of the pilots, was in the clerk’s office when the alarm was first sounded, and he rushed through the cabin, bursting open the state-room doors and awakening the passengers. So rapidly did the flames spread that within five minutes after the discovery of the fire, which broke out amidships, the aft part of the steamer was all ablaze, and those that were saved had to flee in their night-clothes. As near as can be ascertained there were 23 ladies on board the ill-fated steamer, only two of whom, so far as known, were saved. J. H. Cronk, connected with Stowe’s Circus, is missing, and supposed to be lost. John Devouse, his wife, and three children were all saved and are at the City Hospital; also Simon Black. Mr. Devouse is slightly burned on the hands. The steamer lies sunk about three miles below here in the chute near the Tennessee shore. When she floated off from the wharf about 20 of her passengers and crew jumped on board a barge, which floated downstream, but they were rescued by one of the harbor boats, which towed the barge in to the shore one mile below the city.

“The fire was caused by a watchman accidentally setting fire to a lost of jute which was stored amidships. The steam4r had just whistled to land, and the watchman went among the deck passengers to notify them that they were approaching Memphis, and that those destined for the city must get ashore, when the bottom of his lamp dropped in some jute, and before the flames could be extinguished that had spread all over the deck of the vessel….as quick as a flash the flames spread to either side of the steamer and up to the cabin. Haley ran upstairs to give notice to the head engineer, but by the time he reached the hurricane deck the flames had mounted almost to the pilot-house, and he was driven back by the heat. He then rang the alarm bell, and seeing that the boat was approaching the shore, he ran down the forward stairs and jumped on board the tug Oriole just as the Golden City struck her. Seeing that the tug was sinking, he spring aboard the steamer again and made his way to a coal barge lying alongside. Two negro deck-hands and a white deck passenger were killed when the tug was struck, as they were caught between the bow of the boat and the side of the tug. Anna Boyd, the colored chamber-maid, and her assistant were both lost. Mike Malloy and Patrick Kinney, firemen, were saved; also M. J. Whelan, second baker. Whelan says he jumped overboard from the stern of the steamer as she floated down stream. There were about 10 men on the fantail of the boat who must have been drowned, as when he leaped into the river he saw three men go overboard and drown. The others must have shared the same fate.

“….The body of an elderly white woman was found floating near the wreck, but she has not yet been identified….

“….J. H. Cronk, owner of a sideshow to the circus, is supposed to be lost. His room-mate, H. Hn. Akerman, says he dragged him out of bed to the foot of the stairs through the smoke, and is satisfied that he never arose from where he left him….

“Wash Smith, the colored Captain of the watch, was sent to jail this afternoon on a warrant charging him with murder, through his carelessness in causing the fire on the steamer. A diver will try, to-morrow, and recover the bodies that are supposed to be in the wreck of the ill-fated Vessel….” (New York Times. “A Burning River Steamer. A Loss of 35 Lives or More Near Memphis.” 3-31-1882, p. 1.)

March 31: “….Probably Lost.

John Jones, deck roustabout. [Body floated to the river surface and found April 9.]
____ Marshall, deck roustabout.
____ Wood, deck roustabout.
Mr. ____Williams, Alton, Ind.
J. C. Connels, Henderson, Ky.”

(Memphis Daily Appeal. “Done to Death…The Lost and Saved.” 3-31-1882, p. 15.)

April 1: “….So far the investigation has revealed the fact that the boat’s freight consisted of jut…about 108 bales; also, 100 barrels of oil, 600 sacks of oil mean, and other readily ignitable material. Considerable criticism was passed on the character of the cargo over which people were to sleep….

“Wash Smith has stated positively that he had no lantern when he went to wake up the men; that he left it forward while he was engaged in that duty….Mr. James Burke, a passenger, stated that someone with a lantern came around to wake up the roustabouts, and as that was the duty of Smith, it is supposed he was the man….” (Memphis Daily Appeal, TN. “Who Did It?” 4-1-1882, p. 13.)

April 4: “The news in the Golden City disaster is of the most unsatisfactory and unsubstantial character. No bodies have as yet been found. ….” (Memphis Daily Appeal, TN. “Golden City.” 4-4-1882, p. 13.)

April 11: “Sunday afternoon two bodies from the wreck of the Golden City were discovered near the floating docks moored in the neighborhood of Fort Pickering. About noon the steamer Commonwealth was coming up the river, and the action of her wheels caused two bodies to rise to the surface of the water. The bodies were seen near the shore, half a mile probably above the place where the wreck of the Golden City lies. As men were stationed along the banks to look for the bodies, the two floaters were soon discovered by them and skiffs started out and towed them ashore. The bodies were those of a negro man and a woman. The man was ascertained to be John Jones, the colored roustabout, although his features were decayed almost beyond recognition. The woman proved to be Mrs. W. H. Stowe. Her face was greatly discolored by the process of death, but her form was not much swollen. On her fingers were two rings which were blackened considerably, and gave evidence that the lady was scorched by the fire and jumped in the water, preferring that death to the more terrible one of burning. She was in her night robes when found, and besides the two diamond rings found on her were valuable ear rings. The body of Jones was interred in Elmwood cemetery Sunday afternoon, the expenses of burial being defrayed by Captain McIntyre. They body of Mrs. Stowe was taken to Walsh’s undertaking establishment Sunday night, and two men guarded it to keep it from being despoiled. Esquire Fleming held the inquest. Yesterday afternoon Chief Davis had the body sent on to New York to friends of the deceased. Captain McIntyre is doing all in his power to discover the bodies, and he has shown such pluck and willingness to face all consequences as have commended him to the admiration of everyone.”
(Memphis Daily Appeal. “Two Bodies.” 4-11-1882, p. 15.)

April 30: “The local inspectors forwarded their report of the investigation of the disaster to the steamer Golden City, to the supervising inspector-general April 18th [28th?] The following is a synopsis of the report: ‘At the time of the accident the vessel was provided with a full complement of licensed officers, and a crew sufficient at all times to manage the vessel, including the proper number of watchmen. She was fully equipped with the fire apparatus and life-saving appliances required by law, and the same was in good condition and ready for immediate use. Her cargo consisted of baled cotton, baled jute, junk, iron clippings, etc. The bales of jute were not covered with bagging or similar fabric, and were held together with rope; it was stored in the deck-room, and not thoroughly protected by covering as it should have been. Section 4472, Revised Statutes, provides that baled cotton and baled hemp shall not be carried on passenger steamers unless covered with bagging or similar fabric. The inspectors find that jute is a substance resembling hemp, a vegetable fibrous production of an inflammable [meant flammable in today’s usage] nature, and in the opinion of the inspectors it cannot be carried upon passenger steamers unless covered and protected in the same manner as baled cotton and hemp. They say it was the duty of the mate to have refused to receive the jute without bagging, an that in receiving and failing to have the same properly protected, he was guilty of negligence in the discharge of his duty as a licensed officer, and under the provisions of section 4450, Revised Statutes, they have revoked the licenses of J. N. Bondurant as mate. The fire originated in the deck-room, and was caused by a lighted lantern coming in contact with the jute. The lantern was in the hands of one Wash Smith, captain of the watch, but whether by carelessness or unavoidable accident the inspectors are unable to determine. The officers of the boat used every exertion to save the lives of the passengers, and no blame attaches to them for any failure to perform their duty after the boat took fire. The carrying of jute, in violation of section 4472, Revised Statutes, is reported to the United States attorney for this district for such action as he may think proper to take.’” (Memphis Daily Appeal, TN. “The Golden City Disaster.” 4-30-1882, p. 4.)

Sources

Coggins, Allen R. Tennessee Tragedies: Natural, Technological, and Societal Disaster in the Volunteer State. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 2011.

Geifuss, John. “A Bluff City Bicentennial: From comic to tragic, here are 200 pieces of Memphis’ history.” Memphis Commercial Appeal. 4-23-2019. Accessed 9-10-2020 at: https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/local/memphis200/2019/04/17/memphis-bicentennial-history-trivia/3301701002/

Memphis Daily Appeal, TN. “Done to Death…The Lost and Saved.” 3-31-1882, p. 15. Accessed 9-10-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/memphis-daily-appeal-mar-31-1882-p-15/

Memphis Daily Appeal, TN. “Golden City.” 4-4-1882, p. 13. Accessed 9-10-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/memphis-daily-appeal-apr-04-1882-p-13/

Memphis Daily Appeal, TN. “The Golden City Disaster.” 4-30-1882, p. 4. Accessed 9-10-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/memphis-daily-appeal-apr-30-1882-p-4/

Memphis Daily Appeal, TN “Two Bodies.” 4-11-1882, p. 15. Accessed 9-10-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/memphis-daily-appeal-apr-11-1882-p-15/

Memphis Daily Appeal, TN. “Who Did It?” 4-1-1882, p. 13. Accessed 9-10-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/memphis-daily-appeal-apr-01-1882-p-13/

New York Times. “A Burning River Steamer. A Loss of 35 Lives or More Near Memphis.” 3-31-1882, p. 1. Accessed 9-10-2020 at: https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1882/03/31/issue.html

United States Office of the Supervising Inspector-General of Steamboats. Report of the Supervising Inspector-General of Steamboats. Washington, DC: Treasury Department (Document No. 346. Steamboat Inspection). 10-31-1882. Accessed 9-10-2020 at: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nnc1.cu09189980&view=1up&seq=9&q1=golden%20city

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.