1847 — Dec 19, steamer Westwood hits bank in fog, boilers explode, ~New Orleans LA-12-15

–12-15 Adams Sentinel and General Advertiser, Gettysburg, PA. “Fatal Explosion.” 1-3-1848, 3.
–12-15 Republican Compiler, Gettysburg, PA. “Fatal Explosion,” Jan 4, 1848, p. 4.
— 12 Lytle and Holdcamper. Merchant Steam Vessels of the [U.S.] 1807-1868. 1952, p. 226.
— 12 Way’s Packet Directory, 1848-1994: Passenger Steamboats…[MS Riv. Sys.]… 1999, 484.

Narrative Information

Lytle and Holdcamper: “Westwood. 249 [tons], exploded, 12-19-1847…12 [lives lost].”

Way: Westwood. Sidewheel wood-hull packet, built in Nashville, TN in 1843 at 249 tons, measuring 263.5 x 20.6 x 7. “Exploded boilers and lost, Dec. 19, 1847. Twelve lives were lost.” (Way’s Packet Directory, 1848-1994: Passenger Steamboats…[MS Riv. Sys.]… 1999, p. 484.)

Newspaper

Dec 21: “From the New Orleans Picayune, Dec. 21. Early on Sunday morning [Dec 19] a deplorable steamboat explosion occurred about 12 miles down the river. The steamer Westwood, Captain J. Swiler, jr., belonging to the Mexican Gulf Railroad Company, was going down the river, laden with coal, on her way to Ship Island, to meet the Teviot, English steamer, from Vera Cruz. The fog was dense, and the boat unfortunately ran into the bank and hung there about 15 minutes, her bows being elevated about 3 feet above the water line. The water in the boat’s boilers was thus thrown aft, the flues became excessively heated, and when the boat fell off and the water rushed forward, the explosion was instantaneous, doing dreadful execution on the small number aboard. Almost all were thrown into the water, and everyone was more or less injured, some, however, so slightly that they reckon it nothing in the general catastrophe.

“We fear that from 12 to 15 lives were lost….

“The bodies of Thomas King, John Tierney, and the Frenchman, had been recovered and decently interred, at our last accounts.

“We derive our information from one of the survivors of the explosion. We cannot better explain the cause of the accident than we have done above. The boilers are said to have been in admirable order.” (Indiana Palladium, Vevay, IN. “Fatal Steamboat Explosion.” 1-8-1847, p. 2, col. 5.)

Jan 3, Adams Sentinel: “The steamboat Westwood exploded all three of her boilers, a few miles below New Orleans, on the 19th ult. – killing or wounding everybody on board. From twelve to fifteen lives are supposed to be lost. The engineer is missing and doubtless was killed. The following deck hands were killed: Edward King, Thomas King, John Nyland, James Smith, Patrick Ware [or Ward], John Tierney, and a Frenchman, whose name is not known. Of the deck hands, Chas. Doyle alone escaped. The firemen were all colored men, and were all killed. The mate was so severely injured that his life is despaired of. Captain Swiler was severely injured about the chest, but it is hoped not dangerously.” (Adams Sentinel and General Advertiser, Gettysburg, PA. “Fatal Explosion.” 1-3-1848, p. 3, col. 1.)

Jan 4, Gettysburg Republican Compiler: “On the morning of the 20th ult., the steamer Westwood was going down the river from New Orleans, laden with coal – the fog being dense, the boat ran into a bank, and when she fell off, an instantaneous explosion took place, killing twelve or fifteen men, and injuring almost all on board.” (Republican Compiler, Gettysburg, PA. “Fatal Explosion,” Jan 4, 1848, p. 4.)

Sources

Adams Sentinel and General Advertiser, Gettysburg, PA. “Fatal Explosion.” 1-3-1848, p. 3, col. 1. Accessed 11-6-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/gettysburg-adams-sentinel-jan-03-1848-p-3/

Indiana Palladium, Vevay, IN. “Fatal Steamboat Explosion.” 1-8-1847, p. 2, col. 5. Accessed 11-6-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/vevay-indiana-palladium-jan-08-1848-p-2/

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

Republican Compiler, Gettysburg, PA. “Fatal Explosion.” 1-4-1848, 4. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=2904311

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.