1847 — Nov 19, Steamers collide, Talisman sinks, Miss. River, Cape Girardeau, MO — >51

— >51 Blanchard estimated death toll.*

— 130 Weekly Wisconsin, Milwaukee. “Dreadful…Collision on the Mississippi.” 12-1-1847, p5.
–~130 Daily Sentinel & Gazette, Milwaukee, WI. “Dreadful Steamboat Collision.” 11-29-1847.
— 100 Berman, Bruce D. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. 1972, p. 264.
— 100 Boston Daily Globe. “Major Harbor and River Disasters of the Past.” 9-10-1932, p. 2.
–>100 Harper’s Book of Facts. “Notable Wrecks and Shipping Disasters…” 1895, p. 945.
— 100 Kartman. Disaster! 1948, p. 334.
— 100 Lossing. Harper’s Encyclopedia of U.S. History. 1902, p. 454.
— 100 Simonds (Ed.). The American Date Book. 1902, p. 98.
— 75 The Sun, Baltimore, MD. “The Collision of the Talisman.” 12-4-1847.
— 70 Star and Banner, PA. “Another Disaster – Seventy-Five Lives Lost!” 12-10-1847, p. 1.
— 51 Berman. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. 1972, p.291. (Has collision with Motive.)
— >51 Lloyd’s Steamboat Directory and Disasters on the Western Waters. 1856, p. 185.
— 51 Lytle and Holdcamper. Merchant Steam Vessels of the [U.S.] 1807-1868. 1952, p. 230.
— 51 Twaintimes, p.3
— 51 Way’s Packet Directory, 1848-1994: Passenger Steamboats…[MS Riv. Sys.]…1990, 442.
— >50 Alton Telegraph & Democratic Review, IL. “Steamboat Disaster.” 11-26-1847, p. 3.
— >50 Childs. A History of the U.S. In Chronological Order…1492…to…1885. 1886, p. 126.
— 50 Nash, Jay Robert. Darkest Hours. 1977, p. 681.
— 40 Star and Banner, Gettysburg, PA. “Awful Steamboat Accidents,” 11-26-1847, p. 2.

* Blanchard estimated death toll. Sources dealing with maritime events show the loss at 51 or over 51 deaths. We follow these sources. Berman has two entries — showing 100 deaths on one page and 51 at another. The one hundred or more deaths are, in our opinion, alarmist newspaper reporting, or based on such reporting. We ignore them in terms of our showing a death toll.

Narrative Information

Berman: “Talisman. St.p. [Steam sidewheel]. 173 [tons]. 1846 [built]. Nov 19, 1847. Collided… Cape Girardeau, Mo. 51 lives lost.” (Berman 1972, p. 291.)

Lloyd: “Before daylight on the morning of November 19th, 1847, the steamboats Talisman and Tempest came in collision on the Mississippi river, half a mile below Cape Girardeau. The Talisman was struck forward of the boilers, and sunk within ten minutes. The Tempest, which was but slightly damaged, rounded to, and came to the relief of the Talisman’s crew and passengers. The officers and crews of both steamers exerted themselves to save life and property; but to the dis-grace of human nature, it is related that a number of heartless and conscienceless scoundrels came in small boats to the scene of the dis¬aster, and totally regardless of the supplications of the drowning pas¬sengers who implored their aid, they betook themselves to plunder, seizing on the floating baggage, and every other article of value which came within their reach….

“Several of the crew and many of the deck passengers were drowned. Two or three families of German emigrants, numbering about twenty-five persons, were among the passengers. Ten persons, all of one family, were lost. An effort was made to rescue the bodies of the per¬sons drowned by means of the diving bell…. Fifty-one persons, men, women and children, are known to have been drowned by this accident, and probably as many more, who are not designated in the annexed list….

“…one of the survivors, stated that the deck was crowded with passengers, and the boiler deck was so thronged with passengers, freight, and livestock, that he (the narrator) could scarcely find a place to lie down. He estimated the number of deck passengers at one hundred and fifty, and supposed that half of them, at least, were drowned….” (Lloyd 1856, pp. 183-187.)

Way: Talisman. Sidewheel wood-hull packet built in Brownsville, PA, in 1846 at 173 tons. “Came in collision with Tempest about one-half mile below Cape Girardeau, Mo., early A.M., Nov. 19, 1847. The impact was forward of her boilers and in ten minutes she had gone down. The Tempest crew rendered aid. Life loss was set at 51 persons, many of them deck passengers.” (Way’s Packet Directory, 1848-1994: Passenger Steamboats of the Mississippi River System… (Revised). 1999, p. 442.)

Newspapers

Nov 26, Alton Telegraph: “We deeply regret to state, that a collision, attended by a fearful loss of life, took place on Friday morning, last, just before daylight, between the steamboats Talisman and Tempest, in the bend immediately below Cape Girardeau, a short distance above the mouth of the Ohio. From the most authentic reports which we have seen, it appears that the Talisman, laden with a heavy freight, was ascending up the Mississippi, while the Tempest was on her way down the river to Memphis – that the boats came in sight of each other at the distance of at least one mile – that the Tempest was pursuing a straight course about 150 feet from the Missouri shore – that when the steamers neared each other, the pilot of the Talisman changed his course, and, tacking across, attempted to pass between the Tempest and the shore – that the pilot of the latter boat, fearing a collision would be the result of this movement, immediately commenced backing water, in order to avoid it, but without success – that the two boats met, with a tremendous concussion; the bow of the Tempest striking the Talisman on the starboard side, abreast of the hatch, and so injuring her that she sunk up to the hurricane deck in the course of a few minutes – that she had on board at the time nearly 300 passengers, of whom about 150 were in the cabin, and the remainder on the deck, almost all of whom were asleep – that all the cabin passengers, assisted by the officers of the boat, succeeded in gaining the hurricane deck, with the loss, in many cases, of their baggage, and were soon afterwards taken off by the Tempest, which had sustained but little injury – that of the deck passengers, a few also reached the hurricane deck; others threw themselves into the river, and were subsequently picked up, or swam ashore; and many, the number not precisely ascertained; but known to exceed 50, found a watery grave. Among the lost, were several families of German emigrants, and ten members of a large family in Illinois, whose names are not stated. The boat is totally lost; but it is believed that a portion of the cargo, as well as of the passengers’ baggage, may be recovered by means of the diving bell.

“A rigid inquiry should be instituted into the cause of this deplorable calamity; and if it should appear to be the result of carelessness or willful neglect on the part of anyone connected with either boat, the offender should be punished with the utmost severity the law will allow.” (Alton Telegraph & Democratic Review, IL. “Steamboat Disaster.” 11-26-1847, p. 3.)

Nov 26, Star and Banner: “Early on Thursday morning last, the steamboat Tempest, bound down the river, and the Talisman, from Cincinnati for St. Louis, came in collision about ten miles below Cape Girardeau, on the upper Mississippi, by which the Talisman was so much injured that she sank immediately in deep water. The total number of passengers that were carried down with the sinking boat is estimated at forty…” (Star and Banner, Gettysburg, PA. “Awful Steamboat Accidents,” Friday, 11-26-1847, p. 2.)

Nov 29, 1847 Daily Sentinel: “The Steamer Lucy Bertram, up this morning from below, brings the painful intelligence of the loss of the Steamer Talisman and the lives of about one hundred and thirty of her passengers.

“The Talisman was from Pittsburgh and bound to this city with a heavy cargo of merchandise and near three hundred passengers. About 5 o’clock on the morning of the 19th inst., when five miles below Cape Girardeau, she came in collision with the steamer Tempest bound down, by which accident she sunk in a few moments to her hurricane roof.

“At the time of the accident the Talisman was crossing the main channel of the river to the Missouri shore. The engines of the Tempest were stopped, but not in time to avoid a collision.

“There were some one hundred and fifty deck passengers on board the Talisman, all of whom, with a few exceptions, are supposed to have been drowned.

“From all we can learn, but five or six cabin passengers were lost. None of her officers are missing. The Tempest received no injury, and passengers who came up on the Lucy Bertram say that no blame can be attached to the officers. She remained at the wreck of the ill-fated boat and took off…[unclear] surviving passengers and brought them to Cape Girardeau from whence some forty arrived this morning on the Lucy Bertram.

“None of the officers of the Talisman have arrived. We learn, however, that the books and papers of the boat have been saved, but her cargo will prove nearly, if not quite, a total loss….

“We learn that the passengers, with a few exceptions, lost all their effects – one gentleman in particular lost nine negroes (who were on deck) and fourteen horses….” (Daily Sentinel & Gazette, Milwaukee, WI. “Dreadful Steamboat Collision.” 11-29-1847, p. 3.)

Dec 1, Weekly Wisconsin: “….There were some one hundred and fifty deck passengers on board the Talisman, all of whom with a few exceptions, are supposed to have been drowned. From all that we can learn, but five or six cabin passengers were lost. None of her officers are missing. The Tempest received no injury. She remained by the wreck of the ill-fated boat and took off her surviving passengers and brought them to Cape Girardeau, from whence some forty arrived this morning on the Lucy Bertram….(St. Louis New Era, Nov. 20.).” (Weekly Wisconsin, Milwaukee. “Dreadful…Collision on the Mississippi.” 12-1-1847, 5.)

Sources

Alton Telegraph and Democratic Review, IL. “Steamboat Disaster.” 11-26-1847, p. 3. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=117897643

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

Boston Daily Globe. “Major Harbor and River Disasters of the Past.” 9-10-1932, p. 2. At: http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/2023203312.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Sep+10%2C+1932&author=&pub=Daily+Boston+Globe+(1928-1960)&desc=MAJOR+HARBOR+AND+RIVER+DISASTERS+OF+THE+PAST&pqatl=google

Childs, Emery E. A History of the United States In Chronological Order From the Discovery of America in 1492 to the Year 1885. NY: Baker & Taylor, 1886. Google digitized. Accessed 9-4-2017: http://books.google.com/books?id=XLYbAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Daily Sentinel & Gazette, Milwaukee, WI. “Dreadful Steamboat Collision.” 11-29-1847, p. 3. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=33219331

Harper’s Book of Facts. New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1895. Digitized by Google. Accessed at: http://books.google.com/books?id=UcwGAAAAYAAJ

Kartman, Ben. Disaster! Read Books, 2007. Partially digitized by Google. Accessed at: http://books.google.com/books?id=lynBIKvEDBQC&source=gbs_navlinks_s

Lloyd, James T. Lloyd’s Steamboat Directory and Disasters on the Western Waters. Cincinnati, Ohio: James T. Lloyd & Co., 1856. Digitized by Google. Accessed at: http://books.google.com/books?id=JlYqAAAAYAAJ

Lossing, Benson John (Editor). Harper’s Encyclopedia of United States History from 458 A.D. to 1902. NY: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1902. Digitized by Google at: http://books.google.com/books?id=fnwQAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#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=8&size=125

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.

Simonds, W. E. (Editor). The American Date Book. Kama Publishing Co., 1902, 211 pages. Google digital preview accessed 9-8-2017 at: http://books.google.com/books?id=JuiSjvd5owAC

Star and Banner, Gettysburg, PA. “Another Disaster – Seventy-Five Lives Lost!” 12-10-1847, p. 1. At: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=9549539

Star and Banner, Gettysburg, PA. “Awful Steamboat Accidents,” 11-26-1847, p. 2. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=9549514

The Sun, Baltimore, MD. “The Collision of the Talisman.” Dec 4, 1847. Accessed at:
http://news.google.com/archivesearch?scoring=a&q=talisman+tempest+1847&spell=1

Twaintimes – A Time Line of Events in the Life of Samuel Langhorne Clemens – Mark Twain. Accessed 11-16-2008 at: http://twaintimes.net/page2.html

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.

Weekly Wisconsin, Milwaukee. “Dreadful Steamboat Collision on the Mississippi” 12-1-1847, p. 5. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=120023909