1906 — Dec 19, steamer W.T. Scovell boiler explodes/sinks, MS riv., ~Vicksburg, Gold Dust Lndg. LA-13-16

–13-16 Blanchard estimated death-toll.*

–15-20 Kemper Herald, Scooba, MS. “Boat Explosion Kills Many.” 12-27-1906, p. 1.
–13-17 Blanchard listing of fatalities identified in sources cited herein.
— 16 Biloxi Daily Herald, MS. “Sixteen Killed in River Disaster.” 12-20-1906, p. 1.
— 16 Insurance Engineering, “Recent Boiler Explosions,” Vol. 13, No. 2, Feb 1907, p. 169.
–10-16 Washington Post. “Steamer Blows Up.” December 20, 1906, p. 1.
— 14 Breckenridge News, Cloverport, KY. “River Boat Wrecked.” 12-26-1906, p. 4, col. 1.
— 14 Galveston Daily News, TX. “The Scovell Explosion.” 12-21-1906, p. 4.
— 13 American Marine Engineer. “News’ Brevities.” Vol. II. No. 1, Jan 1907, p. 21.
— 13 Bryan Morning Eagle, TX. “May Never Be Known.” 12-23-1906, p. 3.
— 12 Berman, Bruce D. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. 1972, p. 196.
— 12 Morning Oregonian, Portland. “Explosion Tears Steamer to Bits.” 12-20-1906, p. 2.
— 10 U.S. Steamboat Inspection Service. Annual Report 1907, p. 13.
— 10 Way’s Packet Directory, 1848-1994…Steamboats…MS River System. 1994, 477-478.

* Blanchard estimated death-toll. We employ a range of deaths in that there is no consensus on an exact number of deaths — not surprising in that from the beginning of reporting it was said that an exact death-toll would never be known, in that the boat roster and passenger manifest were destroyed and it is was not known exactly how many people were onboard.

Our own attempt to compile a listing of fatalities from sources cited herein comes to a range of 13 to 17, with the difference explained by one source noting four definite fatalities of black deck hands, while another source wrote that there were eight to nine unidentified black deck hand deaths.

In that the low-end of our range from our listing is thirteen, and in that a number of sources note thirteen or more deaths, we note thirteen as the low-end of our estimated death-toll range.

We note sixteen as the high-end of our estimated death-toll, even though the high-end of our attempt to create a fatality listing is seventeen, because sixteen is the highest number of deaths reported by our sources, with the exception of the Kemper Herald of Scooba, MS of Dec. 27, which noted a range of death of 15-20.

Narrative Information

Insurance Engineering: Sixteen dead, 10 injured. (“Recent Boiler Explosions,” Vol. 13, No. 2, Feb 1907, p. 169.)

U.S. Steamboat Inspection Service: “…the explosion of the boilers of the steamer W.T. Scovell at Vicksburg, Miss., [resulted] in the loss of 10 lives…” (Annual Report 1907, p. 13.)

Way: “W. T. Scovell. Stw p wh b [Sternwheel packet, wood hull, built] Jeffersonville, Ind…. 1895….She exploded her boiler Dec. 20, 1906, with loss of ten lives….Accident happened at Gold Dust Landing, LA.” (Way’s Packet Directory, 1848-1994…Steamboats…MS River System. 1994, 477-478.)

Newspaper

Dec 19: “Vicksburg, Miss., Dec. 19. — One of the most disastrous accidents in the history of the Mississippi River occurred at 10 minutes past 11 o’clock this morning, when the steamer W. T. Scovell, plying in the Vicksburg and Davis Bend trade, was destroyed by the explosion of her boiler. Owing to the large number of her boiler…. officers of the boat who arrived here to-night state that no less than ten nor more than sixteen were killed. The probabilities are that a like number were injured….

The accident occurred at Gold Dust Landing about seventeen miles south of Vicksburg. The Scovell was at the landing taking on freight, when suddenly a terrific explosion occurred and the boat was blown practically to atoms. Many of the timbers of the boat were thrown hundreds of yards and come of those aboard were blown almost as far. The pilot house and front part of the cabin were blown to splinters, and some parts of the boat were so badly damaged that she began to sink immediately. When the Scovell left here late this afternoon she was listing to heavily and her cargo of a thousand sacks of cotton seed and fifty bales of cotton will be lost….

The story of the accident, as told by J. I. Bruce, the engineer of the boat, is as follows:

We were lying at Gold Dust Landing this morning taking on a cargo, when I noticed a small quantity of water coming through the boiler. I suspected that something was wrong, and proceeded to make an examination. About this time the Scovell broke her head lines and drifted, so that I did not have time to make a thorough examination. As soon as I got her back to the bank I crawled on top of the boiler and proceeded with the investigation I had just got down from the boiler when the explosion occurred….

“It is said the accident was caused by a defective boiler plate….” (Washington Post. “Steamer Blows Up.” December 20, 1906, p. 1.)

Dec 20: “Disaster on Mississippi. Majority of the Victims Negroes and the Exact Number of Dead May Never Be Known – Of the List of Passengers and Crew One-Half Are Missing.

“Vicksburg, Miss., Dec. 20. – The steamer W. T. Scovell, plying in the Vicksburg and Davis Bend trade, was destroyed by a boiler explosion. On account of the large number of negroes on board it I impossible to ascertain the actual number of dead and injured….

“The number of dead and injured negroes can not be stated at this time, but of a crew and passenger list of about 50, about half are missing. The negro dead were cared for at the place where the accident occurred, as were some of the injured. About five of the injured negroes were brought to Vicksburg on the steamer Senator Cordill, with the white dead and injured.

“The white dead are as follows: Captain John Quackenboss, master of the boat, Vicksburg, Miss.: Clerk Wade Quackenbush, Vicksburg, Miss.; Lavell Yerger, cottonseed salesman, Jackson, Miss.; Clerk Joseph Smith [Schmitt], Yazoo City, Miss.” (Daily Crescent-News, Defiance, OH. “River Boat Destroyed.” 12-20-1906, p. 1, col. 5.)

Dec 20: “New Orleans, La., Dec. 20. – Specials from Vicksburg tonight still place the dead and missing from the explosion on the steamer W. T. Scovell at fourteen. The first accounts showing the probable fate of those missing, including the captain and his son, were given by Charles McKenna, one of the Scovell’s passengers, today after he had been revived from the semi-conscious state produced by his burns and injuries. McKenna says that those missing were probably scalded to death or drowned, being carried down with the boat and that he believes also that some of them were killed outright by he fierce explosion, It is thought that many of the missing bodies will be found in the steame4r’s cabin, which is now under water. A large party will leave here tomorrow morning with the necessary tackle to raise this part of the steamer….It is feared, however, that not all the missing will be found in the sunken boat. The fact that Capt. Quackenboss’ coat was found floating about 200 yards from thee scene of the explosion makes it appear that some of those on board were blown into the river.” (Galveston Daily News, TX. “The Scovell Explosion.” 12-21-1906, p. 4.)

Dec 21: “Vicksburg, Miss., Dec. 21. – The list of those who are known to have been killed in the wreck of the steamer W. T Scovell has reached thirteen. It is learned that in addition to those already mentioned as dead, the following are also: Mack Clark, negro porter; his son, John Clark; William Hall, negro; two roustabouts and four negroes, deck passengers, whose names are unknown.

“It is probable that it will never be known how many people were killed and injured in the explosion. It is believed that the crew register and the passenger list were destroyed in the explosion. A number of negroes were blown into the river and their bodies sunk. Others were taken into the country, and those who were able to walk made their homes among the negroes in the Gold Dust landing and vicinity….

“The boiler was blown about 200 feet from the boat and landed in an old field. The overcoat of Captain Quackenboss, the master of the boat, was blown several hundred feet inland, and lodged in a tree. It has no blood stains on it, and it is believed that Captain Quackenboss was not wearing it when the accident occurred….The force of he explosion was so great that the heavy iron safe of the Scovell was blown out on the bank.” (Bryan Morning Eagle, TX. “May Never Be Known.” 12-23-1906, p. 3.)

Dec 27: “…The news of the explosion first reached this city [Vicksburg] by telephone to A. G. Russell, who heard of the steamer blowing up from Ashwood Landing [MS]. Mr. Russell telephoned to Ashwood, and there John G. O’Kelly, a prominent citizen, said that he had seen cotton floating down the river and he would send a man on horseback at once to Gold Dust landing, which was eight miles away.

“Gold Dust gin is twenty miles south of Vicksburg, on the Louisiana side of the Mississippi river. The Scovell left here in her trip to Davis Bend and was returning when the accident occurred….
(Kemper Herald, Scooba, MS. “Boat Explosion Kills Many.” 12-27-1906, p. 1.)

Listing of Fatalities Noted By Sources Cited Herein

1. Clark, John Son of porter Mack Clark
2. Clark, Mack Porter
3. Hall, William Black man not identified as passenger or crew
4. Quackenbush, John Captain of the W.T. Scovell; from Vicksburg, MS
5. Quackenbush, Wade Clerk of the boat and son of Capt.; from Vicksburg, MS
6. Schmitt, Joseph Clerk; from Yazoo City, MS
7. Yerger, Lavell Passenger; cottonseed salesman from Jackson, MS
8. Unnamed roustabout #1 of 2.
9. Unnamed roustabout #2 of 2.
10. Unnamed black deck passenger #1 of 4.
11. Unnamed black deck passenger #2 of 4.
12. Unnamed black deck passenger #3 of 4.
13. Unnamed black deck passenger #4 of 4.
14. Unnamed black deck passenger #5 of 8 or 9.
15. Unnamed black deck passenger #6 of 8 or 9.
16. Unnamed black deck passenger #7 of 8 or 9.
17. Unnamed black deck passenger #8 of 8 or 9.

Sources

American Marine Engineer. “News’ Brevities.” V.2, N.1, Jan 1907, p. 21. Accessed 11-5-2020 at: https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_American_Marine_Engineer/Kv1YAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=scovell

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

Biloxi Daily Herald, MS. “Sixteen Killed in River Disaster.” 12-20-1906, p. 1. Accessed 11-5-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/biloxi-daily-herald-dec-20-1906-p-1/

Breckenridge News, Cloverport, KY. “River Boat Wrecked.” 12-26-1906, p. 4, col. 1. Accessed 11-6-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/cloverport-breckenridge-news-dec-26-1906-p-4/

Bryan Morning Eagle, TX. “May Never Be Known.” 12-23-1906, p. 3. Accessed 11-5-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/bryan-morning-eagle-dec-23-1906-p-3/

Daily Crescent-News, Defiance, OH. “River Boat Destroyed.” 12-20-1906, p. 1, col. 5. Accessed 11-5-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/defiance-crescent-news-dec-20-1906-p-1/

Insurance Engineering. Vol. 13, No’s 1-6, Jan-June 1907. New York: The Insurance Press, 1907. Digitized by Google. Accessed at: http://books.google.com/books?id=3xHOAAAAMAAJ&dq=editions:OCLC2161581&source=gbs_navlinks_s

Kemper Herald, Scooba, MS. “Boat Explosion Kills Many.” 12-27-1906, p. 1. Accessed 11-6-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/scooba-kemper-herald-dec-27-1906-p-1/

Morning Oregonian, Portland. “Explosion Tears Steamer to Bits.” 12-20-1906, p. 2. Accessed 11-5-2020 at: https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83025138/1906-12-20/ed-1/seq-2/ocr/

United States Steamboat-Inspection Service. Annual Report of the Supervising Inspector General, Steamboat-Inspection Service to the Secretary of Commerce and Labor for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1907. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1907. 374 pages. Digitized by Google. Accessed at: http://books.google.com/books?id=slcpAAAAYAAJ

Washington Post. “Steamer Blows Up.” December 20, 1906, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=5233859

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.