1836 — Dec 19, Steam Schooner Dolphin Boiler Explosion, off St. Johns Bar, FL — 15

— 15 Augusta Daily Constitutionalist, GA. “Loss of the Steam Packet Dolphin…” 12-22-1836, 2.
— 15 Lytle and Holdcamper. Merchant Steam Vessels of the [U.S.] 1807-1868. 1952, p. 218.
— 15 Singer, S. D. Shipwrecks of Florida: A Comprehensive Listing (2nd Ed.), 1998, p. 172.

Narrative Information

Lytle and Holdcamper: “Dolphin…133 [tons]…exploded…12 19 1836…St. Johns Bar, Fla. …15 [lives lost].” (Lytle and Holdcamper. Merchant Steam Vessels of the United States 1807-1868. 1952, p. 218.)

Singer: “Dolphin – Two-masted steam schooner, 133 tons, built in 1835 at New York, 115’ x 16’ x 7’, Captain Rudolph. On Dec 19, 1836, her boiler exploded off the St. Johns Bar, killing 15 people. The rest of the passengers were rescued by the vessel Santee. The Dolphin was one of the first pioneer steamers in Florida….” (Singer 1998, p. 172; cites FL Historical Quarterly, 23 Dec 1836.)

Newspaper

Dec 20 report: “From Our Correspondents.”
“Office of the Savannah Georgian, December 20. – 12 o’clock, M.”
“Loss of the Steam Packet Dolphin – and Loss of Lives.”

“We deeply regret to learn by Capt. Brooks, of the Steamboat Santee, arrived this morning, from Volusia, that on Saturday last, 19th inst. about 4 o’clock in the afternoon, the Steam Packet Dolphin, Capt. Rudolph, off St. Johns Bar, stopt to take a Pilot on board, and in the act of starting the engine, the boiler burst, and unfortunately killed fifteen persons. The Steamboat Santee being within three miles immediately proceeded to the wreck, and saved the following [notes 16 persons; we omit]:

“The following are the names of the killed – Col. Brooks; Lieut. Alexander Mackey, U.S.A.; Miss Brown, daughter of Col. Brown; Barney Luce, mate; Beaury and Eldree, engineers, Kemory, pilot, two deck hands; three stewards; and three blacks….The above are the only particulars we have been able to ascertain.” (Augusta Daily Constitutionalist, GA. “Loss of the Steam Packet Dolphin…” 12-22-1836, p. 2, col. 5.)

Sources

Augusta Daily Constitutionalist, GA. “Loss of the Steam Packet Dolphin – And Loss of Lives.” 12-22-1836, p. 2, col. 5. Accessed 2-17-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/augusta-daily-constitutionalist-dec-22-1836-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=7

Singer, Steven D. Shipwrecks of Florida: A Comprehensive Listing (2nd Ed.). Sarasota, FL: Pineapple Press, Inc., 1998. Partially digitized by Google. Accessed2-16-2021 at: http://books.google.com/books?id=6j6kjZQReqkC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_navlinks_s#v=onepage&q=&f=false