1836 — June 9, steamboat Rob Roy boiler explosion, Mississippi River, ~Columbia, AR– 17

–17-25 US Patent Office. Report of…Commissioner…on…steam boiler explosions. 1848, p. 62.
— 20 Simonds. “Disasters…Shipping.” The American Date Book. 1902, p. 97.
— 17 Berman, Bruce D. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. 1972, p. 289.
— 17 Debow’s Review. “Steamboat Explosions in The West.” September, 1866, p. 308.
— 17 Fisher/McCord. “Steamboat Explosions…Fifty-Five Years.” In Scharf 1883, p. 1108.
— 17 Gould. “Losses by Explosions in Fifty Years.” Fifty Years on…Mississippi. 1889, p.437.
— 17 Lloyd. Lloyd’s Steamboat Directory and Disasters on the Western Waters. 1856, p. 73.
— 17 Republican Compiler, Gettysburg. “Dreadful Accident and Loss of Lives.” 7-5-1836.
— 17 Springer. “Principal marine disasters since 1831.” US House. “Safety of Life…” 1935, p. 245.

Narrative Information

Lloyd: “The Rob Roy was on her route from New Orleans to Louisville, and was under way, at 8 o’clock P. M, June 9th, 1886, near the town of Columbia, Arkansas, when…The engine was stopped for the purpose of oiling some part of the machinery; and although this necessary operation did not occupy more than two minutes, the accumulation of steam was sufficient to cause an explosion. As soon as the accident occurred, preparations were made to run the boat ashore, which was happily reached within a few minutes. By this judicious measure many lives were undoubtedly saved. None were lost by drowning, and the only victims and sufferers were those who were killed or wounded at the moment of the explosion. The clerk of the boat, a few days after the accident, furnished…[an] account of the killed and wounded, which he certified to be cor¬rect, adding, that some of those reported among the wounded had since died, and others were not expected to recover….. Total of killed, 17.” (Lloyd. “Explosion of the Steamboat Rob Roy on the Mississippi, June 9th, 1836.” 1856, p. 73.)

United States Patent Office: “Rob Roy, bound from New Orleans to Louisville, burst her boilers on the 9th of June, 1836, near Columbia, Mississippi river. The engineer on watch, states that the water was above the upper cocks in each side of the boilers, which is evident from the manner in which the flue collapsed, being from the side, and not from top to bottom, as is the case when caused by want of water. The engine had been stopped to oil the wrist, and ship bilge-pumps. Seventeen lost, eight killed, and thirty-four wounded.” (U.S. Patent Office. Report of the Commissioner of Patents, to the Senate of the [U.S.], on the subject of steam boiler explosions. 12-30-1848, p. 62.)

Newspaper

July 5: “From the Louisville City Gazette.”
“Dreadful Accident and Loss of Lives.”

“Below we give a letter from the clerk of the Rob Roy, detailing the consequences of the late disaster it met with on the 9th inst. a few miles above Columbia:

“Steam-Boat Rob Roy,
“Columbia, Ark., June 10, 1836.

“Gentlemen — I regret that duty requires from us an expose of facts most appalling to human feelings. The steamboat Rob Roy, F. Findren, master, left New Orleans on Sunday the 5th inst. at 11 o’clock, bound for Louisville, and preceeded on her voyage, performing well, touching at different points when business required, until Thursday evening, the 9th inst. at 9 o’clock, at a point four miles above this place, (Columbia.) One of the flues in the larboard boiler collapsed, tearing from the boiler head at both ends, the steam and water, rushing out, carried everything before it, fore and aft. To give a description of the suffering and destruction would be impossible.

“Annexed, you will find a list of names, and the condition of the wounded and dead.
The engineer on watch, Mr. Thomas Brown, says the water was above the upper cocks in each of the side boilers, which is evident from the manner the flue collapsed, being from the side, and not from top to bottom, as is the case when caused by want of water. The engine had been stopped to oil the wrist and hip bilge pump. The time from taking off and letting on steam, was not more than two minutes. The boat was ran ashore as soon as practicable, and every possible exertion was used by the passengers, physicians of Columbia and boat’s crew to relieve the sufferers. At three o’clock, the North America, Capt. Breden, came along side, and towed us to this place. The sufferers are all as comfortable as circumstances can render — in good house, five doctors in attendance. The number now lost and dead is 17. How many more will die we cannot say.

“Boat’s Crew.
Levi Jackson, carpenter, of Jeffersonville, dead.
Jno. Shane, cabin boy, of Louisville, dead.
Jno. Lowden, deck hand, of Beaver, Pa., slightly scalded.
Felix Davis, fireman, colored, of Jeffersonville, dead.
Chas Lowd, of Boston, slightly scalded.
J. Fletcher, of Virginia, slightly scalded.
Geo. Williams, colored, of Cincinnati, missing presumed dead.

“Deck Passengers.
Henry Snodgras, of Park Co., La., badly scalded.
Levi Hambliln, of Dearborn Co., La., badly scalded.
Jno. O’Brien, of Ireland, dead.
Wm. Lynch, of Cincinnati, dead.
P.W. Banta, of Madison La., dead. [Madison Parish?]
Michael Reagan, of Ireland, dead.
M. Henry, of Louisville, slightly scalded.
John Cavanaugh, or Ireland, dead.
Wm. Spears, of Pittsburg, badly scalded.
E. Ford, of Boston, slightly scalded.
Richard Fulton, of Indiana, slightly scalded.
Mr. Reagan, of Scott Co., Mo., badly scalded.
R. A Braden, of Lawrence Co., Tenn., badly scalded.
Mrs. Braden & 2 children, of Lawrence, Co., Tenn., dead.
Wm. McCreary, of Scott Co., Mo., slightly scalded.
Tilden Hagg, of Randolph, badly scalded.
Saml. Vincent, of Highland Creek, lost and presumed dead.
Four names not known, lost and presumed dead.

“The Robinson is along-side and a thousand things to do. We will be ready to go ahead on one wheel, or with three boilers by the time the Splendid comes along, and she will likely assist us to the mouth of the Ohio; from there we will try to dig along. We are very deep, nothing injured except the boilers of the boat, freight not injured.

“In great haste.
“B. W. Martin, Clerk, Rob Roy.”
(Republican Compiler, Gettysburg. “Dreadful Accident and Loss of Lives.” 7-5-1836.)

Sources

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

Debow’s Review. “Steamboat Explosions in The West.” Sept., 1866. Accessed 2-28-2021 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=WWk6AQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Fisher, Captain S.L., and Captain James McCord. “Steamboat Explosions for Fifty-Five Years.” In Scharf, J. Thomas. History of Saint Louis City and County, From the Earliest Periods to the Present Day: Including Biographical Sketches of Representative Men. In Two Volumes, Illustrated. Volume II (Chapter XXVII. Navigation on the Mississippi River). Philadelphia: Louis H. Everts & Co., 1883. Digitized by Northern Illinois University, NU Libraries Digitization Projects at: http://lincoln.lib.niu.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.4487:4.lincoln

Gould, E. W. Fifty Years on the Mississippi; or, Gould’s History of River Navigation. St. Louis: Nixon-Jones Printing Co., 1889, 750 pages. Digitized by Google. Accessed 2008 at: http://books.google.com/books?id=udyywXOVBvsC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Lloyd, James T. Lloyd’s Steamboat Directory and Disasters on the Western Waters. Cincinnati, Ohio: James T. Lloyd & Co., 1856. Digitized by Google. Accessed 2-28-2021 at: http://books.google.com/books?id=JlYqAAAAYAAJ

Republican Compiler, Gettysburg. “Dreadful Accident and Loss of Lives.” 7-5-1836. Transcribed by Stu Beitler for gendisasters.com. Accessed 2-28-2021 at: http://www.gendisasters.com/arkansas/16146/columbia-ar-steamboat-rob-roy-disaster-june-1836?page=0,0

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

Springer, Adele I. “Principal marine disasters since 1831.” United States Congress, House of Representatives. Hearings Before the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, United States Congress (74th Congress, 1st Session). “Safety of Life and Property at Sea.” Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1935. Accessed 8-9-2020 at: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Safety_of_Life_and_Property_at_Sea/l9xH_9sUuVAC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq

United States Patent Office. Report of the Commissioner of Patents, to the Senate of the United States, on the subject of steam boiler explosions. (30th Congress, 2d Session Executive Document No. 18). 12-30-1848. Accessed 2-21-2021 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=chpLAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false