lornajarrettblanchard

— 14 Alchem Incorporated. Lake Erie Shipwreck and Dive Location Pages.
— 14 Historical Great Lakes Vessel Accident Database, 1866
— 14 Mansfield. Great Lakes Maritime History – History of the Great Lakes (Vol. 1). 1899.
— 14 Swayze, David D. “Great Lakes Shipwrecks Beginning with the letter K.”
— 14 Swayze. Shipwreck!…Directory…Shipwrecks on the Great Lakes. 1992, p. 129.
— 13 Maritime History of the Great Lakes. “King, Jennie P., (Bark), 1866.”

Narrative Information

Alchem: “Jennie P. King: 3 masted wooden bark of 450 tons ran aground and capsized in a gale on 6/18/1866 just West of Long Point, Ontario. Fourteen of the fifteen crew died in the wreck.” (Alchem)

Swayze, “Great Lakes Shipwrecks Beginning with the letter K.”
“Type at loss : bark, wood, 3-mast
“Build info : 1863, Little, Tonawanda, NY
“Specs : 450 t.
“Date of loss : 1866, Jun 18 or 20
“Place of loss : a short distance above Long Point
“Lake : Erie
“Type of loss : storm
“Loss of life : 14 of 15 [10 men and 4 women]
“Carrying : timber and spars
“Detail : after losing control in a big gale, she piled ashore and capsized, costing the lives of all but one of those aboard. Eleven bodies were recovered off Port Rowan in early October. She was out of Tonawanda, NY, owned by Van Valkenburg of Lockport, NY.” (Swayze)

Swayze, Shipwrecks!: “Jennie P King. Merchant schooner. Lake Erie: No location is given [sic], but reports say that the schooner Jennie P. King was stranded and destroyed with the loss of 14 lives on June 4 [sic], 1866.” (Shipwreck!…Shipwrecks on the Great Lakes. 1992, p. 129.)

Newspapers

June 19: “Buffalo, June 19. The Express gives the following list of marine disasters….The schooner Jennie P. King capsized off Long Point Cut, Lake Erie, and all hands were lost.” (Cincinnati Commercial, OH. “The Great Storm. Destruction of Shipping on the Lakes.” 6-20-1866, p. 8, col. 3.)

June 19: “Buffalo, June 19. Schooner Jennie P. King capsized off Long Point, Lake Erie, in the Sunday night [17th] gale. All hands lost.” (Rutland Weekly Herald, VT. “Marine Disasters.” 6-21-1866, p. 5, co. 1.)

Sources

Alchem Incorporated. Lake Erie Shipwreck and Dive Location Pages. Accessed 1-28-2009 at: http://www.alcheminc.com/shipwrck.html

Cincinnati Commercial, OH. “The Great Storm. Destruction of Shipping on the Lakes.” 6-20-1866, p. 8, col. 3. Accessed 12-4-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/cincinnati-commercial-jun-20-1866-p-8/

Historical Great Lakes Vessel Accident Database. 1866 Search Results. Link broken by 2020.

Mansfield, John Brandts (Ed. and Compiler). History of the Great Lakes (Vol. 1). Chicago: J.H. Beers & Co., 1899. http://www.linkstothepast.com/marine/chapt36.html — Google digitized: http://books.google.com/books?id=iHXhAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=&f=false

Maritime History of the Great Lakes. “King, Jennie P., (Bark), 1866.” Accessed 9/12/2009 at: http://www.hhpl.on.ca/GreatLakes/wrecks/Details.asp?ID=12198&n=10096

Rutland Weekly Herald, VT. “Marine Disasters.” 6-21-1866, p. 5, col. 1. Accessed 12-4-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/rutland-weekly-herald-jun-21-1866-p-5/

Swayze, David D. “Great Lakes Shipwrecks Beginning with the letter K.” Accessed 9-10-2009 at: http://greatlakeshistory.homestead.com/files/k.htm

–11-~60 Blanchard.*

— <65 Cincinnati Commercial, OH. “Cairo…Survivors…City of Memphis Disaster.” 6-3-1866, p. 1.** -- ~60 Bragg. Historic Names and Places on the Lower Mississippi River. 1977, p. 86. -- ~60 Semi-Weekly Wisconsin, Milwaukee. “Particulars…City of Memphis,” 9 June 1866, 1. -- 11 Gould. Fifty Years on the Mississippi… 1889, p. 437. (Year of loss shown as 1870.) -- 11 Way’s Packet Directory, 1848-1994: Passenger Steamboats…MS River System. 1994, 94. -- 5 Lytle and Holdcamper. Merchant Steam Vessels of the [U.S.]1807-1868. 1952, p. 258. *Blanchard on fatalities: From descriptions of the explosion and fire, as well as the estimate of the City of Memphis clerk that probably less than 65 died, said at a time when there were sill many badly wounded and scalded survivors, and given the Bragg and Wisconsin Semi Weekly sources, we are of the opinion that the number of fatalities was approximately sixty. We do not wish to overlook the Gould and Way accounts however and thus choose to use a range of fatalities, using their estimates of eleven deaths for the low end of our range and about sixty for the high end. ** “The clerk of the Memphis says, the whole number lost and died since will not be over sixty-five.” Paper goes on to note that probably of the 27 scalded survivors in Memphis “probably three will die.” Narrative Information Bragg: “In June, 1866 the steamer City of Memphis exploded and burned opposite Buck Island. On her last trip up the river, the big boat had run aground just above Vicksburg, but a high wind and heavy rains had dislodged her from the sandbar and she had hurried on upstream to her doom. Newspapers reported that about 60 people lost their lives in the explosion and fire. “The City of Memphis was an old boat at the time of her demise. She had been well-known and extremely popular in her day. In 1858, she had carried so many passengers that a daily newspaper published on board proved to be a successful and lucrative venture.” (Bragg 1977, p. 86.) Way: Sidewheel wood-hull packet built at Monongahela, PA in 1857; was 301x36x8 with six boilers. “….Exploded boilers 30 miles below Memphis on May 31, 1866, with loss of 11 lives. The wreck was towed to St. Louis and torn up.” (Way’s Packet Directory, 1994, p. 94.) Newspapers June 1, NYT: “Memphis, Thursday, May 31. The steamer City of Memphis, from New Orleans for St. Louis, exploded at the foot of Buck Island, 40 miles below here, at eight o’clock this morning. The forward cabin was torn away and the boat set on fire. She had twenty-eight cabin and sixty deck passengers. The following are lost: [8 names]….About sixty persons were lost or injured. The steamer St. Patrick brought up the survivors [to Memphis]. The Memphis was owned by the Atlantic Steamship Company and valued at $90,000. She was uninsured.” (NYT. “Steamboat Explosion-Eight Lives Lost-Large Number of Scalded-Sixty…, June 1, 1866.) June 2: “Cairo, June 2….The Luminary passed up for St. Louis, with the following survivors of the City of Memphis disaster: Sam. Harris, second mate, leg broken; Nick Byrne, first engineer, ankle broken and the other foot crushed; Thomas Richmond, steward, bruised and cut; Mr. Wakefield, passenger, head and arms scalded, and four of the crew severely scalded…. “The remainder of the scalded, twenty-seven in number, are at Memphis; probably three will die. The clerk of the Memphis says the whole number of lost and died since will not be over sixty-five.” (Cincinnati Commercial, OH. “Cairo. Port List – Survivors of the City of Memphis Disaster.” 6-3-1866, p. 1.) June 2, Semi-Weekly Wisconsin: “The Cincinnati Commercial of June 2 publishes the following particulars of the explosion of the steamer City of Memphis on the 31st ult.: “Statement of Mrs. Carrie Taylor. “The explosion occurred at 8 o'clock in the morning. I was at the time sitting at the breakfast table; the first thing I knew of the explosion was a crashing noise and the falling of the chandelier. The cabin was pretty full of people. There were about 150 ladies in the cabin, and a few children. The explosion, I think must have occurred near the back end of the boilers, the force of the explosion sending the cabin about midships. After the explosion I put on my life preserver, after which I got to the lower deck by means of a board. I stood on the lower deck until the flames compelled me to jump into the river, when I got hold of a plank, by means of which I was enabled to get ashore. “I cannot tell the cause of the explosion. It is said the boilers were leaking. I heard that the passengers said that the boat did not go fast enough, to which the engineers replied that they would not put any more steam on, as the boilers could not stand it. Capt. Thompson deserves great credit for his conduct on the occasion. The flames on the boat did not gain headway until fifteen minutes after the explosion. I do not think they could have been put out by any means. I noticed that the sparks we're scattered pretty well all through the ruins of the cabin, texas, etc., the most of which was all piled together. The City of Memphis had six boilers, and at the time of the explosion had not more than 115 pounds of steam. “Capt. Thompson’s Statement. “We left New Orleans Friday evening, the. 26th, at 6 o'clock, with a large freight, 40 cabin passengers and 60 deck passengers. We put off and took on as we came up, and had about the same number at the time of the explosion.— Nothing particular occurred during the trip up, excepting that we passed safely through one storm. I did not apprehend any danger. The engines worked well, and there were no signs of a leak in any one of the boilers. The day before the explosion the first engineer came to me and said remarks bad been made by the passengers about the boat going so slow. I told them I was captain of the boat and would order faster speed when I thought it necessary. I know that the first engineer tried the gauge all the way across the six boilers. “Mr. Bruno, the first engineer came to me while in New Orleans, and said he would have to put the boat to some expense by having the middle gauge cocks opened, and said he did not believe they had been opened for five years. I told him he was right, and to go ahead, which he did and had them open at the time of the explosion. “I was standing in the clerk's office. The force of the explosion tore the shirt I had on in shreds, and split my vest clear up the back, besides smashing my watch all to pieces. I got out of the window and down on the forecastle hurriedly, where I had the stage planks lashed together and put overboard. I saw the wounded were carefully put on the planks, and those well I made take off their coats and get into the water, instructing them not to get on the staging, but to remain in the water. I then selected a trustworthy negro to take charge of them, telling them to make no efforts to go to the shore, but to wait for some boat to pick them up, and they were the first survivors picked up by the Saint Patrick. I next threw them a lot of planks, which were eagerly grasped by those in the water. “I first discovered the boat to be on fire in the hold, and the forward pumps were working at the time but the water could not penetrate; the strikers were both fastened in the ruins where we pulled them out. I heard a number of men beneath the debris of wood, iron, &c., groaning most pitifully and praying for some way to escape from being burned to death, but as there was no possibility whatever of getting at them, they were left to burn to death, while we exerted ourselves in saving those we could. The mates and myself remained on the forecastle doing all we could, until every person was off the forward part of the boat, when the carpenter and watchman came with the yawl and took us off…. “After leaving the forecastle I went aft in the yawl to help the ladies, and rescued Miss Belle Addison, of St. Louis, when she was so weak as to be unable to hold out her hand to be saved. After getting all we could into the boat there was a number of men in the water with their life-preservers on them. I told them to keep cool and permit themselves to float quietly until rescued. I made no effort to save any of my personal effects, and upon arriving at Memphis I had nothing save the clothes on me. I do not think the total number of lives lost will amount to over sixty.” (Semi-Weekly Wisc., Milwaukee. “Particulars…Destruction…City of Memphis,” 6-9-1866, p. 1.) Sources Bragg, Marion. Historic Names and Places on the Lower Mississippi River. Vicksburg, MS: Mississippi River Commission, 1977. Accessed at: http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/pao/history/MRnames/MissRiverNames.htm > Also at:
http://www.mvd.usace.army.mil/Portals/52/docs/MRC/MRnames%28Intro-end_final2%29.pdf

Cincinnati Commercial, OH. “Cairo. Port List – Survivors of the City of Memphis Disaster.” 6-3-1866, p. 1. Accessed 8-16-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/cincinnati-commercial-jun-03-1866-p-2/

Google Maps. “Helena Arkansas.” (Best viewed as satellite map.) Accessed 8-17-2020 at: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Helena,+Helena-West+Helena,+AR+72342/@34.5441161,-90.5607013,3490m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x862b2c858fbd6487:0x564468f41826d7b9!8m2!3d34.5291253!4d-90.5900273

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

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=9&size=125&q1=ceres

New York Times. “Steamboat Explosion [City of Memphis]–Eight Lives Lost–Large Number of Scalded—Sixty Persons Supposed to be Injured,” June 1, 1866, p. 5. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=7742676

Quapaw Canoe Company. “Helena – Buck Island Map and Description.” Accessed 8-17-2020 at: http://www.island63.com/helena-buck_island.cfm

Semi-Weekly Wisconsin, Milwaukee. “Particulars of the Destruction of the Steamer City of Memphis,” 6-9-1866, p. 1. At: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=120021620

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.

–  50,000                    Grob. The Deadly Truth: A History of Disease in America. 2002, p. 105.[1]

—  47,448                    Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 285.[2]

—  15,761-17,742        Blanchard compilation[3] from State breakouts below.[4]

–~12,000                    American Annual Cyclopedia of Year 1866, p. 111.[5]

 

Summary of State Breakouts Below

 

Alabama        (                 2)  Aug

Arkansas        (             >85)  July 28-Oct 4             Especially Fort Smith (75)

California      (             >27)  Dec                              Lake Nicaragua army camp (27)

Delaware        (               30)                                      Delaware City

District of Columbia  (    4)  Early Oct                  

Georgia          (             352)  July 18-early Aug      Savannah and Tybee Island

Illinois             (          1,091)  July 21-early Sep      Chicago (990), Cairo (76), Marion (25)

Indiana           (               31)  Aug 11-early Oct      Richmond

Kansas           (             >97)  June-Aug                   Especially Forts Harker, Hays and Dodge.

Kentucky       (           >227)  July-Dec                     Especially Louisville (152), Covington (70).

Louisiana       (1,294-1,875)  July 12-Dec                Especially New Orleans

Maryland       (                62) June 16-Oct 1            Baltimore

Massachusetts(                 6)  July 19-Sep 27           Essentially North Adams

Minnesota      (                  2)                                     St Paul

Mississippi     (            >531) Aug 7-Nov                  Vicksburg

Missouri         (           3,541) July-Nov                    Primarily St. Louis

New Jersey    (             >44)                                      Especially Burlington County

New York       (2,100-3,524)              May 2-Oct 13             Especially NYC (3,524)

Ohio               (1,200-1,406)  July 11-Sep 4             Cincinnati (1,200-1,400)

Pennsylvania (      834-900)  Late July start           Philadelphia

Rhode Island (               72)                                      Especially Providence (>14)

Tennessee       (        >1,800)  Aug 29-Oct 9             Memphis (1,000) and Nashville (800)

Texas              (           >722)  July 22-Sep                Especially San Antonio (~500)

Virginia          (           >164)  Aug 12-Oct                Richmond

U.S. Army      (          1,279)  July 3-Nov

Maritime       (               74)                                      Certainly there were more than we show.

 

Breakout of 1866 Cholera Deaths by State and Locality (where located)

 

Alabama        (      2)             Aug

—  ?  Mobile (“considerable mortality”)        Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 282.

—  2  Mobile                Aug                             NYT. “The Cholera in Mobile,” 8-31-1866, p. 1.

 

Arkansas        (  >85)             July 28-Oct 4            

–75  Fort Smith          mid Sep start               Duval. Cholera…in Fort Smith in 1866. 1867, p. 3.

–1       “          Sep 23-29                    Daily Ark. Gazette, Little Rock. 10-8-1866, p.1, c4.[6]

–3       “          Oct 4                           Daily Ark. Gazette, Little Rock. 10-8-1866, p.1, c.4.

—  6  Helena                mid Sep                       Daily Ark. Gazette, Little Rock. 9-18-1866, p.1, c.2.

—  4  Little Rock         July 28 start[7]               Blanchard tally of breakouts below.

–1       “          Late Aug                     Daily Ark. Gazette, Little Rock. 9-1-1866, p. 3, c. 3.

–1       “          Sep (Wm. Gorman)    Daily Ark. Gazette, Little Rock. 10-9-1866, p.3, c.1.

–1       “          Sep (black woman)     Daily Ark. Gazette, Little Rock. 10-9-1866, p.3, c.1.

–1       “          Oct 2 (O. Jennings)    Daily Ark. Gazette, Little Rock. 10-3-1866, p.3, c.1.

—  ?  Madison                                                 Woodward. Report…Cholera in the Army…, p. 673.

—  ?  Plantations desolated in instances.        Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 281.

 

California      ( >27)              Dec     

–27  Lake Nicaragua army camp, late Dec.   Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 282.[8]

—  ?  San Francisco                 Dec                  Pyle. Diffusion of Cholera, 2010, p. 71.

 

Colorado        (     ?)

–?  Fort Lyon                                                 Woodward. Report…Cholera in the Army…, p. 676.

 

Connecticut   (    ?)

–?  Fair Haven (3 cases by Aug 13-15)         NYT. “News of the Day.” 8-15-1866, p. 4, col. 1.

 

Delaware        (   30)

–30  Delaware City                                        Buffalo Med. & Surgical Journal, Vol. 7, p. 36.[9]

—  ?  New Castle                                             McClellan. “A History…Cholera…”  1875, p. 672.

 

District of Co.  (   4)

—  4  Wash., DC          Oct 2                           McClellan. “A History…Cholera…”  1875, p.672.[10]

 

Georgia          (  352)             July 18-early Aug

—    ?  Atlanta              Sep 9 start                   Pyle. Diffusion of Cholera, 2010, p. 71.

—    ?  Augusta            Sep 9 start                   Pyle. Diffusion of Cholera, 2010, p. 71.

–231  Savannah          July 18 start[11]             American Annual Cyclopedia of Year 1866, p. 111.

–231               “                                              Chambers. Conquest of Cholera, 1948, 278.

–55     “          July 25                         Cedar Falls Gazette, IA. “The News,” 8-10-1866, 2.

–25     “          Sep 13-19                    NYT. “The Cholera in Savannah,” 9-20-1866, p.5.

–121  Tybee Island (116 troops, 5 civilians). July-Aug. Chambers. Conquest of Cholera, 1948, 278.

 

Illinois             (1,091)            July 21-early Sep      Especially Chicago

—  76  Cairo                By Aug 22                  Arkansas Gazette, Little Rock. “Cholera,” 9-1-1866, 3.

–990  Chicago.           July 21 1^st report.[12]     McClellan. “A History…Cholera…”  1875, 672.

–978           “                                                  American Annual Cyclopedia of Year 1866, p. 111.

—  6 “               Aug 22                        Ark. Gazette, Little Rock. “Cholera,” 9-1-1866, p3, c3.

–12 “               Oct 6                           Indianapolis Daily Journal, IN. 10-8-1866, p.1, c.2.

–>25  Marion             6 wks, late summer     Marion IL History Preservation. 1866 Cholera.[13]

 

Indiana           (   31)              Aug 11-early Oct

—  ?  Aurora (prevailed there)                        IN State Med Society. Transactions, p. 54.

–31  Richmond[14] Aug 11 start to early Oct.  Inter-State Publishing. History of Wayne… 1884, 590.

 

Kansas           (  >97)             June-Aug

—  8  Camp Grierson                                       Woodward. Report…Cholera in the Army…, p. 678.

—  4  Cow Creek Army camp                         Woodward. Report…Cholera in the Army…, p. 678.

—  1  Downer’s Station           Aug 10            Woodward. Report…Cholera in the Army…, p. 678.

—  ?  Ellsworth                                                            Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 285.

–14  Fort Dodge (also citizen cases in vic.)   Woodward. Report…Cholera in the Army…, p. 678.

–31  Fort Harker                    June-Aug        Woodward. Report…Cholera in the Army…, p. 675.

–24  Fort Hays              July 11 start-Sep      Woodward. Report…Cholera in the Army…, p. 678.

—  6  Fort Larned                    July 6 start      Woodward. Report…Cholera in the Army…, p. 673.

—  ?  Fort Leavenworth                                   Woodward. Report…Cholera in the Army…, p. 673.

—  ?  Fort Riley                                               Woodward. Report…Cholera in the Army…, p. 673.

—  ?  Fort Wallace                                          Woodward. Report…Cholera in the Army…, p. 678.

—  ?  Fort Zarah                                              Woodward. Report…Cholera in the Army…, p. 676.

—  1  Monument Station         July                 Woodward. Report…Cholera in the Army…, p. 678.

—  ?  Salina                                                     Woodward. Report…Cholera in the Army…, p. 678.

—  8  Wilson’s Creek Army camp                  Woodward. Report…Cholera in the Army…, p. 678.

 

Kentucky       (>227)             July-Dec

—    ?  Bowling Green                                     Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 283.

—  70  Covington        just from Dec 1-18      WI State Journal, Madison. 12-19-1866, p. 1, col. 5.

–152  Louisville                                             American Annual Cyclopedia of Year 1866, p. 111.

–152           “                          July 29 start[15] Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 283.

–17 “                           up to Aug 15. New York Times, Aug 16, 1866

— 7  “                           Aug 22  Arkansas Gazette, Little Rock. “Cholera,” 9-1-1866, p3, c3.

— 3  “                           Sep 21             NYT. “Cholera in [KY & TN],” 9-22-1866, p. 5.

— 4  “                           Sep 22             NYT. “The Cholera in Louisville,” 9-24-1866, p. 1.

— 3  “                           Sep 24             NYT. “The Cholera at Louisville,” 9-25-1866, p. 1.

— 1  “                           Sep 26             McClellan. “A History…Cholera…”  1875, p. 672.

—   1  Newport Barracks         July?               Woodward. Report…Cholera in the Army…, p. 675.

—   1  Paducah                                                 Woodward. Report…Cholera in the Army…, p. 675.

—   3  Taylor Barracks                                    Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 283.

 

Louisiana       (1,294-1,875)              July 12-Dec

—       ?  Alexandria     Aug 25 start                International Medical Congress. Transactions. 388.

—       3  Baton Rouge Aug 17 start                Chambers. Conquest of Cholera, 1948, p. 281.[16]

–1,875  New Orleans.            Ellis. Yellow Fever & Public Health in…New South. 1992. p. 30.[17]

–1,463            “          June 1-Jan 1, 1867      International Medical Congress. Transactions. 388.[18]

–1,353            “ (1180 citizens, 173 mil.)      Chambers. Conquest of Cholera, 1948, p. 278.

–1,294            “                                              Peters. “General History…,” in Wendt, 1885, 30.

–1,294            “                                              International Medical Congress. Transactions. 388.

–1,200            “                                              Carrigan. The Saffron Scourge. 1961, p. 146.

—  30   “          July                                         “

–569   “          Aug                                         “

–456   “          Sep                                          “

–166   “          Oct                                          “

—  47   “          Nov                                         “

—  26   “          Dec                                          “

—   132            “                                              American Annual Cyclopedia of Year 1866, p. 111.

—  0     “          July 12 1^st case.           Chambers. Conquest of Cholera, 1948, p. 279.

–11[19]  “          Aug 1-5                       NYT. “Cholera in New Orleans,” 8-7-1866, 4.

–26     “           Aug 15                        NYT, Aug 16 1866.

–27     “          Aug 17.                       NYT, Aug 19, 1866.

–26     “          Aug 26-27                   Davenport…Gazette. “Cholera Reports,” 8-30-1866, 1.

–29     “           Aug 29                        NYT. “The Cholera at New-Orleans,” 8-31-1866, 1.

–22     “          Aug 31.                       NYT. “The Cholera at New Orleans,” 9-2-1866, p.4.

–16     “          Sep 4                           NYT. “New-Orleans; Cholera,” Sep 6, 1866, p. 8.

–23     “          Sep 5                           NYT. “New Orleans; Cholera,” Sep 7, 1866, p. 5.

–17     “          Sep 6                           NYT. “Louisiana; Cholera in [N.O.],” 9-8-1866, 4.

–29     “          Sep 9                           NYT. “Cholera in New-Orleans,” Sep 11, 1866, p. 4.

–32     “          Sep 10                         NYT. “Louisiana; Cholera in [N.O.],” 9-12-1866, 8.

–19     “          Sep 17                         NYT. “The Cholera in New-Orleans,” 9-19-1866, 8.

–11     “          Sep 26                         NYT, “New Orleans; Deaths…Cholera,” 9-28-1866.

–30     “          Sep 29-30                    Daily AR Gazette, Little Rock. 10-6-1966, p.1, c4.[20]

–17     “          Oct 7-8                        Daily AR Gazette, Little Rock. 10-13-1866, p.1, c.5.

—    ?  Fort St. Philip (“prevailed”)                Watkins. “The Cholera…” The Sanitarian, XV, 249

—    ?  Ship Island     (“prevailed”)                 Watkins. “The Cholera…” The Sanitarian, XV, 249

—    ?  Shreveport (“mild epidemic”) Aug 12[21] Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p281.

—    ?  Plantations in the interior. Sep 17 rpt. Daily Ark. Gazette, Little Rock. 9-24-1866, p1, c4.[22]

 

Maryland       (    62)             June 16-Oct 1

–62  Baltimore           June 16, 1^st case[23]       Quinan. Medical Annals of Baltimore. 1884, p. 43.

–1   “               Aug 17.                       NYT, Aug 19, 1866.

–3[24] “              Sep 29-Oct 1               Dubuque…Herald, IA. “The Cholera,” 10-2-1866, 1.

 

Massachusetts (    6)              July 19-Sep 27

–1  Boston (soldier from NY) July 19           Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 277.

–5  North Adams        Sep 27 report              Burlington Hawk-Eye, IA. 9=28-1866, p. 1, col. 3.[25]

–?  Worcester                                                 Gordon. “Cholera in Worcester.” HJMass., 2014.

 

Michigan        (      ?)

–?  Detroit (“prevailed in the city”) May 29[26] Chambers. Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 282.[27]

 

Minnesota      (      2)

–2  St. Paul.                                                    McClellan. “A History…Cholera…”  1875, 671.[28]

 

Mississippi     (>531)             Aug 7-Nov

—    3  Jackson (convert “several” into 3)      Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 281.

—    ?  Natchez                        Aug 7 start      International Medical Congress. Transactions. 388.

—  18  Oshand plantation        Nov                 AR State Gazette, Little Rock. 11-30-1866, p1, c1.[29]

–510  Vicksburg         Aug 22-Sep[30]              American Annual Cyclopedia of Year 1866, p. 111.

–510           “                                                  Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 281.

–60 “               ~Aug 29-30                 Jacksonville Republican, AL. 9-1-1866, p. 1, c. 2.[31]

 

Missouri         (3,541)            July-Nov

9  Kansas City  ~Aug 13.                              McClellan. “A History…Cholera…”  1875, p.671.[32]

—   3,532  St. Louis                                         American Annual Cyclopedia of Year 1866, p. 111.

—   3,527         “          July-Nov                     Moore. “Notes…of Cholera in St. Louis.” 1855, 47.

—   3,527         “                                              NPS. Year of Disaster…St. Louis…Cholera…

—   3,527         “                                              Post Dispatch, St. Louis. “Cholera’s Riot,” 9-18-1892.

— >3,500         “          July-Nov                     Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 285.

—   3,500         “                                              McClellan. “A History…Cholera…”  1875, p.672.[33]

—       2“           July                             Moore. “Notes…Cholera in St. Louis.” 1855, 47.

–2,388 “          August                         Moore. “Notes…Cholera in St. Louis.” 1855, 47.

–13          Aug 9                     Cedar Falls Gazette, IA. “The News,” 8-10-1866, 2.

—  7          Aug 10                   Cedar Falls Gazette, IA. “The News,” 8-10-1866, 2.

–36 noon to noon Aug 13-14 NYT. “The Cholera at St. Louis.” 8-15-1866, p.4, c.7.

–48          Aug 15                   New York Times, Aug 16, 1866.

–47          Aug 17                   New York Times, Aug 19, 1866.

–73[34]        Aug 28                   Davenport…Gazette, IA. “Cholera Rpts,” 8-30-1866, 1.

–63[35]       Aug 29                   NYT. “The Cholera in St. Louis, Aug 31, 1866, p. 1.

–37          Aug 30                   NYT. “The Cholera at St. Louis,” Sep 1, 1866, p. 4.

–330-450 Aug 25-Sep 1.        NYT. “The Cholera at St. Louis,” 9-3-1866, p. 5.

–1,082             September                   Moore. “Notes…Cholera in St. Louis.” 1855, 47.

–60          Sep 1                      NYT. “The Cholera at St. Louis,” Sep 3, 1866, p. 5.

–75          Sep 4                      NYT. “The Cholera in St. Louis,” Sep 6, 1866, p. 8.

–81           Sep 5                      NYT. “St. Louis; The Cholera,” Sep 7, 1866, p. 5.

–59          Sep 6                      NYT. “St. Louis; Preparations…Cholera,” 9-7-1866.

–33          Sep 11                    NYT. “The Cholera in St. Louis,” 9-13-1866, p. 1.

–21          Sep 13                    NYT. “The Cholera in St. Louis,” 9-15-1866, p. 1.

–~2,500 ~mid Aug-mid Sep. McClellan. “A History…Cholera…”  1875, 671.[36]

—     272    Sep 8-14                NYT. “Cholera at St. Louis,” Sep 16, 1866, p. 5.

—     202    Sep 16-22                          NYT. “Missouri; Cholera,” Sep 24, 1866, p. 1.

—    51             October                       Moore. “Notes…Cholera in St. Louis.” 1855, p. 47.

—     4              November                   Moore. “Notes…Cholera in St. Louis.” 1855, p. 47

 

Nebraska        (       ?)

–?  Fort Kearney        Aug 27 start, via steamer. International Med. Congress. Transactions. 388.

 

New Jersey    (   >44)

—>15  Burlington County                   Hunt. “Outline…Cholera…New Jersey…” 1893, p. 491.

–15  Burlington City (from 17 cases in three weeks). Hunt 1893, p. 492.

— >3  Camden County, Camden         Hunt. “Outline…Cholera…New Jersey…” 1893, p. 492.[37]

—   6  Cumberland Co., Bridgeton      Hunt. “Outline…Cholera…New Jersey…” 1893, p. 492.

—   ?  Essex County, Newark              Hunt. “Outline…Cholera…New Jersey…” 1893, p. 492.

—   ?  Gloucester County                    Hunt. “Outline…Cholera…New Jersey…” 1893, p. 491.

— >1  Hudson County                         Hunt. “Outline…Cholera…New Jersey…” 1893, p. 491-2.

–Hudson (“suffered severely”) Hunt. “Outline…Cholera…New Jersey…” 1893, p. 491.

—   ?  Salem County, Salem                 McClellan. “A History…Cholera…”  1875, p. 672.

—   ?  Union County                            Hunt. “Outline…Cholera…New Jersey…” 1893, p. 491.

— 20  unclear location (“this county”). Hunt. “Outline…Cholera…New Jersey…” 1893, p. 492.

 

New Mexico   (   )

–?  Albuquerque (case noted) Oct[38]   Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 285.

 

New York       (2,100-3,524)[39]                       May 2-Oct 13             Especially NYC (3,524)

—  3,524  New York City. Cholera, Cholera infantum, cholera morbus, diarrhea, dysentery.[40]

—  3,300  NY, Brooklyn and area, including 1,200 greater than previous year deaths.[41]

—  2,100  NY and its institutions, and Brooklyn. Chambers. Conquest of Cholera. 1938, 275.[42]

—  1,212  New York City.                  NYT. “Local Intelligence. The Board of Health.” 1-23-1867.

–~1,200  New York City                   Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 275.[43]

—  1,195          “                                  American Annual Cyclopedia of Year 1866, p. 111.

–1137 “          May 1-End      New Media Lab, Grad. Ctr., CUNY.  Cholera in 1866.

–1137 “                                   NYC Dept. of Health. Sum. of Vital Statistics 2009. 2010.[44]

–1137 “                                   Rosner. Hives of Sickness…Epidemics…[NYC]. 1995, 31.[45]

—    949            “                                  Blanchard tally based on data below.

—    1  NYC, May 2, 1^st death. Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 274.[46]

–110      “        July 1-31.        Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 275.

–21“    up to July 8.    McClellan. “A History of the…Cholera…” 1875, 663.

–68”   July 19            Clark. The Medical Men of New Jersey. 71.

–16“    July 27-29[47]    Galveston Daily News. “Telegraphic,” Aug 4, 1866, 2.

–239      “    July 27-Aug 4     New York Times.  “Cholera,” Aug 10, 1866, p. 8.

–103      “    July 28-Aug 3     Dubuque Daily Herald, IA. “Cholera News,” 8-5-1866, p1.

—  10      “    Aug 4                  Dubuque Daily Herald, IA. “Cholera News,” 8-5-1866, p1.

–329      “    up to Aug 4         NYT, “Cholera,” August 4, 1866 (NY Registrar of Records)

—  10      “    Aug 5                  Dubuque Daily Herald, IA. “Cholera News,” 8-5-1866, p1.

—    9      “    Aug 5                  Janesville Gazette, WI. “From New York,” 8-6-1866, p. 1.

—    2      “    Aug 7                  Dubuque Daily Herald, IA. “Cholera News,” 8-8-1866, 1.

—    1      “    Aug 29                Davenport…Gazette, IA. “Cholera Reports,” 8-30-1866, 1.

—  54      “    ~Sep 21-28         Dubuque Daily Herald, IA. “The Cholera,” 10-2-1866, p.1.

—  38      “    ~Sep 23-29         Dubuque Daily Herald, IA. “The Cholera,” 10-2-1866, p.1.

—    2      “    Oct 1                   Dubuque Daily Herald, IA. “The Cholera,” 10-2-1866, p.1.

—    5      “    Oct 10-12           Dubuque…Herald, IA. “Mortality in NY.” 10-16-1866, p1.

—    4      “    Oct 13                Dubuque…Herald, IA. “Mortality in NY.” 10-16-1866, p.1.

–800-900  Brooklyn                           Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 275.

–700-800        “                                  American Annual Cyclopedia of Year 1866, p. 111.

–206   “          July 24-Sep 19. Blanchard tally from breakouts below.

–100   “          July 1-31.        Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 275.

–42“   July 24-31       Galveston Daily News. “Telegraphic,” Aug 4, 1866, p. 2.

—  82  “          Aug 2-9           NYT. “Cholera,” Aug 10, 1866, p. 8.

—  6     Aug 3              Dubuque…Herald, IA. “Cholera News,” 8-5-1866, p. 1.

–10     Aug 4              Dubuque…Herald, IA. “Cholera News,” 8-5-1866, p. 1.

—  4     Aug 7              Dubuque…Herald, IA. “Cholera News,” 8-8-1866, p. 1.

—  4     Aug 8              Titusville Herald, PA. “Cholera…Brooklyn,” 8-9-1866, p2.

—  2    “         Aug 29             Davenport…Gazette, IA. “Cholera Reports,” 8-30-1866, 1.

–22  Brooklyn , September     Blanchard tally of breakouts below

–15 “               Sep 4.  New York Times. “Cholera Reports,” Sep 5, 1866, p. 8.

—  4 “               Sep 18. NYT. “The Cholera in Brooklyn,” Sep 20, 1866, 5.

—  3 “               Sep 19. NYT.  “Brooklyn…Cholera in Brooklyn,” 9-20-1866, p. 5.

—  187  NY Islands.   July 29-Aug 4  NYT. “Cholera,” Aug 10, 1866, 8.[48]

–1  Hart’s Island         July 6  Clark. The Medical Men of New Jersey. 70.

 

Ohio               (1,200-1,406)              July 11-Sep 4

–1,406  Cincinnati. The year.            McClellan. “A History…Cholera…America.”  1875, 672.

–1,200       “                                        American Annual Cyclopedia of Year 1866, p. 111.

–1,200       “                                        Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 284.

—     ?         “ 1^st case, July 11.            Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 282.[49]

—   12         “         July 11-31             Janesville Gazette, WI. “From Cincinnati,” 8-6-1866, p. 1.

—     4         “         Aug 1                     Janesville Gazette, WI. “From Cincinnati,” 8-6-1866, p. 1.

—     3         “         Aug 2                     Janesville Gazette, WI. “From Cincinnati,” 8-6-1866, p. 1.

—   10         “         Aug 3                     Janesville Gazette, WI. “From Cincinnati,” 8-6-1866, p. 1.

—   11         “         Aug 5                     Janesville Gazette, WI. “From Cincinnati,” 8-6-1866, p. 1.

—   24         “         Aug 6                     Janesville Gazette, WI. “From Cincinnati,” 8-6-1866, p. 1.

—   41         “         Aug 7                     Titusville Herald, PA. “Cholera…Brooklyn,” 8-9-1866, 2.

—   31         “         Aug 8.                    New York Times, Aug 9, 1866

—     1         “         Aug 10                   Daily Gazette, Cincinnati. “Cholera Mortality…,” 8-17-1866.

—     1         “         Aug 12                   Daily Gazette, Cincinnati. “Cholera Mortality…,” 8-17-1866.

—     1         “         Aug 13                   Daily Gazette, Cincinnati. “Cholera Mortality…,” 8-17-1866.

—     5         “         Aug 14                   Daily Gazette, Cincinnati. “Cholera Mortality…,” 8-17-1866.

—   81         “         Aug 15                   New York Times, Aug 16, 1866.

—   11         “         Aug 16                   Daily Gazette, Cincinnati. “Cholera Mortality…,” 8-17-1866.

—   66         “         Aug 17                   New York Times, Aug 19, 1866.

—   53         “         Aug 21                   Arkansas Gazette, Little Rock. “Cholera,” 9-1-1866, p3, c3.

—   12         “         Aug 28                   Davenport…Gazette, IA. “From Cincinnati,” 8-30-1866, 1.

—     3         “         Aug 29                   New York Times. “Cholera,” Aug 31, 1866, p. 1.

—     2         “         Aug 31                   New York Times. “The Cholera at Cincinnati,” 9-2-1866, 4.

–610          “         Mid-late Aug.        McClellan. “A History of the…Cholera…”  1875, p. 671.[50]

—  13          “         Sep 2-4                  New York Times. “Cholera in Cincinnati, Sep 5, 1866, p. 4.

 

Oklahoma      (  ?)

–?  Fort Gibson                                  Woodward. Report…Cholera in the Army…, p. 673.     [51]

 

Pennsylvania (834-900)       Late July start

—    ?  Carlisle Barracks, Carlisle.      Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 277.

–900  Philadelphia                             Hunt. “Outline…Cholera…New Jersey…” 1893, p. 492.[52]

–834  Philadelphia                             American Annual Cyclopedia of Year 1866, p. 111.

–834               “        late July start[53]  Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 277.[54]

–3       “        July 28               Marysville Tribune, OH. “Progress…Cholera,” 8-1-1866, 2.

–4       “        Aug 8                New York Times, Aug 9, 1866

 

Rhode Island (    72)

—  72  State                                         State of RI. Report of Vital Statistics of RI, 1889, pp. 54-55.

—    8  Bristol              Sep 13-15        NYT.  “Cholera in Providence and Bristol,” 9-17-1866, 1.

—>14  Providence                               Snow. Report…Prevention of Disease…Providence, 1867, p9.[55]

–2       “          Sep 15             NYT.  “Cholera in Providence and Bristol,” 9-17-1866, 1.

 

Tennessee       (>1,800)                      Memphis/1,000 and Nashville/800  Aug 29-Oct 9  

—>1,800, Memphis & Nashville  Blanchard tally based on breakouts below.

–~1,000  Memphis                 Ellis. Yellow Fever & Public Health…New South. 1992. p. 30.[56]

–~ 900 “                                 Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 284.

—   889 “                                  American Annual Cyclopedia of Year 1866, p. 111.

–13     Aug 29            NYT. “Cholera in Memphis,” Aug 30, 1866, p. 5.

–20     Aug 30            NYT. “The Cholera at Memphis, Aug 31, 1866, p. 1.

–23     Aug 31            NYT, “The Cholera at Memphis,” Sep 2, 1866, p. 1.

–16     Sep 1               NYT, “The Cholera at Memphis,” Sep 2, 1866, p. 1.

–50     Sep 14             NYT.  “The Cholera in Tennessee,” Sep 15, 1866, p. 1.

–42     Sep 26             New York Times, “The Cholera,” Sep 28, 1866, p. 1.

—  9     Sep 26             McClellan. “A History of the…Cholera…”  1875, p. 672.

–24     Sep 27             McClellan. “A History of the…Cholera…”  1875, p. 672.

–24     Sep 30             Dubuque Daily Herald (IA). “The Cholera,” 10-2-1866, 1.

–15     Oct 1               Boston Post. “Cholera Reports.” 10-2-1866, p. 2, col. 2.

—  9     Oct 2               Philadelphia Inquirer. “Cholera Reports.” 10-4-1866, p. 1.

—  8     Oct 6               The Age, Philadelphia. “Cholera.” 10-8-1866, p.1, col. 3.

—   >800  Nashville, Aug 31-Oct 9.    Bowling. Cholera…Nashville…1849, 1850, 1854…1866. p.13.[57]

—  7     “          Aug 31            –29     Sep 20

—  1     “          Sep 1               –33    Sep 21

—  2     “          Sep 2               –55     Sep 22

—  2     “          Sep 3               –54     Sep 23

—  5     “          Sep 4               –70     Sep 24

—  1     “          Sep 5               –41     Sep 25

—  1     “          Sep 6               –26     Sep 26

—  4     “          Sep 7               –22     Sep 27

—  5     “          Sep 8               –21     Sep 28

—  3     “          Sep 9               –22     Sep 29

—  9     “          Sep 10             –51     Sep 30

—  3     “          Sep 11             –15     Oct 1

—  3     “          Sep 12             –11     Oct 2

—  5     “           Sep 13             —  9     Oct 3

–19     “          Sep 14             —  7     Oct 4

–22     “          Sep 15             —  4     Oct 5

–12     “          Sep 16             –11     Oct 6

–51     “          Sep 17             —  8     Oct 7

–56     “          Sep 18             —  8     Oct 8

–43     “          Sep 19             —  2     Oct 9

 

Texas              (>722)             July 22-Sep    Especially San Antonio (~500)

—  12  Austin               Sep                  Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 281.[58]

—  47  Brazos Santiago, Aug 21         Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 281.[59]

—  65  Brownsville      Aug 20            Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 281.[60]

—  54  Galveston         July-Aug         Blanchard tally from Chambers and Jacksonville Rep.

–24     “          July 22            Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 281.[61]

–30     “          Aug                 Jacksonville Republican, AL. 9-1-1866, p. 21, col. 1.[62]

—    7  Indianola          Aug last          Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 281.[63]

–500  San Antonio     Sep start[64]       Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 281.

–64                 Sep                  Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 281.[65]

—  37  White’s Ranch Aug 13            Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 281.[66]

 

Virginia          ( >164)            Aug 12-Oct

—    ?  Newport                                    Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 277.

—    ?  Norfolk (4 cases Oct 5)[67]         Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 277.

–164  Richmond         Aug 12 start    American Annual Cyclopedia of Year 1866, p. 111.

–164   `           “                                  Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 277.

—  3     “          Aug 15[68]         New York Times, Aug 16 1866.

–33     “          Sep 1-11          New York Times. “Cholera  in Richmond,” 9-13-1866, p1.[69]

—  1    “          Sep 13             NY Times. “The Cholera in Richmond,” 9-15-1866, p. 1.

—  99  Army stationed at Richmond   American Annual Cyclopedia of Year 1866, p. 111.[70]

 

Wisconsin      (     ?)

–?  La Crosse                                                 Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 285.

–?  St. Paul                                                     Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 285.

 

U.S. Army      (1,279)            July 3-Nov

— ~1,269  US Army (July 3 through November).  War Dept. Circ. 1,  p.1968.

—   1,217         “                                   Woodward. Report…Cholera…Army…1866. 1867, xiii.

— >1,200         “          Woodward. Report…Cholera…Army…1867; p 673 in Woodworth 1875.

 

Maritime       (       74)

—  7  The Canada, below and at St. Paul.      Armstrong. “The Asiatic Cholera in St. Paul.” P. 301.

–64  Steamship Continental, Helena, AR to St. Louis. Chambers. Conquest of Cholera. 1938, 283.

—  3  Steamship San Salvador, Governor’s Island, NY to Savannah quarantine station.[71]

 

Narrative Information

 

Woodworth: “In 1866 the disease broke out on the steamer England, when five days out, and on the steamer Virginia, eight days out from a health port.”  (Woodworth 1875, 21)

 

Louisiana

 

Sep 18: “The cholera still continues to rage on the plantations in the interior.”  (NYT. “New-Orleans.” Sep 18, 1866, p. 5.)

 

Missouri – St. Louis – July-November

 

St. Louis Post Dispatch: “The cholera made its appearance in St. Louis during the last week of July, 1866, being brought here by rail from New York City.  Nearly a year before Gov. Fletcher had called the attention of the city authorities to the necessity of preparing for it and Mayor…had indorsed…but nothing was done either then or when the Mayor again appealed the following spring to the city fathers to take action.  The cholera was not here, and it was argued that any measures of preparation for it would frighten away strangers and injure business.  The city’s Board of Health in 1866 consisted of a health officer and a committee from the City Council, but it had very little authority and the outbreak of the cholera in July of that year found the board wholly unprepared to deal with the pestilence.

 

“Five deaths occurred during the first week of its existence here and then it broke out in a dozen places at once and for three weeks, or until vigorous and systematic measures were taken to fight it, the epidemic grew at an alarming rate.  There were 120 fatal cases the second week, 754 the third, and 991 the fourth.  By this time a committee of citizens had been organized in each ward and the houses of the infected districts visited and the patients furnished with rooms and medicines.  The mortality then began to fall and it continued steadily declining until it ceased altogether for that year. There were only four deaths in November and no more after that until the following June when another epidemic, or a renewal of the old one, threatened the city.

 

The Board of Health with adequate power had in the meantime been organized with Dr. John T. Hodgen at its head and the scourge was easily handled compared with that of the proceeding year.  It lasted, however, through November as the one of 1866 did and one death occurred as late as December.  The fatalities for the year numbered 684, against 3,527 in 1866. According to some published reports 3,000 deaths occurred from cholera in 1866, but the official figures of the Board of Health, which were confirmed by an independent enumeration made by the City Assessor’s office, under Col. R.E. Rombauer, are 3,527.  An examination of Col. Rombauer’s report, which was published in tabular form by Robert Moore in 1884, shows that the epidemic was worse in those portions of the city that paid the least attention to sanitary measures.”

 

“Fatalities occurred in 600 different blocks, and in fifteen other districts and additions not divided into blocks, or in about one-fourth of the entire city.  The largest number of deaths in one block was 47, the block being the one between Seventeenth and Eighteenth Streets  and Morgan Street and Lucas Avenue.  The death rate here was, however, not so great as in some other sections.  This block had a total population of 879 people, 832 escaping.  The block on the Levee between Morgan Street and Christy avenue had only 167 people and 43 of them succumbed to the cholera, or more than a quarter of the block’s entire population, and the adjoining block north lost 21 of its 106 people.  There were 52 other blocks, in each of which the mortality hit 10.  In the block bounded by Chestnut, Market, Second, and Third streets 88 people out of 223 died and the same number died out of 221 on O’Fallon between Fifteenth street and Blair avenue.  The block between Third and Collins streets and Franklin avenue and Carr street, had its population reduced from 504 to 462, a loss of 42 souls. In sixteen other blocks the mortality in each exceeded twenty, though in only one was the death rate as much as one in ten.  “In only forty-nine of the 609 blocks in which fatal cases of cholera occurred was the death rate that high.  The highest death rate reported was 693, that is 693 in 1,000 inhabitants, 9 of the 13 people in the block dying.  This was a very large block on Angelica street between Ninth and Eleventh streets, and the water used was mostly well water.

 

“Very high death rates occurred in two other blocks in North St. Louis, but they were two blocks that had all told only seven people to begin with, and three of these died.  In only one other block was the death rate as much as .333, or one in three, and that death was in a family of three persons on Olive between Nineteenth and Twentieth streets.

 

“The prevailing death rate in the more thickly populated portions of the city was between one in ten and one in five, though in a few sections it got up to one in four.  Twelve of the forty-seven people living between O’Fallon and Ashley and First and Second streets died of the cholera that year.

 

“”Bohemia” and Frenchtown–or Germantown as the latter should be called–fared about as badly as any portion of the city, 153 fatal cases occurring in the district between Park and Russell avenues and Broadway and Thirteenth street, and  312 in the district east of Broadway and between Chouteau avenue and the Arsenal.  Between Broadway and Second Carondelet avenue and Chouteau and Park , comprising a very aristocratic district in 1866, 48 deaths occurred, but nearly all of them were in the southeast corner of the district and attached to Frenchtown.

 

“North of Chouteau avenue to Market Street and east of Broadway to the river there were 275 deaths, 108 of them being between Second and Third streets; and north of Market street to Biddle and east of Broadway there were 951 deaths.

 

“Franklin avenue, Morgan street, Christy avenue, and Wash, Carr, and Biddle streets, all carried a good deal of cholera west from Broadway, as did O’Fallon street and Cass avenue; 1125 deaths occurred in the territory traversed by these streets between Broadway and Jefferson avenue, Cass and Washington avenues being  the north and south boundary lines of the district.  The total number of fatal cases of cholera in the city outside of the hospitals was 3,171, so that over one-third occurred in this portion of the city.  In the other districts mentioned 1,091 deaths occurred, leaving 955 for the balance of the city, and these were pretty evenly distributed over North St. Louis and the Central part of the city between Washington and Chouteau avenues and Broadway and Jefferson avenue, a few cases being reported in the western and northwestern portions of the city.

 

“Of the 600 blocks in which cholera occurred, 83 had more than 400 inhabitants each, but of these 83 only 25 had as many as 10 fatal cases of cholera.  The most densely populated of these twenty-five blocks was the one between Ninth and Tenth and Biddle and O’Fallon streets, but only a few persons died here out of a population of 830. The adjoining block north comes next in density of population  and here there were 21 deaths…The two blocks between seventh and Ninth and O’Fallon and Biddle lost  together 37 out of their 1,556 inhabitants; and one bounded by Eighth and Ninth and Biddle and Carr lost 10 out of 747.  Cholera occurred in eight others as thickly…as the one just referred to, but the death rate in them was even lighter than in the others, not one of them having as many as 10 deaths.

 

“The epidemic did not amount to much after September, only 51 deaths occurring in October and only 4 in November.  August was the worst month 2,388 fatal cases of cholera occurring in that month.  In September the number was 1,082.” (Post Dispatch (St. Louis). “Cholera’s Riot…,” Sep 18, 1892.)

 

New York City

 

CUNY: “With news of cholera’s progress through Europe in 1865, and influenced by the popular 1865 sanitary report, the Common Council founded the Metropolitan Board of Health in February 1866. This board was larger, better organized, and possessed significantly more power than the previous one. Central to its activities were the physician-investigators who responded to individual complaints and monitored sanitation activity in the wards. By the end of March, the board was actively investigating health “nuisances.” By April, it had issued seven thousand orders to remove piled horse manure, rotting animal carcasses, and mountains of refuse. With the help of local police, the board forced residents to clean their yards, and tried to compel ward bosses to actually use the funds they had been given by the city to clean streets. Opposition was strong from both business owners hesitant to take on the expense of properly caring for their property and from local politicians anxious that a radical shift in their use of patronage would undermine their political power. The board spent significant time battling court injunctions brought in the spring by recalcitrant businessmen, and some of its efforts were stymied. Still, after two months of activity the city was much cleaner than it had been in years.

 

“Cholera, however, was still to be dealt with. In April, as many New Yorkers expected, the first ships bearing cholera-infected passengers began to arrive in New York harbor. A quarantine station was set up on Staten Island, and all incoming ships were examined for infection. Cholera still managed to enter the city, with the first reported case on May 1. Unlike the two earlier outbreaks, this one occurred on 93rd Street, where wealthier New Yorkers tended to live. Two other cases followed within the week, one in the downtown Five Points neighborhood and another nearby. While New Yorkers prepared themselves for another dramatic surge in cholera cases, no more appeared until the first week of June. This delay could be attributed to the Board of Health, which dispatched sanitary crews with barrels of chloride and lime to each of the locales where the first victims took ill, boarded up their homes, and relocated the other residents to hospital tents for observation.

 

“In June, more cases began to appear, almost entirely in the poorer and dirtier sections of the city. But the response of the Board of Health limited the disease’s spread. The board procured the Battery Army Barracks as a hospital, established storage spaces and distribution plans for disinfectants, and trained a small army of men in the methods of first response. Meanwhile, the board continued to investigate and cleanse “nuisances” throughout the city.

 

“Despite these efforts, 1,137 New Yorkers died from cholera. Given the city’s growth since the previous epidemic, however, the death toll was significantly lower proportionally. As important as the lives saved was the progress marked by the city’s effectiveness in organizing a metropolitan response, and in embracing the role of protector of public health. New York’s Metropolitan Board of Health, largely as a result of its well-publicized response to cholera in 1866, offered a model for other American cities to follow in subsequent years.” (New Media Lab, Graduate Center, City University of New York.  Cholera in 1866.”)

 

 

Jan 23, 1867, NYT: “Another installment of the annual report of the Metropolitan Board of Health has been received. This portion is principally occupied with the remaining fragments of Dr. Elisha Harris’ report on cholera. He has evidently canvassed the whole subject with a care and thoroughness which, while it conveys valuable instructions to the public and valuable knowledge in connection with our sanitary condition and the health interest generally, also brings to the surface a description of detail which, in its specific and plain style, cannot fail to remind thousands of our people that the finger of the history of the operations of cholera in this City points to them as the guilty parties in the encouragement of infectious diseases in this metropolis….

 

“Between the 1^st of May and the last day of November, 1,212 persons died of Asiatic cholera in the City of New-York. There was abundant evidence that this was the kind of cholera that is capable of repropagation or infection by means of excremental discharges from the sick, when favored by local circumstances, and after personal inspection of every locality in the two cities in which cholera prevailed, the evidence upon the question of the primary dependence of the cholera among us last Summer upon the infective property of the excremental discharges of the sick….” (New York Times. “Local Intelligence. The Board of Health. The Extent of Cholera.” 1-23-1867, p. 2.)

Tennessee:

 

“Sep 21…The city is nearly depopulated by fugitives from cholera.  There are cholera cases reported in various parts of Tennessee….At Nashville on the 21^st there were 33 deaths from cholera.”  (NYT. “Cholera in Kentucky and Tennessee,” Sep 22, 1866, p. 5.)

 

“Nashville, Saturday, Sept. 22.  There were fifty-five deaths from cholera during the last twenty-four hours.  Business is stagnant and everybody is leaving the city.”  (NYT. “The Cholera in Louisville.” Sep 24, 1866, p. 1.)

 

“Nashville, Thursday, Sept. 27.  Twenty-two deaths are reported from cholera, and thirteen from other causes, within the last 24 hours.  This decrease has infused more animation into business.  Absentees are daily returning.  It is believed that the present favorable weather will soon entirely remove the epidemic.

 

“Memphis, Friday, Sept. 27.  Forty-five new cases of cholera are reported and 42 deaths within the past 24 hours.  The disease is almost exclusively confined to negroes and the lower class of whites.” (New York Times, “The Cholera,” Sep 28, 1866, p. 1.)

 

U.S. Army

 

“It is well known that cholera prevailed extensively in the army during the year 1866, causing over 1,200 deaths among officers and men.”  A footnote to this sentence notes:  “Circular No. 5 reports, page XIII, 2,724 cases, 1,217 deaths.  Additional reports from Texas, not received at the date of publication, contain 89 cases and 52 deaths; making a total of 2,813 cases and 1,269 deaths.” (Woodward.  Report on Epidemic Cholera and Yellow Fever in the Army of the U.S. During the Year 1867, p. vi)

 

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Armstrong, John M. “The Asiatic Cholera in St. Paul.” Minnesota History Magazine, Sep 1933, pp. 288-302. Accessed 5-20-2018 at: http://collections.mnhs.org/MNHistoryMagazine/articles/14/v14i03p288-302.pdf

 

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McClellan, Ely (Assistant Surgeon U.S.A.). “A History of the Travels of Asiatic Cholera…In North America,”  Part Second in:  The Cholera Epidemic of 1873 in the United States (Ex. Doc. No. 95., House of Reps., 43d Cong., 2d Sess.). Wash.: GPO, 1875.  Google digitized at:  http://books.google.com/books?id=RDUAAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=true

 

Moore, Robert. “Notes Upon the History of Cholera in St. Louis.” Pp. 41-47 in A Sanitary Survey of St. Louis, George Homan (Ed.), Concord, NY:  Republican Press Association, 1855. Google digitized: http://books.google.com/books?id=cllNAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

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Rosenberg, Charles E. The Cholera Years – The United States in 1832, 1849, and 1866. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1962.

 

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Wendt, Edmund Charles (Ed.). A Treatise on Asiatic Cholera. NY: William Wood and Co., 1885. Google preview accessed 5-18-2018 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=bk4gp1QXHM4C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

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Newspapers

 

Arkansas Gazette, Little Rock. “Cholera,” 9-1-1866, p. 3, col. 3. Accessed 5-22-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/little-rock-arkansas-gazette-sep-01-1866-p-3/

 

Arkansas State Gazette, Little Rock. [Cholera on Oshand plantation], 11-30-1866, p. 1, col. 1. Accessed 5-22-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/little-rock-arkansas-state-gazette-nov-30-1866-p-1/

 

Bangor Daily Whig and Courier, ME. 10-1-1866, p. 3. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com

 

Boston Post. “Cholera Reports.” 10-2-1866, p. 2, col. 2. Accessed 5-22-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/boston-post-oct-02-1866-p-2/

 

Burlington Hawk-Eye, IA. “By Telegraph. From New York.” 9-28-1866, p. 1, col. 3. Accessed 5-22-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/burlington-daily-hawk-eye-gazette-sep-28-1866-p-1/

 

Cedar Falls Gazette, IA. “The News.” 8-10-1866, p. 2. Accessed at:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=87830833

 

Daily Arkansas Gazette, Little Rock. [Cholera, Camden NJ]. 10-11-1866, p. 1, col. 6. Accessed 5-22-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/little-rock-daily-arkansas-gazette-oct-11-1866-p-1/

 

Daily Arkansas Gazette, Little Rock. [Cholera, Fort Smith], 10-8-1866, p.1, col. 4. Accessed 5-22-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/little-rock-daily-arkansas-gazette-oct-08-1866-p-1/

 

Daily Arkansas Gazette, Little Rock. [Cholera, Helena], 10-3-1866, p. 2, col. 2. Accessed 5-22-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/little-rock-daily-arkansas-gazette-oct-03-1866-p-2/

 

Daily Arkansas Gazette, Little Rock. [Cholera, Helena], 9-18-1866, p.1, col. 2. Accessed 5-22-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/little-rock-arkansas-state-gazette-sep-18-1866-p-1/

 

Daily Arkansas Gazette, Little Rock. “Deaths [Cholera, Little Rock], 10-3-1866, p.3, c.1. Accessed 5-22-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/little-rock-daily-arkansas-gazette-oct-03-1866-p-3/

 

Daily Arkansas Gazette, Little Rock. [Cholera, Louisiana interior plantations], 9-24-1866, p.1, col. 4. Accessed 5-22-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/little-rock-daily-arkansas-gazette-sep-24-1866-p-1/

 

Daily Arkansas Gazette, Little Rock. [Cholera, New Orleans], 10-6-1966, p.1, col. 4. Accessed 5-22-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/little-rock-daily-arkansas-gazette-oct-06-1866-p-1/

 

Daily Arkansas Gazette, Little Rock. [Cholera, New Orleans] 10-13-1866, p.1, c. 5. Accessed 5-22-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/little-rock-daily-arkansas-gazette-oct-13-1866-p-1/

 

Daily Arkansas Gazette, Little Rock. “Mortuary Report for the Month of September, as Furnished by the City Sexton.” 10-9-1866, p. 3, col. 1. Accessed 5-22-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/little-rock-daily-arkansas-gazette-oct-09-1866-p-3/

 

Daily Gazette, Cincinnati, OH. “Cholera Mortality of the City Yesterday,” 8-17-1866.  Accessed at: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ohhamilt/news/1866aug17cholera.html

 

Daily Milwaukee News, WI. “Cholera,” 9-21-1866, p. 1. Accessed at:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=119998043

 

Davenport Daily Gazette, IA. “Cholera Reports,” 8-30-1866, 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com

 

Davenport Daily Gazette, IA. “From Cincinnati,” 8-30-1866, p. 1. Accessed at:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=24869828

 

Dubuque Daily Herald, IA. “Cholera News,” 8-5-1866, p. 1. Accessed at:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=36105006

 

Dubuque Daily Herald, IA. “Cholera News,” 8-8-1866, 1. Accessed at:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=36105015

 

Dubuque Daily Herald, IA. “The Cholera,” 10-2-1866, p. 1. Accessed at:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=36110497

 

Indianapolis Daily Journal, IN. “The Cholera.” 10-8-1866, p.1, col. 2. Accessed 5-22-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/indianapolis-daily-journal-oct-08-1866-p-1/

 

Jacksonville Republican, AL. 9-1-1866, p. 16, col. 2. Accessed 11-14-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/jacksonville-republican-sep-01-1866-p-16/

 

Jacksonville Republican, AL. 9-1-1866, p. 21, col. 1. Accessed 11-14-2019 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/jacksonville-republican-sep-01-1866-p-21/

 

Janesville Gazette, WI. “From Cincinnati” [Cholera], Aug 6, 1866, p. 1. Accessed at:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=53351443

 

Marysville Tribune, OH. “Progress of the Cholera,” 8-1-1866, 2. Accessed at:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=83444505

 

New Albany Daily Commercial, IN. “Cholera at Norfolk.” 10-9-1866, p. 1, col. 8. Accessed 5-22-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/new-albany-daily-commercial-oct-09-1866-p-1/

 

New York Times. “Cholera – The Malady Here and Elsewhere – Yesterday’s Official Bulletins.”  8-9-1866. At: http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9901EFDC153DE63ABC4153DFBE66838D679FDE

 

New York Times. “Cholera.” 8-10-1866, p. 8. Accessed at:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=7751987

 

New York Times. “Cholera.”  8-16-1866. Accessed at:

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9404E2DB153DE63ABC4E52DFBE66838D679FDE

 

New York Times. “Cholera.”  8-18-1866. Accessed at:

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9B01E1DB153DE63ABC4052DFBE66838D679FDE

 

New York Times. “Cholera.” 8-31-1866, p. 1. Accessed at:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=7754492

 

New York Times. “Cholera at St. Louis.” 9-16-1866, p. 5. Accessed at:  http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B00E6D6133DE53BBC4E52DFBF66838D679FDE

 

New York Times. “Cholera in Cincinnati.” 9-5-1866, p. 4. Accessed at:  http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9D00E5D7133DE53BBC4D53DFBF66838D679FDE

 

New York Times. “Cholera in Kentucky and Tennessee.” 9-22-1866, p. 5. Accessed at:  http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E0DE3D6133DE53BBC4A51DFBF66838D679FDE

 

New York Times. “Cholera in Memphis,” 8-30-1866, p. 5. Accessed at:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=7754431

 

New York Times. “Cholera in Nashville,” 9-6-1866, p. 8. Accessed at:  http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9400E4D7133DE53BBC4E53DFBF66838D679FDE

 

New York Times. “Cholera in New Orleans,” 8-7-1866, 4. Accessed at:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=7751646

 

New York Times. “Cholera in New-Orleans,” 9-11-1866, p. 4. Accessed at:  http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9906E0D7133DE53BBC4952DFBF66838D679FDE

 

New York Times. “Cholera in New-York in 1866.”  3-31-1867. Accessed at:    http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9F0DEFDD1731EF34BC4950DFB566838C679FDE

 

New York Times. “Cholera in Providence and Bristol,” 9-17-1866, 1. Accessed at: http://query.nytimes.com

 

New York Times. “Cholera Reports,” 9-5-1866, p. 8. Accessed at:  http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9A0DE5D7133DE53BBC4D53DFBF66838D679FDE

 

New York Times. “Cholera  in Richmond,” 9-13-1866, p. 1. Accessed at:  http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9D02EFD7133DE53BBC4B52DFBF66838D679FDE

 

New York Times. “Cholera – The Malady Here and Elsewhere – Yesterday’s Official Bulletins.”  8-9-1866. At: http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9901EFDC153DE63ABC4153DFBE66838D679FDE

 

New York Times. “Local Intelligence. The Board of Health. The Extent of Cholera.” 1-23-1867, p. 2. Accessed 11-23-2019 at: https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1867/01/23/79364872.html?auth=login-google&pageNumber=2

 

New York Times. “Louisiana; Cholera in New-Orleans,” 9-8-1866, p. 4. Accessed at:  http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9502E3D7133DE53BBC4053DFBF66838D679FDE

 

New York Times. “Louisiana; Cholera in New-Orleans,” 9-12-1866, p. 8.  Accessed at:  http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9D01EFD7133DE53BBC4A52DFBF66838D679FDE

 

New York Times. “Missouri; Cholera,” 9-24-1866, p. 1.  Accessed at:  http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9407E2D6133DE53BBC4C51DFBF66838D679FDE

 

New York Times. “New-Orleans; Cholera.” 9-6-1866, p. 8. Accessed at: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9A00E4D7133DE53BBC4E53DFBF66838D679FDE

 

New York Times. “New Orleans; Cholera.” 9-7-1866, p. 5. Accessed at:  http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9F05E3D7133DE53BBC4F53DFBF66838D679FDE

 

New York Times. “New Orleans; Cholera and Yellow Fever.” 9-4-1866, p. 5. Accessed at:  http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9403E6D7133DE53BBC4C53DFBF66838D679FDE

 

New York Times. “New-Orleans; Cholera on the Plantations,” 9-18-1866, p. 5. Accessed at:  http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9900E2DC1638EF3ABC4052DFBF66838D679FDE

 

New York Times. “New Orleans; Deaths from Cholera and Yellow Fever.” 9-28-1866, p. 1. At: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9804E0D6133DE53BBC4051DFBF66838D679FDE

 

New York Times. “News of the Day.” 8-15-1866, p. 4, col. 1. Accessed 5-22-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/new-york-times-aug-15-1866-p-4/

 

New York Times. “St. Louis; Preparations…President…Cholera,” 9-7-1866. Accessed at:  http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9402E3D7133DE53BBC4053DFBF66838D679FDE

 

New York Times. “St. Louis; The Cholera,” 9-7-1866, p. 5. Accessed at:  http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9A05E3D7133DE53BBC4F53DFBF66838D679FDE

 

New York Times. “The Cholera at St. Louis,” 9-1-1866, p. 4. Accessed at:  http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9D05E7D7133DE53BBC4953DFBF66838D679FDE

 

New York Times. “The Cholera at St. Louis.” 8-15-1866, p.4, col. 7. Accessed 5-22-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/new-york-times-aug-15-1866-p-4/

 

New York Times. “The Cholera at St. Louis,” 9-3-1866, p. 5. Accessed at:  http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=940DE3DE1731EF34BC4B53DFBF66838D679FDE

 

New York Times. “The Cholera in Brooklyn,” 9-20-1866, p. 5. Accessed at:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=7757457

 

New York Times. “The Cholera in Louisville,” 9-24-1866, p. 1. Accessed at:  http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E06E2D6133DE53BBC4C51DFBF66838D679FDE

 

New York Times. “The Cholera in Mobile,” 9-31-1866, p. 1. Accessed at:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=7754492

 

New York Times. “The Cholera in Nashville,” 9-24-1866, p. 1. Accessed at: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9D06E2D6133DE53BBC4C51DFBF66838D679FDE

 

New York Times. “The Cholera in Nashville, 9-25-1866, p. 1. Accessed at:  http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9D07E1D6133DE53BBC4D51DFBF66838D679FDE

 

New York Times. “The Cholera in New-Orleans,” 9-19-1866, p. 8. Accessed at:  http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9803E5D6133DE53BBC4152DFBF66838D679FDE

 

New York Times. “The Cholera in Richmond,” 9-15-1866, p. 1. Accessed at:  http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E01E7D6133DE53BBC4D52DFBF66838D679FDE

 

New York Times. “The Cholera in Savannah,” 9-20-1866, p. 5. Accessed at:  http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9504E4D6133DE53BBC4851DFBF66838D679FDE

 

New York Times. “The Cholera in St. Louis, 8-31-1866, p. 1. Accessed at:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=7754492

 

New York Times. “The Cholera in St. Louis,” 9-6-1866, p. 8. Accessed at:  http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9C03E4D7133DE53BBC4E53DFBF66838D679FDE

 

New York Times. “The Cholera in St. Louis,” 9-13-1866, p. 1. Accessed at:  http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9F02EFD7133DE53BBC4B52DFBF66838D679FDE

 

New York Times. “The Cholera in St. Louis,” 9-15-1866, p. 1. Accessed at:  http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9D01E7D6133DE53BBC4D52DFBF66838D679FDE

 

Philadelphia Inquirer. “Cholera Reports.” 10-4-1866, p. 1. Accessed 5-22-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/philadelphia-inquirer-oct-04-1866-p-1/

 

Post Dispatch, St. Louis, MO. “Cholera’s Riot. The Plagues Deadly Work in St. Louis Twenty-Six Years Ago,” 9-18-1892.  At: http://www.usgennet.org/usa/mo/county/stlouis/events/epidemics.htm

 

San Antonio Express-News (Jacob Beltran), TX. “Cholera epidemics killed at least 700 in 1800s.” 2-14-2015. Accessed 3-10-2015 at: http://www.expressnews.com/150years/education-health/article/Cholera-epidemics-killed-at-least-700-in-1800s-6081967.php

 

The Age, Philadelphia. “Cholera.” 10-8-1866, p.1, col. 3. Accessed 5-22-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/philadelphia-age-oct-08-1866-p-1/

 

Titusville Herald, PA. “Cholera in New York, Brooklyn, and Cincinnati” 8-9-1866, p. 2. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=2832712

 

Wisconsin  State Journal, Madison. “From Cincinnati,” 12-19-1866, p. 1, col. 5. Accessed 5-22-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/madison-wisconsin-state-journal-dec-19-1866-p-1/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1] Since Chambers was referenced in a footnote, we speculate that the 50,000 number derives from multiplying 12,000 times 4, which would come to 48,000 — Rounding would give 50,000. Rushton, “Cholera…Its Impact on 19^th Century Mormon Migration.” 2005, 131, also shows 50,000 deaths. Cites: Blair, Roger P. “‘The Doctor Gets Some Practice’: Cholera and Medicine on the Overland Trails.” Journal of the West, Vol. 36, Jan 1997, p. 55.

[2] Notes 11,862 deaths from The American Annual Cyclopedia. Writes: “While no estimate can now be made the number of deaths for the whole country was doubtless four or five times that given.” (4 times 11,862 is 47,448.)

[3] Compiled by B. Wayne Blanchard in May 2018 and modified in Nov 2019 for incorporation into website Deadliest American Disasters and Large-Loss-of-Life Events at: https://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

[4] We believe there were many more deaths than those we tally, but we are not comfortable employing multipliers.

[5] “The returns to the Bureau of Statistics, Washington, D.C. from fifty-three of the principal cities and towns, and from the post commanders and hospitals of the United States Army, give the number of deaths from cholera in those cities, towns, and posts, during the four months ending December 1, 1866, as 10,805. There were in these cities about 250 deaths before August 1, the time when the statistics commence, and the deaths from cholera in places not enumerated would unquestionably swell the total number of deaths from it in the United States to fully 12,000.”

[6] Cites Ft. Smith Herald.

[7] Date is from Pyle, who writes that July 28 was the “officially recognized entry date for cholera,” p. 71.

[8] Troops had sailed from NY harbor to San Francisco. Cites US Ex. Doc. No. 95, Cholera Epidemic of 1873, p. 669.

[9] From an Editorial review of Circular No 5, War Department, Report on Epidemic Cholera in the Army of the United States during the year 1866, writes: “The value of stringent hygienic precautionary measures is strikingly illustrated in the reports of Brevet Major E. McClellan, Asst. Surgeon U.S. Army, in charge of Fort Delaware, who says: ‘Epidemic cholera has existed to a very considerable extent during the past month in and around Delaware City, where, in the aggregate of fifteen hundred inhabitants, some thirty odd deaths have occurred. No case has occurred among the troops of this command…”

[10] Estimate based on:  “October 2, a gentleman from Richmond, Va., died at Washington City from cholera, and several fatal cases followed.”

[11] Date is from Pyle, who writes that July 18 was the “officially recognized entry date for cholera,” p. 71.

[12] Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 282. Cites US Ex. Doc. No. 95, Cholera Epidemic of 1873, p. 669.

[13] “According to Milo Erwin’s History of Williamson County, ‘The cholera made its first appearance in July 1849…It re-appeared in 1866, and lasted for six weeks, during which over twenty five persons were taken away, and the city of Marion vacated….” The population of Marion in these days would have been about 950. The story goes that in the summer of 1866, H. C. Hopper attended a political meeting in Cairo, Illinois. When he returned home he became ill. His illness was diagnosed as cholera which became epidemic and claimed the lives of many people including Hopper and his 19 year old wife Nancy. The broken gravestones at the old Aikamn Cemetery record their deaths on the same day, August 22, 1866.”

[14] Notes that it was recorded that out of the first 51 cases there were 26 deaths.

[15] Date is from Pyle, who writes that July 29 was the “officially recognized entry date for cholera,” p. 71.

[16] Chambers writes there were several deaths. For tally purposes we translate several into three.

[17] Ellis, John H. Yellow Fever & Public Health in the New South. University Press of Kentucky, 1992. Partially google digitized: http://books.google.com/books?id=pqRcT7sFYYYC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

[18] After noting 1,294 cholera deaths it is written: “During the period extending from June 1^st to Jan. 1^st, 1867, cholera infantum caused 78, and cholera morbus 91 deaths.” We have added all three to derive 1,463.

[19] Deaths by cholera at Charity Hospital.

[20] “New Orleans, Oct. 1. During the past forty-eight hours there have been seven deaths from yellow fever, and thirty from cholera.”

[21] International Medical Congress. Transactions… 1887, p. 288, noting this was the start date.

[22] “New Orleans, Sept. 17. The cholera still continues to rage on the plantations in the interior.”

[23] Date is from Pyle, who writes that June 16 was the “officially recognized entry date for cholera,” p. 71.

[24] “3” is an estimate based upon the statement:  “Baltimore, Oct. 1.  A few scattered cases of cholera have occurred in the last three days, several of which have proved fatal.”

[25] “A Herald Troy dispatch says the cholera has broken out with fearful violence in the vicinity of North Adams, Mass. There has been 8 cases and 5 deaths, the doctors say, within 22 hours.”

[26] Date is from Pyle, who writes that May 29 was the “officially recognized entry date for cholera,” p. 71.

[27] Notes it reached Detroit May 29 via immigrants from the east over the Great Western Railroad from New York.

[28] “In the Medical Record for September 1, 1866, under the caption of progress of the cholera, we read: …. ‘From St. Paul, Minn., we hear that two men have died of cholera, and that a quarantine is established at Kaposia, three miles above the city, where steamers will put off any cholera-patients that may be on board….”

[29] Notes: “thirty-eight or forty [plantation workers] having been attacked with cholera, and eighteen having died.”

[30] Date is from Pyle, who writes that August 22 was the “officially recognized entry date for cholera,” p. 71.

[31] “A Vicksburg dispatch says within the past two days there have been sixty deaths from cholera–forty-seven blacks and thirteen whites.”

[32] “On the 27^th of July, two cholera-deaths occurred at Saint Louis, Mo.  These cases occurred in that portion of the city most frequented by emigrants.”

[33] “During the epidemic, Saint Louis lost eight thousand five hundred cases…”

[34] Burials of cholera fatalities, not those who died this day.

[35] Burials of cholera fatalities, not those who died this day.

[36] “In the Medical Record of September 15, we read: ‘Turning to the Mississippi Valley, we find that Saint Louis has been the heaviest loser in the Southwest, having already published a death-list approaching, in round numbers, nearly two thousand five hundred, as the result of a month’s prevalence of the epidemic in a very virulent form….”

[37] The number is our based on Oct 4 wire reporting that “During the past few days several fatal cases have occurred in Camden, N.J.” (Daily Arkansas Gazette, Little Rock. 10-11-1866, p. 1, col. 6.) We convert “several” to at least 3.

[38] Dating is from Pyle, who writes that October was the “officially recognized entry date for cholera,” p. 71.

[39] This range includes both New York City and Brooklyn (which was an independent city until its incorporation into NYC in 1898. This range also includes more than what was specifically designated as “Asiatic cholera,” which was a term doctors and officials were loath to use. Frequently other terms were applied to the cause of mortality, including cholera morbus, cholera infantum, diarrhea and dysentery.

[40] New York Times. “Cholera in New-York in 1866.” 3-31-1867.

[41] “Dr. Harris pointed out that deaths from cholera infantum and other diarrhoeal diseases ran parallel week by week with the cholera deaths and that during the year there were over 1200 more deaths from these conditions than in previous years….official reports probably represented only about one-third or one-half the actual toll…”

[42] By noting “New York and its institutions” Chambers may well be including the NY Islands we have noted.

[43] “While in New York and its institutions there were only about 1200 cholera deaths reported, and in Brooklyn only about 800 or 900, yet there was considerable doubt as to the accuracy of the reports. In the first place the rice water stools were regarded as an infallible diagnostic criterion of cholera and their absence was regarded sufficient grounds for some other diagnosis. In the second place cholera infantum was regarded as a separate and unrelated disease and was so reported.

[44] Chart on cover page entitled “The Conquest of Pestilence in New York City…As Shown by the Death Rate as Recorded in the Official Records of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.”

[45] “Table 1: Years of Unusually Large Numbers of Deaths from Selected Epidemic Diseases, 1798 to 1918.”

[46] “…the first cholera death in ’66 occurred in New York on May 2, in a filthy neighborhood frequented by immigrants…” (Speculates source as a ship from Europe.)

[47] At Blackwell Island Workhouse.

[48] Almshouse and penal institutions. (Probably Blackwell’s, David’s, Governor’s, Hart’s, and Ward’s Islands.)

[49] “The first reported case was that of a German woman who had accompanied troops from New York to Newport Barracks in Kentucky; the woman died in a tenement house in Cincinnati.”

[50] “In the Medical Record for September 1, 1866, under the caption of progress of the cholera, we read: ‘The deaths in Cincinnati, Ohio, have increased from an aggregate of six hundred and ten, in twelve days, to a daily average of nearly eighty, and this in spite of vigorous sanitary measures, the gratuitous issue to the poor of remedies intended to control the precursory diarrhoea, and a re-enforced corps of district physicians….”

[51] Writes that cholera “prevailed during 1866” at Fort Gibson, Indian Territory.

[52] “In 1866 there were 900 deaths from cholera in Philadelphia, nearly all in the northeastern section of the city, where was the inlet of the water-supply near a filthy shore.”

[53] Date is from Pyle, who writes that late July was the “officially recognized entry date for cholera,” p. 71.

[54] “At Philadelphia it appeared late in July and remained through the summer, but only 834 deaths were charged to its account.

[55] We note “>” (at least), in that while the report notes exactly 14 “Asiatic Cholera” deaths, it also notes 17 “Cholera Morbus” deaths, 10 more than the previous year.

[56] Ellis, John H. Yellow Fever & Public Health in the New South. University Press of Kentucky, 1992.

[57] 753 Cholera deaths table compiled from daily reports of Secretary of the Board of Health and sextons of cemeteries. “In addition to these, there were 57 interments in the Catholic cemetery from the breakout out of the cholera to the 16^th of September, nearly all of whom, we were informed, had died of cholera. We have, therefore, over eight hundred deaths as the harvest which the pestilence gathered while it held high carnival in our city.”

[58] Cites: U.S. Executive Documents, No. 95. The Cholera Epidemic of 1873, p. 666.

[59] Cites: U.S. Executive Documents, No. 95. The Cholera Epidemic of 1873, p. 666.

[60] Cites: U.S. Executive Documents, No. 95. The Cholera Epidemic of 1873, p. 666.

[61] Cites: U.S. Executive Documents, No. 95. The Cholera Epidemic of 1873, p. 666.

[62] “There were eighty-one deaths in Galveston during August, of which seventeen resulted from cholera, and thirteen from cholera morbus.”

[63] Cites: U.S. Executive Documents, No. 95. The Cholera Epidemic of 1873, p. 666.

[64] Dating is from Pyle, who writes that September was the “officially recognized entry date for cholera,” p. 71.

[65] Cites: U.S. Executive Documents, No. 95. The Cholera Epidemic of 1873, p. 666.

[66] Cites: U.S. Executive Documents, No. 95. The Cholera Epidemic of 1873, p. 666.

[67] New Albany Daily Commercial, IN. “Cholera at Norfolk.” 10-9-1866, p. 1, col. 8.

[68] Date is from Pyle, who writes that August 12 was the “officially recognized entry date for cholera,” p. 71.

[69] “33” is my estimate based upon following under the Richmond dateline of Sep 12:  “The estimated average of cholera interments since the 1^st is three a day…”

[70] Not clear if this number was included the figure for the city of Richmond.

[71] Chambers. The Conquest of Cholera. 1938, p. 278.

— 28 Blanchard estimated death toll.*

— 31 Historical Great Lakes Vessel Accident Database, 1866.
— 30 Mansfield. History of the Great Lakes (Vol. 1). 1899, p. 422.
— 30 Mills. Our Inland Seas, Their Shipping and Commerce for Three Centuries. 1910, 196.
— 28 Burlington Daily Hawk-Eye. “The Detroit Fire – 28 Lives Lost.” 5-1-1866, p. 3, col. 2.
— 28 Chicago Tribune, IL. “The Detroit Calamity.” 4-30-1866, p. 2. (Named fatalities.)
— 28 Holton, Bedford and Cleary. “History of the Windsor and Detroit Ferries.” 12-14-1916.
— 28 Lytle and Holdcamper. Merchant Steam Vessels of the [U.S.] 1807-1868. 1952, p. 252.
— 28 Nash, Jay Robert. Darkest Hours. 1977, p. 685.
— >20 West Eau Claire Argus, WI. “The Great Fire at Detroit,” June 13, 1866, p. 3.
— >17 Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats (U.S.). Report of… 1866, p. 291.

* Blanchard estimated death toll: We report twenty-eight lives lost in that newspaper reporting at the time (we site a few), as well as sources afterwards, such as Lytle and Holdcamper, and Holton, Bedford and Cleary report this level of loss. We do not use the numbers reported by the Historical Great Lakes Vessel Accident Database for 1866, Mansfield, or Mills, in that we do not know how these numbers were derived. We know that the number of twenty-eight deaths was derived — by counting the names of those reportedly lost in the fire.

We can only surmise that the Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats report of seventeen lives loss reflects their opinion as to the number of crewmen who died, leaving out the dock and warehouse, and railmen who sought refuge on the Windsor, some of whom died.

Narrative Information

Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats (U.S.): “A terrible accident by fire occurred by the burning of the Detroit and Milwaukee railroad depot at Detroit, on the 26th of April last, by which the ferry-boat Winsor was destroyed. The fire was caused by the accidental burning of kerosene oil or naphtha, stored in the warehouse at which the boat was lying; the flames spread so rapidly as in a moment to envelope the steamer, and she could not be got loose.

“This, perhaps, need not have been recorded but for the purpose of stating the singular fact that, although the boat was amply provided with life-preserving apparatus, together with large quantities of floating packages, and close to the docks, no less than seventeen lives were lost, principally laborers about the docks.” Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats. Report of Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats. 10-24-1866. Report of Eighth Supervising District, p. 291.)

Holton, Bedford and Cleary: “The steamer Windsor, Captain W. R. Clinton, ran until the night of the 29th [sic] of April, 1866, when at the Brush Street dock in Detroit, she was burned. The fire started in the warehouse, and fed by the oil stored there, burned so rapidly that it spread to the boat, cutting off all means of escape by way of the dock and leaving only one way to escape for those on board, and that was by jumping overboard into the river. Twenty-eight lives were lost by drowning. Others were rescued, a number being saved by the efforts of two sons of John Horn, of Detroit. The son, John Horn, Jr., was for years afterward the champion life-saver of the river front.” (Holton, Bedford and Cleary. “History of the Windsor and Detroit Ferries.” 12-14-1916, p. 11-12.)

Mansfield: “The Windsor, 223 tons, was built in 1856, and was put into the ferry service. In the spring of 1866 she was chartered by the Detroit & Milwaukee Railroad Company for the purpose of conveying passengers and freight to and from Windsor.. On the morning of April 23 she took fire and thirty lives were lost. She was so badly damaged in hull and machinery as to render her un¬fit for further use as a ferry boat. Subse¬quently she was rebuilt, the machinery taken out and the hull made a tow barge. She was finally taken to Lake Michigan.” (Mansfield 1899, p. 422.)

Mills: “The Windsor was chartered in 1866 to operate the connecting link of the river for the Detroit and Milwaukee Railroad, carrying both freight and passengers to and from the Great Western Railway docks in Windsor.

“Before it had been long in service, however, the ferry was lost in one of the great marine disasters, by which the annals of the Great Lakes are filled. On the night of April 23, 1866, the steamer burned in the river, with a loss of thirty lives. Many other passengers were picked up by small boats, which put off from the dock, and the ferry boat Detroit, which happened to be making a landing near by. That the whole water front of the city was not engulfed in a sea of flame was due to the heroic and quick action of Captain Innes, of the ferry Detroit. The venerable captain for a number of years has been a commodore of the Michigan Central fleet of transports. A graphic account of the catastrophe is told by the captain himself:

You see it was this way. ‘Long about eleven o’clock one night an explosion of oil occurred on the steamer Windsor, while she was tied to her wharf at the foot of Brush Street. I was captain of the old city ferry, the Detroit, at the time, and we had just landed at the foot of Woodward Avenue, with passengers from Windsor. I was standing at the signal ropes on the bridge leading to the pilot house when the Windsor took fire. In less than two minutes after the explosion she was a mass of flames from stem to stern. She had perhaps fifty people aboard, as I found out afterwards – passengers and deck hands. In about another minute I saw her lines ablazin’ – saw ‘em part and saw the Windsor startin’ to drift down in our direction. By this time the freight sheds on the wharf had caught fire, and I saw men and women leaping over the Windsor’s rail into the water. I signaled our boys to man the life-boats, and shouted to ‘em to make a line fast to her stern. This they did in short order. Then I sends a signal below to back her hard – runs into the pilot house, throws over the helm, and out and away we goes toward the middle grounds. I saw the men in our life-boats trying to rescue those people in the river – and they were surely doing their best. All at once, like the report of a gun, our tow line parted. The Windsor was a roaring furnace. We were then off the foot of Wayne Street, on the middle ground where the cross-current runs strong, and I knew unless we could do something to keep the Windsor off shore, that when she struck, the whole river front would soon be ablaze, in consequence of her drifting down with the current. But how to keep her out in the channel was sure enough a puzzler. First, I decided to ram her down the river. No, this plan would not do. The Detroit would catch fire and then – what of my passengers – more than a score of ‘em. On the other hand, the Windsor was drifting fast toward shore. We would have to ram her – and quick, too.

My men being out in the life-boats left us short-handed – only myself, the wheelsman, engineer, and fireman, and the latter two would have to stay below. Life-boats or no life-boats, we must run the risk. I gave orders to send her full speed ahead — shouted to the passengers and the men to wet down the decks and stand ready with the buckets. Well, in a couple of minutes we struck her. There was a crash of fallin’ blazin’ timbers. The sparks fell on our decks in a shower, and we were ablaze in a dozen places. But we held on to the Windsor, stuck to her, pushed her out into the river, fought the flames on board our boat and headed for Sandwich Point. All told, we must have been two hours getting’ her beached, where she burned to the water’s edge.

Next day a dozen or so Detroit citizens came aboard and offered me a purse of one thousand dollars gold. Said I had to take it – that I had saved the river front. I refused and laughed ‘em out of the notion. Why, anybody who was half a man would have done his best that night of the fire of ’66.

(Mills. Our Inland Seas, their Shipping and Commerce for Three Centuries. 1910, p. 196-197.)

Newspapers

April 27: “From the Detroit Post, April 27. Last evening at about 10 o’clock, while an employee of the Detroit and Milwaukee Railroad Company was rolling a barrel of kerosene oil from the company’s buildings at the foot of Brush street, in this city, to those of the Great Western Railroad Company adjoining, where it was to be stored, the barrel sprung a leak. The man at once called a cooper to repair the cask, and stop the flow of oil, and while this operation was being performed, someone passed with a light. The gas from the escaping oil communicated therewith, setting fire instantly to the barrel and its contents. An explosion at once followed, and the burning oil ran down along the dock in all directions, communicating to other barrels of kerosene upon the premises, until with almost lightning rapidity the flames reached the freight house and the passenger depot of the Detroit and Milwaukee Railroad, and the freight boat Windsor, which was lying at the dock.

“The buildings, being of wood, burnt like tinder, and were soon a mass of seething, crackling flames. At the time of the breaking out of the fire, there were some 55 men at work on the boat and premises, and in the confusion of the moment and the fright incident thereto, some lost all presence of mind, and instead of endeavoring to subdue the flames, rushed wildly to and from along the pier. Others jumped from the boat into the river, and were picked up while clinging to the docks, or floating down the stream. Meanwhile the vessel, wrapped in fire, swung loose from her moorings and floated down the stream, lighting up the shores on either side, and reminding one of the ‘fire-boats’ the rebels sent down the Mississippi.

“The scene was grand beyond description. Every mast, spar, rope, and tackle of the vessels anchored along the channel were most distinctly and clearly outlined against the sky. On the shore was fire; on the river fire; and on both land and water the Fire King held his revels. On shore were the sturdy firemen battling with might and main the fiery element. In the stream was the burning ‘Windsor,’ drifting along with the fast-sweeping current. Obeying no helm, she ground against the docks, brushed here a steamer and there a nail-boat, and then shot for a moment into the channel, only to be swept by the changing current again toward the shore. Small tugs ran here and there, cutting loose the varied fastened water-crafts, and towing them to places of safety. At last, the burning steamer struck the foot of Woodward avenue, and being momentarily held fast, the captain of the ferry-boat ‘Detroit’ succeeded in grappling and towing her into deep water in the middle of the river where she could no longer endanger valuable property, and where, when fire had done its best, water – her native element – might fold her in its embrace, and hide her charred and ruined frame….

“Many instances of manly daring and pluck were exhibited, but one, at least, deserved special mention.

“Officer Peter Grogan, Mr. William Burrell, and Mr. T. Westbrook, broke into a boat house, and taking therefrom an old water-logged craft, pushed out to the rescue of the drowning men, who were endeavoring to support themselves on pieces of board and floating boxes. They succeeded in saving four persons, but two others perished before they could reach them….

“The firemen worked nobly to conquer the flames in the depot and adjoining buildings, but for nearly two hours were unable to make headway against the devouring element. The freight depot, the offices adjacent, and the freight piled on the docks all contributed to swell the column of smoke and fire. The barrels of oil upon the pier caught, and one by one exploded, thus constantly adding fresh fuel thereto. Water seemed neither to quench nor control it.

“A loaded freight train which, owing to the immense heat could not be removed, was also ignited, and the greater portion consumed. The mails from the East, and those going West, were destroyed. The baggage was but partially removed, and most valuable papers belonging to the company were either burned up or so trampled under toot in the mud as to be entirely useless and illegible. The houses on the opposite side of the street were only saved by being kept soaked with water. Furniture of all kinds was removed and the dwellings emptied of their contents. It seemed at one time as if they must surely be consumed, as there was a strong wind blowing, and the steamers, although working with might and main, seemed unable to subdue the flames, which were gaining rapidly on them. The roofs of the burning buildings fell in one by one; then for a moment blazing up brighter than before, would fade into a mass of brilliant coals, shooting out occasionally a hungry, angry, disappointed jet of lurid flames seemingly anxious for further food to feast upon.

“Along the docks down the river a number of small frame buildings were allowed to burn, as more valuable property needed attention. Several men who were attempting to remove the valuables in the upper story of the main office, narrowly escaped being smothered to death by the smoke, all the ladders and methods of communication with the street having been taken away in the excitement of the moment. Their cries for help attracted the attention of those below, and they were finally rescued from their perilous situation.

“A large pile of lumber was thrown into the river to prevent its being consumed. Some, however, having ignited, floated down the stream, adding, with its half-extinguished light, to the ghastly grandeur of the scene.

“The loss is estimated by several officers of the company at $500,000, and this will, probably, in view of the damage to property and the delay in carrying on the business of the road, be a very light estimate.

[April 28] “From the Detroit Post, April 28. The steamer Windsor, which was lying at the dock, ignited almost instantaneously. At the time the fire broke out, Capt. Clinton was standing about 300 feet from the depot. He started at once for his vessel, but the flames spread so rapidly that he found himself unable to reach her. Running down the dock a short distance, he procured a small boat, and pushed out into the river, succeeding in arriving at the steamer in time to save the lives of a number of the hands.

“William Kirby, the mate of the Windsor, was on board in charge, and as soon as he discovered the fire, rang the bell for the boat to swing clear of the dock, but before anything could be done the vessel was in flames. Seeing that no time was to be lost, he thereupon ran aft, calling the men to save themselves by jumping into the river, and as they did so, threw life-preservers to as many as he could see.

“The number who perished is as yet unknown. It is believed that at least 20 lives were lost. The captain of the Windsor states that 13 men, who are known to have been upon that vessel, are missing.

“A man in a state of stupefied intoxication, known to have been on board one of the cars, is believed to have been burnt to cinders, as no trance of him can be found.

“A train of both passenger and freight cars was standing upon the track at the depot, about to start for Saginaw. It consisted of six cars, one of which was a sleeping coach, containing some 30 or 40 passengers, most of whom had retired for the night. Two of the cars were totally destroyed, including the sleeping coach, which was valued at $2,000….” (West Eau Claire Argus, WI. “The Great Fire at Detroit,” June 13, 1866, p. 3.)

April 27: “{From the Detroit Tribune, April 27th.}….The Catastrophe of the Windsor.

“The Windsor…was lying at the dock of the depot, unlading. Campaign Clinton, her commander, was on shore, and she was under the charge of William Firby, who, by his calm self-possession and cool bravery, did much to better the condition of affairs, terrible as they proved. When the oil first became ignited, Mr. Firby was standing on board of his boat, and rushed on to the dock to discover the origin of the fire, but before he had time to get to the burning oil, it exploded, and drove all on board the Windsor. Regaining his boat, Firby rang the bell and blew the whistle for the craft to move off, but it was too late, the vessel was doomed to destruction. The crew and workmen, employed by the Great Western Road, panic stricken, rushed on board in great confusion, each one only intent on saving his own life. Had they resorted to the starboard paddle-box of the steamer for a short time, it is likely that many more would have been rescued, as that portion of the boat was so soaked with water, that it is even now untouched, while the rest of the boat consists of charred timbers only. There were eight of the crew and nearly thirty of the railroad laborers on board of the Windsor, and it is probable that fully half of that number were lost. All crowded around the stern of the vessel, a few only having self-possession enough to cast over door, boxes, etc. The good swimmers were soon in the water struggling for their lives and those who were unfortunate enough not to be able to sustain themselves were shrieking wildly for assistance. Firby, the mate, with manly heroism, begged the frightened wretches to be cool, and stood on the side of the boat throwing over life-preservers until his coat was burned from his back, and his arm badly scorched, when he, almost the last to leave the boat, finally threw himself off and without aid saved himself by swimming to the Gem. The fire having burned her cables, the Windsor floated down the stream, carrying with her the bodies of several who perished in the flames….

“The following are the names of the missing, all of whom are supposed to be lost: [we break into separate lines]

Cyrus Thompson, second cook;
James Stephenson, deck hand;
Robert Freeman, porter;
George Freeman, fireman;
Hayden Parker, porter;
Richard Mason, porter;
Alexander Watson, porter;
‘Big Robert,’ (colored) deck hand;
Richard Fitzpatrick, cabin boy;
‘Little Cooke,’ deck hand.

“The above all belonged to the crew of the Windsor. Several of them were known to have been asleep when the fire broke out. Altogether there were about 34 men, including the crew, who were on and in the vicinity of the boat when the conflagration commenced. Less than ten of them have yet been found.

“The following is a list of the missing among the gang of workmen employed by the Great Western Railway Company to handle freight. They were mostly strangers, having recently been brought here from London and other towns along the line of the road: [break paragraph into lines]

Neil Henderson,
Alexander Moncar,
Wm. McMasters,
Peter Shearer,
J. Bishop,
Henry Finley,
Jeremiah Neal,
Frank Chafe,
James Brockin,
Michael Cornell,
Duncan McRea,
Cornelius Celler [unclear],
W. Henderson,
Samuel Higgs,
James Fisher,
Patrick Marooney,
Lewis Lynn,
Thomas Wilson.

“….One of the firemen was asleep in the hold of the vessel, and was aroused from his slumbers by the noise overhead and the cracking of the fire. He attempted to effect an escape, but the smoke was so think he could not reach the ladder leading to the hatchway. He was distinctly heard to cry for help, and his last words were, ‘My God, can no one save me!’ Another poor fellow was observed to make his way out of his room, but he fell through the burning deck, and was never more seen….

“One of the boilers of the Windsor was empty and in process of being repaired, and it was currently reported that a workman was engaged on the inside and perished there. Cap. Clinton, however, thinks this is a mistake….An attempt was made to pick up three of the unfortunates by some parties in the Gem’s boats, but the poor fellows were so much exhausted that they sank when distant from the boat not more than eight feet….

“The Windsor was only twelve years old. She was originally built by Captain Clinton for a ferry, to ply between this city and Windsor, and was used for the purpose a short time. Subsequently she was purchased for railroad use, and latterly was owned jointly by the Great Western and Detroit & Milwaukee Railway Companies. She was a strong, staunch boat, of 253 tons burthen….”
(Chicago Tribune, IL. “The Detroit Calamity.” 4-30-1866, p. 2.

April 27: “Detroit, Mich., April 27. It is now known precisely how the fire of last night originated. Twenty-five barrels of Benzine had, on yesterday, been received by the Michigan Southern Railroad, destined for some point upon the Detroit and Milwaukee Railroad. The barrels had all been wheeled down to the freight platform of the latter road, ready for loading into the cars. In the transfer from one road to the other, one of the barrels, being roughly handled, began to leak, and while an effort was being made to drive the hoops down, one of the laborers procured a lantern, and in attempting to furnish a light to the workmen the lantern was brought in contact with the escapi9ng fluid, and instantaneously the workmen and the barrel were enveloped in flames. Mr. Powell, who had charge of the gang of laborers, at once ordered them to toll the barrel into the river, but before he had fairly given the order an explosion occurred, and the liquid flames were scattered in every direction….

“There seems to be but little doubt but that the loss of life was much greater than was at first supposed. While the number of deaths about the depot cannot as yet be fully given, enough is known to render it certain that many lives were lost there.

“The greatest loss of life occurred amongst the crew of the steamship Windsor, which was lying at the wharf unloading freight. – The names of 28, known to be missing, are given, many of whom were burned to death upon the boat, while others were drowned in attempting to swim to the shore. All escape from the boat being cut off by the raging fire, which swept the whole water face of the wharf, it was impossible for the doomed men to escape. Many of the employees of the Great Western Railway, who were in the immediate vicinity of the explosion, rushed upon the boat, in hopes to escape; but upon the flames communicating with the vessel, they became panic-stricken, and, instead of attempting to extinguish the flames, or push the steamer from the wharf at once, each in their fright but added to the general confusion. The scene was indescribably awful, as the Windsor began to drift from the wharf; men in all the agonies of torture running wildly from side to side of the burning boat, while others could be seen, a mass of flame, jumping into the river, only to meet a death by drowning.

“The Windsor was, as soon as possible, taken in town, and while being towed across the river to Sandwich point, where her blackened hull, burned to the water’s edge, now lies beached….” (Burlington Daily Hawk-Eye. “The Detroit Fire – 28 Lives Lost.” 5-1-1866, p. 3, col. 2.)

Sources

Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats (U.S.). Report of Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats. 10-24-1866. Report of Eighth Supervising District, p. 291. In: Annual Report of the Secretary of the Treasury on the State of The Finance for the Year 1866. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1866. Accessed 9-18-2020 at: https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/annual-report-secretary-treasury-state-finances-194/report-secretary-treasury-state-finances-year-1866-5510/report-board-supervising-inspectors-steamboats-238234

Burlington Daily Hawk-Eye. “The Detroit Fire – 28 Lives Lost.” 5-1-1866, p. 3, col. 2. Accessed 10-7-2020: https://newspaperarchive.com/burlington-daily-hawk-eye-gazette-may-01-1866-p-3/

Chicago Tribune, IL. “The Detroit Calamity.” 4-30-1866, p. 2. Accessed 10-7-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/chicago-tribune-apr-30-1866-p-2/

Historical Great Lakes Vessel Accident Database. 1866 Search Results. Accessed at: http://www.ship-wreck.com/shipwreck/wreckdb/wreckdbresults.php [no longer operational]

Holton, F. J., D. H. Bedford and Francis Cleary. “History of the Windsor and Detroit Ferries.” Read at a meeting of the Essex Historical Society, 12-14-1916. Windsor, Ontario: Essex Historical Society. Papers and Addresses, Volume III. Echo Print, Windsor Public Library, 1921, p. 11.

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

Mansfield, John Brandts (Ed. And Compiler). History of the Great Lakes (Vol. 1). Chicago: J.H. Beers & Co., 1899. http://www.linkstothepast.com/marine/chapt36.html — Google digitized and accessed 10-7-2020 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=iHXhAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

Mills, James Cooke. Our Inland Seas, Their Shipping and Commerce for Three Centuries. Chicago, A. C. McClurg & Co., 1910. Digitized by Microsoft. Accessed 10-7-2020 at: http://www.archive.org/details/ourinlandseasthe00milluoft

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.

West Eau Claire Argus, WI. “The Great Fire at Detroit,” June 13, 1866, p. 3. Accessed 10-7-2020 at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=95743919

–11-13 Blanchard estimated death-toll range.*

— 13 Adams Sentinel, Gettysburg, PA. “Raising a Wrecked Steamer.” 8-28-1866, p. 4, col. 7.
— 13 Newburyport Daily Herald, MA. “Raising a Sunken Steamer.” 8-24-1866, p. 2, col. 1.
— 12 Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats (U.S.). Report of… 1866, p. 282.
— 11 Baltimore Daily Commercial. “Terrible Casualty. Collision on [L.I.] Sound.” 4-20-1866, p1.
— 11 Morrison. History of American Steam Navigation. 1908, p. 334.
— 11 Titusville Herald, PA. “The Disaster…Sound. Burning…‘City of Norwich’” 4-27-1866, 1
–~10 New York Times. “General News” 4-19-1866, p. 4.
— 10 NYT. “Perils of Navigation. The Steamer City of Norwich Burned on the Sound.” 4-19-1866, p8.

* Blanchard estimated death-toll range: We choose to use a death toll range of 11-13 in that we are unsure of the accuracy of the reporting at the time, and not being convinced that the number of lives lost was exactly eleven or twelve or thirteen, employ the use of a range.

The best description we have seen of an identification of fatalities (from the Baltimore Daily Commercial of April 20, citing the New York Tribune) is of eleven fatalities. This number can be found in many other newspapers of the time, which we do not cite.

We do not think it appropriate, however, to ignore the report of the Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats which reports twelve deaths. Nor do we think it appropriate to ignore the two newspaper reports noted herein that thirteen bodies had been recovered.

In that we have not found obituary reporting which might remove uncertainty, we use 11-13.

Narrative Information

Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats (U.S.): “April, 1866, the steamboat City of Norwich, while on her regular trip from Norwich for New York, when off Huntington, Long Island, came in collision with the schooner S. Van Vleit, bound to Fair Haven, Connecticut, with a cargo of oysters. The schooner struck the steamer just forward of her part water wheel, staving in nearly ten feet of her side, causing the steamer to fill very fast. The water rushed in with much violence, and soon reached the boilers and furnaces. Here the water entered the lower furnaces and forced the fire and flames from the lower to the upper, forcing open the upper doors, bursting into the fire-room in a body as large as the doors would admit, setting fire to the boat instantaneously. This caused consternation among the passengers, some jumping overboard and others running wildly about the decks. It was most fortunate at this time that one of the Providence boats came up, lowered her boats, and rescued all the passengers that were saved. The fact noticeable in this case was that the fire spread so rapidly that every boat was enveloped in flames except one; and it is said it would have been better for all if she had been also. No sooner had they got her into the water than great numbers rushed into and at once overturned her. It is thought that more lives were lost in this way than from any other cause. Twelve persons are known to have lost their lives within one hour from the time of the collision. Both steam-boat and schoone4r were sunk, the former partially burnt above her main deck; the latter lost bowsprit, bow stove in, and foremast gone. By this accident, the amount of property lost is estimated at about $300,000.” (Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats (U.S.). Report of… 1866, p. 282.)

Morrison: “On April 18th, 1866, the “City of Norwich” was run into by schooner “General S. Van Vliet” when off Huntington harbor [Long Island Sound], took fire and sunk, by which eleven lives were lost. She was afterwards raised and repaired and placed on the route. In 1894, she was sold and broken up.” (Morrison 1908, 334.)

Newspaper

April 19, New York Times: “The steamer City of Norwich, of the New London and New-York line, collided with the schooner Gen. S. Van Vliet,. Off Huntington, at 3.30 o’clock yesterday morning. The schooner struck the steamer amidships, cutting her through. The water rising in her lifted her fires, so that they communicated with the woodwork and entirely destroyed her. The steamer had about fifty persons on board, about forty of whom were saved by boats from the steamer Electra, from Providence, and brought to this City [NYC]. The remainder are supposed to be lost. The schooner was abandoned in a sinking condition, and her Captain and crew taken on board the Electra. The Electra lay by the scene of the disaster nearly two hours, and until all was done that could be done to save the lives of those on board.” (New York Times. “General News.” 4-19-1866, p. 4.)

April 19: “From the New York Herald, April 19. About half-past ten p.m., on Tuesday last the steamer City of Norwich left New London for this port, with a crew of nineteen men and twelve passengers — including all hands on board about forty souls. The weather was fine at the time of starting, but toward morning a slight haze began to obscure objects on the Sound, necessitating great carefulness on the part of the pilot to keep clear of vessels bound in the opposite direction to that which the City of Norwich was pursuing.

“The vessel arrived at Huntington about 3:45 a.m., and shortly afterward collided with the schooner Gen. Van Vliet. The schooner struck the steamer amidships, cutting her through. The water rising in her lifted her fires, so that they communicated with, the woodwork and entirely destroyed her. This disaster resulted in the loss of eleven precious lives, the remainder being brought to this city.

“Mr. H. L. Tracey, the first pilot, who was in the wheelhouse at the time of the accident, with the wheelman, John Carpenter, states that, at about half past three o’clock on Wednesday morning, while the steamer was pursuing her regular course, just opposite Huntington, L.I. [Long Island], he perceived, about one thousand feet from his port side, the shade of a dim light on the sale [sail?] of a schooner coming toward the City of Norwich. He immediately hove the wheel to port, and slowed speed, stopped, and then backed the boat. But the sailing vessel continued straight ahead, and with terrible force struck the City of Norwich in her forward gangway, on the port side, tearing away her guards and staving in her sides, sinking herself shortly afterward. He immediately blew three whistles as a signal of distress to any vessels that might be in sight or hearing distance, and endeavored to turn the head of the vessel toward Huntington beach, distant about two miles and a half, confiding in the strength of the forward water-tight bulkhead to keep the boat afloat until she could be run ashore. She careened, however, to port, and could not be managed. By this time passengers and crew were all aroused, and came from their berths half-clad and trembling with fear.

“In the meantime the waters continued to rush into the aperture made by the sailing vessel, and in about ten minutes from the time of the collision reached the lower furnaces, causing the burning coals to be thrown on the decks and timber work of the steamer. In the twinkling of an eye the engine room was one mass of flames. With wonderful rapidity they spread to the upper decks, and enveloped the entire fore part of the vessel.

“At this moment the confusion and consternation among the passengers and crew utterly defy description. Capt. Sturgis and his officers seized hold of whatever life preservers they could catch from the flames and distributed them among the persons on deck. The crew had become unmanageable, and the Captain’s orders for the safety of the passengers were not heeded. Huddled together at the stern of the vessel, each one intent on saving himself regardless of what might befall his neighbor, the fear-stricken crew stood regarding the slow but sure approach of the roaring flame to the only part of the vessel that yet remained intact. Some preferring to risk life at the mercy of the waves, did not wait till forced into the water by the fiery element, but plunged into the surging billows and seized hold of whatever straw seemed to hold out a hope of safety. The screeches of the two or three women on board rent the air with terrible shrillness, and the men stamped and cried, and prayed and cursed, while others, utterly overcome by fear, sank down on the stern sheets, or slid over the guard listless and half dead, before dying.

“In the meantime, by the exertions of the more collected portions of the crew and passengers, the only lifeboat that could be had hold of was lowered, and scarcely had she touched the water before the flames came roaring round the ‘fantail’ of the steamer, forcing those who yet remained on board to jump off, or let go their grasp from the timbers near the stern and rudder.

“The frightened men and women in the water, some with life-preservers and others floating on boxes and boards, now made for the life-boat, and in an instant she was sunk to the level of the water by the number of those who endeavored to crawl over her sides. The captain and pilot did all in their power to keep the crew in subjection, and as they struggled and fought to get into the boat, begged them to hang by the sides, and not get into her, and all would be saved. But words were unavailing. The men tore at each other like madmen, and struggled to raise themselves into the already filled boat. At last, struck by a heavy wave, the boat swamped and everybody was thrown into the water. All efforts to right her proved fruitless, and during those awful few moments more than one went down to rise no more.

“The scene that was now presented by the burning vessel and her surroundings was terrible in the extreme. The flames from the City of Norwich lit up the Sound for miles round, revealing a most appalling sight. For over a quarter of a mile on every side, the waters were covered with burning boxes and bales of all descriptions, amid which the struggling drowning ones, the swimmers, and those with life-preservers, were endeavoring to sustain themselves.

The Rescue.

“At the moment that the flames first shot up through the decks of the Norwich the propeller Electra, from Providence to this port, was about a mile or a mile and a half astern of the doomed vessel. As the whistle sounds of distress reached her, and the flames broke out on the City of Norwich, Capt. Nye turned the bow of his vessel toward the scene of the disaster, while the men were put to work cutting loose the two life-boats on the decks. Being up to within an eighth of a mile of the burning vessel, the Electra was stopped, as it was feared the floating mass of burning boxes and cases would set fire to the latter should she continue to advance. Two boats were manned and lowered and sent out to the rescue of the men and women struggling in the water. A third boat was also got in readiness and shoved off by volunteers from among the passengers. These three boats picked up every person that could be found in the water, and returned to the Electra in safety; and for three hours afterward a boat was kept moving around the place of the accident, in hope of picking up some helpless unfortunate….

“Among the passengers on board the City of Norwich was the wife of Mr. Samuel C. Osgood, of Norwich, and her son, a lad of about twelve years of age…[the latter of which is reported as among the lost]….

“The ‘City of Norwich’ was a side-wheel steamer of 875 tons burden. She was built in New York in 1862; was constructed of oak, copper, and iron-fastened, and had vertical beam engines…She was 208 feet long by 36 feet beam, and 12 feet 6 inches depth of hold. She was provided with guards fore and aft, with deck saloon, and was built by the Sound Navigation Company, and registered an A 1/8 steamer.” (Titusville Herald, PA. “The Disaster on the Sound. Burning of the ‘City of Norwich’—Loss of Eleven Lives.” 4-27-1866, p. 1.)

April 20: “{From the New York Tribune.} About 3:45 A.M. yesterday, the schooner General Stewart Van Vliet came into collision with the steamer City of Norwich, off Huntington, on Long Island Sound. The schooner struck the steamer head-on, forward of the bulwarks, on the port side, staving in a large hole through which the water easily entered. As it rose, it lifted her fires and caused them to communicate with the wood-work. After the City of Norwich commenced burning she began to sink very rapidly…In a few minutes the weight forward pressed her stern out of the water, and she immediately went down head first. About ten persons were on board at the time of the collision. Seven of these possessed themselves of life-preservers and jumped overboard. They were all rescued by the steamer Electra, from Providence…The other three passengers, including one boy, could not be found in the water, and are among the missing. Eight of the crew, which numbered thirty-five, are also missing.

Names of the Lost.

“The following are the names of the passengers and crew who were not among the saved by the steamer Electra: [We break paragraph into separate lines.]

John Sullivan, New London;
Michael Hogan, New York;
John Fleming, New York;
Daniel Driscoll, Norwich;
John Katon, New York;
William Quinlan, New York;
Patrick Donovan, New York;
James Crocker, passenger, a son of the chief engineer;
a colored boy (porter), name unknown;
a son [about 12] of S. C. Osgood, Esq., passenger, of Norwich;
a passenger (name unknown), going to England.

“….When the schooner struck the City of Norwich there was a light fog, with an easterly wind blowing. No light was seen on the schooner, and it is believed that she had none at the time….”
(Baltimore Daily Commercial, MD. “Terrible Casualty. Collision on Long Island Sound – Eleven Persons Reported Missing.” 4-20-1866, p. 1, col. 5.)

June 8: “A Connecticut paper says some of the wreckers [salvagers] on the City of Norwich, which was burned off Norwalk a few weeks since, get from $300 to $500 worth of goods per day. Six bodies have recently been recovered, but were sunk again, as this was not the kind of booty the harpies sought.” (Brooklyn Daily Eagle, NY. “Miscellaneous News Items.” 6-8-1866, p. 23.)

Aug 21: “New York, Aug. 20. ….The steamer City of Norwich, which was sunk by collision a short distance from here, on the Sound, several months ago, has been raised and brought to this city [NYC] by the New York wrecking Company. One dead body [a man] was found under the side of the vessel. The latter [the vessel] is almost uninjured by her long stay under water. She is worth $150,000.” (Philadelphia Inquirer, PA. “From New York.” 8-21-1866, p. 4, col. 5.)

Aug 28: “Some time ago the steamer City of Norwich, a large and fine vessel belonging to one of the lines of steamers that ply upon Long Island Sound, was sunk by collision with a schooner. Being of great value, having cost over $150,000, her owners determined, if possible, to recover her, and entrusted the task to a New York wrecking firm. The first operation was to find where she lay, which was done by a process called ‘sweeping,’ which is performed by connecting two vessels with a long chain in such a way that when they sail the chain drags on the bottom. This was continued for two days, when finally the steamer was found lying upside down in water 102 feet deep. A submarine diver was then sent down, and after the exercise of considerable patience chains were fastened around the hull, and she was raised by the use of pontoon boats, six of which, buoying 140 tons each, were required to float her. The dead body of a man was found under the steamer, one of thirteen persons whose lives were lost by the collision. The other bodies had all previously been recovered. The hull of the steamer was in good preservation and her machinery has sustained little damage. The wreck, which looks quite dilapidated, has been towed to New York for repairs.” (Adams Sentinel, Gettysburg, PA. “Raising a Wrecked Steamer.” 8-28-1866, 4.)

Sources

Adams Sentinel and General Advertiser, Gettysburg, PA. “Raising a Wrecked Steamer.” 8-28-1866, p. 4, col. 7. Accessed 10-5-2020: https://newspaperarchive.com/adams-sentinel-aug-28-1866-p-4/

Baltimore Daily Commercial, MD. “Terrible Casualty. Collision on Long Island Sound – Eleven Persons Reported Missing.” 4-20-1866, p. 1, col. 5. Accessed 10-5-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/baltimore-daily-commercial-apr-20-1866-p-1/

Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats (U.S.). Report of Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats. 10-24-1866, Report of Second Supervising District (New York), p. 282. In: Annual Report of the Secretary of the Treasury on the State of The Finance for the Year 1866. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1866. p. 276. Accessed 9-18-2020 at: https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/annual-report-secretary-treasury-state-finances-194/report-secretary-treasury-state-finances-year-1866-5510/report-board-supervising-inspectors-steamboats-238234

Brooklyn Daily Eagle, NY. “Miscellaneous News Items.” 6-8-1866, p. 23. Accessed 10-5-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/brooklyn-daily-eagle-jun-08-1866-p-23/

Morrison, John Harrison. History of American Steam Navigation. New York: W. F. Sametz & Co., Inc., 1908, 653 pages. Digitized by Google. Accessed 10-4-2020 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=Q5tDAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

New York Times. “General News [sinking of steamer City of Norwich].” 4-19-1866, p. 4. Accessed 11-22-2012 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=7737152

New York Times. “Perils of Navigation. The Steamer City of Norwich Burned on the Sound. Ten Lives Supposed to be Lost.” 4-19-1866, p. 8, col. 1. Accessed 10-4-2020 at: https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1866/04/19/79804230.html?pageNumber=8

Newburyport Daily Herald, MA. “Raising a Sunken Steamer.” 8-24-1866, p. 2, col. 1. Accessed 10-5-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/newburyport-daily-herald-aug-24-1866-p-2/

Ohio Democrat, New Philadelphia, OH. “The Catastrophe on the Sound.” 5-4-1866, p. 1. Accessed 10-5-2020: https://newspaperarchive.com/new-philadelphia-ohio-democrat-may-04-1866-p-1/

Philadelphia Inquirer, PA. “From New York.” 8-21-1866, p. 4, col. 5. Accessed 10-5-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/philadelphia-inquirer-aug-21-1866-p-4/

Titusville Herald, PA. “The Disaster on the Sound. Burning of the ‘City of Norwich’—Loss of Eleven Lives.” 4-27-1866, p. 1. http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=2823621

—      20  Blanchard tally of those listed below as dead (13), fatally injured (2), and missing (5).

–15-20  Blanchard estimated range.[1]

–15-20  Semi-Weekly Wisconsin. “Nitro-Glycerine — A Terrible, Explosive Agent.” 4-28-1866.[2]

–10-17  Placer Herald, Auburn, CA. “Terrible Explosion…in San Francisco.” 4-21-1866.[3]

–10  Killed outright.

—  2  Apparently fatally injured.[4]

—  5  Missing, apparently “blown to pieces.”

—     16  Davenport Daily Gazette, IA. “The News,” 4-21-1866, p. 1. (8 named, 8 unidentified.)

—     15  Linda Hall Library. “The Use of Black Powder…Nitroglycerine…Transcontinental Railroad.”

—     14  Aldrich. Death Rode the Rails: American Railroad Accidents and Safety... P. 217

—     12  Williams. A Great and Shining Road… Transcontinental Railroad. 1988, 132.[5]

 

Narrative Information

Aldrich: “In 1866 several explosions, including one involving nitroglycerine at the Wells Fargo building in San Francisco that killed fourteen people, led to a federal law that year that forbade shipment of explosives on passenger vessels and otherwise governed their transportation. But the law failed to specify an effective enforcement mechanism and was therefore widely ignored.” (Aldrich. Death Rode the Rails: American Railroad Accidents…Safety, 1828-1965. 2006, p.217.)

Linda Hall Library: “The crate had been shipped by steamer from New York City to Panama, across the isthmus via railroad, and then to San Francisco by steamship. It measured two-and-a-half feet square, weighed a little over 300 pounds, and was indistinguishable from thousands of others, except that it leaked an oily substance. The question was not about what was leaking from the crate, but who was at fault for the leak. To settle the dispute, representatives from the steamship company and the consignor, Wells Fargo, met at the latter’s office on Montgomery Street. A Wells Fargo employee grabbed a hammer and chisel and began to open the leaking crate. The resulting explosion a little after noon on Monday, April 16, 1866, instantly killed the workers, leveled the Wells Fargo building, and rattled buildings more than a quarter mile away….

“In its pure, liquid form, the chemical was extremely volatile. On April 3, 1866, 70 crates of nitroglycerin exploded onboard the California-bound steamship European in Aspinwall, Panama, killing 50 people. Two weeks later the nitroglycerin explosion at the Wells Fargo office in San Francisco killed fifteen people.” (Linda Hall Library. The Transcontinental Railroad (website). “The Use of Black Powder and Nitroglycerine on the Transcontinental Railroad.” Accessed 8-22-2017.)

Williams (Transcontinental Railroad): “….in 1866, frustrated by the Sierra’s unique, almost indestructible rock formations, Strobridge[6] decided to innovate, and began to innovate, and began to use nitroglycerin on the Summit Tunnel[7] and tunnel number 8. Invented in Italy in 1847 by Signor Ascanio Sobrero, nitroglycerin had been refined by demolitions engineer Alfred Nobel in the 1860s. His ‘blasting oil’ (C⁶H⁵Oˡ⁸N) was five times more powerful by bulk than powder explosives, and, according to the Railroad Record, thirteen times more destructive. That same publication erred somewhat when it praised nitroglycerin’s supposed stability, reporting that ‘its storing and transport involve no danger.’

“Master tunneler John Gillis was especially captivated by the idea of a powerful liquid explosive, for it might well prove to be the breakthrough that he sought. He hired an itinerant Scottish chemist, James Howden, to mix it for him. Shipped into the mountains in inert, binary form, the explosive was 96 percent pure when Howden finished brewing it in a special reinforced and partially buried log ‘factory’ built by the company near Donner Lake. Gillis had perhaps not read deeply enough into the literature, for despite the Railroad Record’s encomiums, at precisely 1:13.5 on the afternoon of April 16, 1866, a shipment of  nitro (not in inert form) ordered by Huntington from the East erupted at a Wells, Fargo office in San Francisco. Twelve people were killed outright, and scores were injured. Nitroglycerin is a fickle explosive: only one of the shipment’s two boxes exploded, while the other, a mere yard or so away, was found intact amidst the rubble. A few days later, the freighter European blew sky high at Aspinwall, Panama, its California-bound nitroglycerin disintegrating at least fifty people and four hundred feet of new, expensive pier. A subsequent investigation revealed that the explosive had been falsely labeled ‘Glorian Oil,’ a nonexistent substance. (p. 132.)

Williams, Supreme Court of the United States Dec Term: “John Parrott, Plff. … Henry Wells et al., as Wells, Fargo & Co.

Expressmen not liable for explosion of nitro-glycerine — common carriers not chargeable with notice of contents of packages — want of negligence — measures of care.

“1. In 1866, the defendants, who were expressmen, engaged in carrying packages between New York and California, by way of the Isthmus of Panama, received at New York a box containing nitro-glycerine, to be carried to California. There was nothing in the appearance of the box tending to excite any suspicion of the character of its contents. It was received and carried in the usual course of business, no information being asked or given as to its contents. On arriving at San Francisco, California, its contents were leaking and resembled sweet oil. The box was then taken for examination, as was the custom with the defendants when any box carried by them appeared to be damaged, to the premises occupied by them, which were leased from the plaintiff. Whilst an employee of the defendants, by their direction, was attempting to open the box, the nitro-glycerine exploded injuring the premises occupied by them and other premises leased by the plaintiffs to and occupied by other parties. The defendants had no knowledge of, and no reason to suspect, the dangerous character of the contents. They repaired the injuries to the premises occupied by them; held that they were not liable for the damage caused by the accident to the premises occupied by other parties.

“2. Common carriers are not chargeable, in cases free from suspicion, with notice of the contents of packages carried by them; nor are they authorized in such cases to require information as to the contents of the packages offered, as a condition of carrying them.

“3. Where there is nothing to excite the suspicion of a common carrier as to the contents of a package carried by him, it is not negligence on his part to introduce the package, when appearing to be damaged, into his place of business for examination, and to handle it in the same manner as other packages of similar outward appearance are usually introduced for examination and handling.

{No. 168.}

“Argued Mar. 15, 1873. Decided Mar. 31, 1873….” (Williams, Stephen K. (Revised Edition by Charles L. Thompson). Cases Argued and Decided in the Supreme Court of the United States (Book 21). 1919, p. 206.)

Graves: “Three weeks later, Wells, Fargo and Co. printed a notice that it would no longer carry nitroglycerine in its coaches.” (Graves. Nitroglycerine! 7-4-2005 update.)

 

Newspapers

April 18, New York Herald (in Semi-Weekly-Wisconsin, Milwaukee, April 28): “From the New York Herald, April 18.]

“The frightful disaster, which occurred on the 16^th of April, in or near the office of Wells, Fargo & Co’s express, in the city of San Francisco, killing instantly 15 to 20 persons, and dreadfully injuring many others, destroying nearly a whole block of buildings…is beyond any doubt, the result of the explosion of nitro-glycerine, or blasting oil.

“According to the information taken here, in New York, the superintendent of a New York mining company had sent, some weeks ago, to San Francisco, by the Pacific Mail Company, several boxes of nitro-glycerine, weighing about 500 pounds, imported from the factory of Mr. Alfred Noble, of Hamburg, Germany.

“It was intended to sell this oil to mining companies, the immense exploding power of the new chemical compound offering great advantages, not only in the saving of labor of drill boles, but also in freight, because ofe pound of this blasting oil does the same destructive work as twelve to fifteen pounds of common blasting gun powder.

“The blood stirs if we think that the two hundred pounds sent by the Pacific mail steamer had exploded during the sea voyage, tearing to pieces and burying in the waves the seven or eight hundred passengers on board…could not the accident which took place at the freight office of Wells Y Fargo’s company in San Francisco, without any apparent cause, have happened quite as well on board of the steamer which carried the mysterious and dangerous freight?….” (Semi-Weekly-Wisconsin, Milwaukee. “Nitro-Glycerine–A Terrible, Explosive Agent.” 4-28-1866, p. 4.)

 April 21, Placer Herald, in Graves: “On Monday, 16^th inst., in San Francisco, at fifteen minutes past one o’clock, P.M., and explosion took place in the storeroom back of Wells, Fargo & Co.’s building, in G. W. Bell’s assay office, adjoining on California street, which demolished everything within a circuit of 40 or 50 feet, including the whole interior of Bell’s assay building, the storeroom and west portion of Wells, Fargo & Co.’s building, the back portion of the Union Club Rooms, and other apartments in the vicinity.

“The explosion was so powerful as to shake the earth like an earthquake for a circuit of a quarter of a mile. Every window in California street, between Montgomery and Kearny, were demolished, and panes of glass were shattered even as far as Third street, a distance of half a mile. For some time after the explosion it was impossible to tell the cause of the calamity. Some asserting that it was a barrel of acid in the Assay office; others that it was a steam boiler in the rear of the office, and others, that it was some kind of explosive material stored in the yard of Wells, Fargo & Co. It has since been ascertained to have been caused by Nobel’s blasting oil, or nitro glycerine, a new explosive five times more powerful in its effects than powder.

“A box containing this liquid had arrived by steamer from the East, and when landed upon the wharf was found to be in a leaking condition. It had been shipped as general merchandise, and none were aware of the dangerous contents of the box. It was sent to the Office of Wells, Fargo & Co. and placed in the rear of the building; among the unreclaimed freight, where Mr. Webster, the freight clerk in the New York department of the Express office, and Mr. Havens, freight clerk of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, went to examine that in connection with another package claimed to be in  damaged condition. The last seen of these gentlemen alive, they were standing near the box, with several other employees, having tools as if about to open the box. It is supposed they made the attempt, when the explosion took place by concussion, which resulted in a terrible loss of life and destruction of property.

“There was not a whole window for a long distance from the building in which the explosion took place, and in Brannan’s block, opposite Wells, Fargo & Co’s. on Montgomery street, the Stevenson House, opposite, and in many buildings between California and Sacramento streets window frames and doors ere generally shattered to fragments, while huge splinters of costly plate glass covered the streets. Fragments of human remains were found scattered in many places….

“Other fragments of human bodies were found several days afterward, on the roof of Selleck’s daguerrean gallery, on Montgomery street, where they had been thrown by the explosion….

“A large number of people were slightly injured by the falling of glass in the streets, and in buildings as far away from the scene as on Sacramento street between Montgomery and Kearny.

“The following persons are known to have been killed and wounded.

Samuel Knight, Bank Superintendent, instantaneously.[8]

1. E. Webster, head of the New York Department,

Mr. Haven of the Pacific Mail Co.,[9] and

1. Jester, porter, blown to pieces.[10]
2. W. Bell, fatally injured and died in a few minutes.[11]

John Gallagher, hostler, killed.

[“Mr. Wallub, Wells, Fargo & Co.’s Assayer…also killed.”][12]

[“Joseph Elliott…also killed.”][13]

[“Frank Meosher…also killed.”][14]

 

“Belonging to the Union Club, the following casualties are reported:

Felix Duriveau, cook, killed.

August Michel, second cook, killed.

1. Rust, or F. Le Rey, third cook, severely, and it is feared fatally injured.
2. H. Cox, steward, badly injured; supposed to be beyond recovery.

Chinese assistant, (name unknown,) missing, probably killed.

Another Chinese assistant (name unknown,) killed.

John Maguire, waiter missing.

1. H. Wright, waiter, missing.

Wm. Smith, waiter, leg broke, will recover.

Edward Kent, waiter, missing.

Dennis O’Donnell, waiter, dead.

James Burke, waiter, missing.

“The number of the wounded it is impossible to ascertain. Many are seriously hurt, and hundreds were wounded by the flying fragments of glass in the streets.” (Placer Herald, Auburn, CA. “Terrible Explosion and Loss of Life in San Francisco.” 4-21-1866; in Graves.)

April 21, Davenport Daily Gazette: “At San Francisco on the 16^th inst., a horrible explosion of what was supposed to be nitra glycerine occurred…near Wells, Fargo & Co.’s building…. Samuel Knight, superintendent of Wells Fargo & Co’s Express, died in half an hour of injuries received. G. W. Bell, Supervisor and Assayer, was instantly killed. Mr. Wallub, Wells, Fargo & Co.’s Assayer, Joseph Elliott, John Gallagher, Frank Meosher and William Justin were also killed. Eight dead bodies were so mutilated that they could not be identified…..William Havens, a book-keeper of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, is ascertained to be among the killed.

“The cause of the explosion is a mystery. — The Freight Agent of the Pacific Mail Company says that two boxes, each measuring about four cubic feet, were taken from the steamer’s dock to the place where the explosion occurred. One box was consigned to Idaho City, and the other to Los Angeles. Both were stained with oil. — The contents were not known. Forty men are now engaged in removing the ruins.” (Davenport Daily Gazette, IA. “The News,” 4-21-1866, p. 1.)

 Placer Herald (we assume), in Graves: “The S. F. Examiner[15] says: It is a remarkable fact connected with the late explosion, that every person sitting at the table at the Club Hours, at lunch, escaped unhurt, while every waiter in attendance (standing) was either killed outright or seriously injured. It is said that the man Cox was waiting up, on a Mr. Ambrose; at the moment of the explosion he was in the act of placing dishes upon the table. Cox was mortally wounded, while Ambrose was raised out of his chair to the ceiling, his watch and money drawn as if it ere by suction, from his pockets, and yet he escaped uninjured.

“Had the explosion occurred under cover, instead of in the yard; it is probable that every building in the block would have been leveled to the ground. Nothing but the glass sky lights in Wells, Fargo & Co’s. Club House building, saved that structure from entire destruction. The main force of the concussion went upward several hundred feet into the air, without any obstruction. The damage done to property was by the outward or expansive force.

“We have been told this morning by a reliable party, that it is admitted by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company’s employees that this nitro-glycerine has been brought up frequently, in fact on board almost every steamer, and that no complaint has ever been made about it but in a single instance, when Capt. Baby protested against bringing it. We know that last Winter, when the large imports of petroleum were being brought up from Panama, that Commodore Watkins protested against it, and remonstrated by telegraph to the P.M.S. Co. at New York, at such risk and trifling with human life. That suspended the shipments of that article. But now a worse and more dangerous article is admitted to have been brought up by the several steamers recently. This thing must be stopped at once….There must be a total discontinuance of the practice of carrying suspected packages under the term merchandise. Public safety demands it.” (The Examiner, San Francisco. “The Late Explosion–Singular Facts–Suggestions of Safety.” Date not noted, reproduced in “Nitroglycerine!” by G. J. Graves, on Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum website.)

 

Sources

Aldrich, Mark. Death Rode the Rails: American Railroad Accidents and Safety, 1828-1965. Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press, 2006, 446 pages.

Davenport Daily Gazette, IA. “The News,” 4-21-1866, p. 1. Accessed 8-23-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/davenport-daily-gazette-apr-21-1866-p-1/?tag

Graves, G. J. Nitroglycerine! Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum, 7-4-2005 update. Accessed 8-22-2017 at: http://cprr.org/Museum/Newspapers/Nitroglycerine.html

Linda Hall Library. The Transcontinental Railroad (website). “The Use of Black Powder and Nitroglycerine on the Transcontinental Railroad.” Accessed 8-22-2017 at: http://railroad.lindahall.org/essays/black-powder.html

Placer Herald, Auburn, CA. “Terrible Explosion and Loss of Life in San Francisco.” 4-21-1866; in Graves. Accessed 8-22-2017 at: http://cprr.org/Museum/Newspapers/Nitroglycerine.html

Semi-Weekly Wisconsin, Milwaukee. “Nitro-Glycerine–A Terrible, Explosive Agent.” 4-28-1866, p. 4. Accessed 8-23-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/semi-weekly-wisconsin-apr-28-1866-p-4/?tag

Williams, John Hoyt. A Great and Shining Road: The Epic Story of the Transcontinental Railroad. Lincoln and London: University of Nebraska Press, 1988, and 1996. Google preview accessed 8-22-2017 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=W_O_PJmz29IC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Williams, Stephen K. (Revised Edition by Charles L. Thompson). Cases Argued and Decided in the Supreme Court of the United States (Book 21). Rochester, NY: The Lawyers Co-operative Publishing Co., 1919.

 

[1] While twenty appears to us to be the best single number, we think it conservative to use the 15-20 press reporting at the time. Some of the difficulty in producing a tally, no doubt, derives from the fact that some bodies were destroyed in the explosion, with body parts located in many location. Additionally, reporting on the fate of the Chinese workers was very sparse and incomplete.

[2] This Milwaukee paper notes their story is from the New York Herald of April 18.

[3] We have transcribed from G. J. Graves (Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum) much of the article below, including a listing of dead, seriously injured, and missing.

[4] A Union Club cook, by the name or Rust or Le Rey, was listed as “severely, and it is feared fatally injured.” A Union Club steward, W. H. Cox, was listed as “badly injured; supposed to be beyond recovery.” In another article posted by G. J. Graves (CPRPHM), a San Francisco Examiner article stated that “Cox was mortally wounded.”

[5] Notes 12 were “killed outright” and many injured. Not noted is whether any injured later died from their injuries.

[6] James Harvey Strobridge, construction manager of the Central Pacific railroad.

[7] Near Donner Pass, CA.

[8] Another source has it that he was “Superintendent of Wells Fargo & Co’s Express” and that he “died in half an hour of injuries received.” (Davenport Daily Gazette, IA. “The News,” 4-21-1866, p. 1.)

[9] Another source notes “William Havens, a book-keeper of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, is ascertained to be among the killed.” Davenport Daily Gazette, IA. “The News,” 4-21-1866, p. 1.

[10] The Davenport Daily Gazette, noted herein, may be referring to this man with note of the death of William Justin.

[11] Another source notes he was Supervisor and Assayer” and “was instantly killed.” (Davenport Daily Gazette, IA. “The News,” 4-21-1866, p. 1.)

[12] Davenport Daily Gazette, IA. “The News,” 4-21-1866, p. 1.

[13] Davenport Daily Gazette, IA. “The News,” 4-21-1866, p. 1.

[14] Davenport Daily Gazette, IA. “The News,” 4-21-1866, p. 1.

[15] We assume this is a reference to The Daily Examiner, which published, according to the Library of Congress Historic American Newspapers site, in San Francisco from 1865 to 1889.

— 12 Cincinnati Commercial. “Terrible Disaster. Steamboat Financier Destroyed.” 4-15-1866, p.2.
–10-12 Daily Evening Bulletin, Philadelphia. “Burning of a Steamer on the Ohio…” 4-16-1866, p. 8.
— 10 Cincinnati Commercial. “Gleanings from our Exchanges.” 4-19-1866, p. 7.
— 10 Lytle and Holdcamper. Merchant Steam Vessels of the [U.S.] 1807-1868. 1952, p. 268.
— 10 Way’s Packet Directory, 1848-1994: Passenger Steamboats…[MS Riv.] Sys. 1999, 166.

Narrative Information

Lytle and Holdcamper: “Financier…309 [tons] burnt…4 12 1866…Economy, Pa., 10 [lives lost].”

Way: Financier. Sternwheel wood-hull packet, built in McKeesport, PA in 1864, measuring 156.3 x 35 x 6.4, with three boilers. “Ran Pittsburgh-St. Louis-New Orleans. Master and part owner was Capt. John Darrah and first clerk James Russell. Downbound at Crows Island, Ohio River, near Baden, Pa., caught fire when a passenger, Mrs. E. Rothchild, lit a camphene light and it exploded. The boat was landed at the island. Mr. and Mrs. Rothchild and two children, en route to Texas, lost their lives, plus six other passengers, this on April 12, 1866. The Bayard, upbound, arrived too late to save lives….”

Newspapers

April 15, Cincinnati Commercial: “(From the Pittsburgh Commercial, of yesterday [Saturday].)…The steamer Financier, Captain John Darragh, which left the Monongahela wharf Thursday afternoon for New Orleans, with a full complement of passengers and a large freight list, was totally consumed by fire, at Crow’s Island, twenty miles below the city. The cause of the catastrophe was ascertained to be as follows: Mrs. Rothschilds, who, with her husband and two children, had been visiting Mr. Kaufman, of this city, and were on their return to Texas, their place of residence, asked the chambermaid of the boat for a light, when she was informed that it was against the rules to allow a light in the staterooms. On receiving this answer, Mrs. Rothschilds went to her trunk and produced a small camphene lamp, which she proceeded to light. The moment the match was applied to the lamp it exploded with a loud report, setting Mrs. Rothschilds on fire, who rushed out into the cabin, crying ‘murder.’ A gentleman from Vicksburg, Miss., Mr. Holloway, rushed to her assistance, and seizing a woolen table cover, enveloped her in it, extinguishing the flames, but not until she was severely burned.

“All on board were anxious for the safety of the woman, and no attention was paid to the stateroom, which was set on fire by the explosion of the lamp, until the flames were discovered issuing therefrom. By this time the fire had gained too much headway to attempt to extinguish it, and it spread with fearful rapidity. Captain Darragh ordered the boat to be run ashore, and the pilot on duty, Mr. Charles Hughes attempted to do so, but the tiller-ropes were burned, and he was compelled to abandon the wheel, which was now useless. The boat, which was heavily laden, grounded, and the efforts of the officers were now directed towards saving the lives of the passengers. The gangway staging was launched into the water, and all the lady passengers placed upon it. Just as they were about letting loose from the boat, two men jumped from the boat upon the staging, causing it to capsize, and drowning Mrs. Darragh and daughter, wife and child of the Captain, and Mrs. Rothschilds, who caused the disaster, together with the two children of the latter.

“The capsizing of the staging added to the horror of all, and the passengers became almost frantic, many in their despair jumping overboard, some to find death by drowning. The steam tug Coal Bluff happening in sight, landed her tow, and immediately proceeded to the scene of disaster, rendering valuable assistance in picking up those in the water, and rescuing those who were fortunate enough to reach the island. The Coal Bluff carried the rescued to Rochester [PA], where they were placed on board the Leni Leoti and brought to the city [Pittsburgh].

“The names of those known to be lost are as follows:

“Emmanuel Rothschilds, wife and two children, of Texas. The husband and wife were observed to go down together, about ninety or one hundred yards from the shore.

“Mrs. Captain John Darragh and daughter, the latter only eleven years old, drowned by the capsizing of the staging. This was the first time Mrs. Darragh had ever ventured on a trip with her husband.

“Thomas Bolden, colored, pantry-man drowned.

“Man sick with consumption, name unknown.

“An Irishman, name unknown, and three deck hands are missing – two of he latter believed to have perished in the flames….

“Captain John Darragh saved his life by swimming ashore….

“Search was made early yesterday morning for the bodies of the drowned. During the day the body of Mrs. Captain Darragh was recovered, as was also that of Emanuel Rothschilds.” (Cincinnati Commercial, OH. “Terrible Disaster. Steamboat Financier Destroyed. Twelve Lives Lost.” 4-15-1866, p. 2.)

April 16: “(From the Pittsburgh Post of Saturday [14th].) On Thursday afternoon, the steamboat Financier, commanded by Capt. Jno. Darragh, left the Monongahela wharf of this city, for New Orleans. She had proceeded down the river as far as Remington, near Rochester, in Beaver county, when a fire broke out in one of the state rooms, and defying all efforts to quench it, resulting in the death of ten persons and the destruction of the boat. As near as we can learn the particulars they are as follows: Among the passengers, was a Mrs. Rothschild, who, with her husband and two children, was starting for her home in Texas. When the boat was about eighteen miles below the city [Pittsburgh], near Crow’s Island, Mrs. Rothschild approached her state room door with a lighted lamp. The chambermaid requested her not to go into the state room with the lamp as it was against the rules. Mrs. R. said there was not the slightest danger, and to show her confidence, commenced shaking the lamp. In a moment the lamp exploded, scattering the burning oil all over Mrs. Rothschild, and enveloping her in a sheet of flame. Several persons ran to her to help extinguish the fire, but before they reached her she had rushed into the state room. After a short time they succeeded in extinguishing the burning clothing on the unfortunate woman, but not before she had been frightfully burned about the face and neck.

“In the meantime the fire from her clothing had caught among the bed clothes in the state-room, and by the time that the attention of the passengers was somewhat relieved from the suffering woman, the flames in the room had gained such headway that all efforts to check them ere in vain. Seeing this the officers of the boat took immediate measures to save the passengers from the fiery death that impended.

“As we have said, the boat was about opposite Crow’s Island. There is about ten feet of water there, and the captain gave immediate orders to have the boat run ashore. While still some distance from the shore the boat grounded, being so heavily laden that she could not get any nearer, and even had it been otherwise, the heat had become so intense that the pilots were forced from their positions, and the boat would have had to take care of herself. Despite the efforts of the officers and the cooler passengers, many among the passengers, in their frantic terror, leaped from the boat to the water. An attempt was made to launch a staging, and at last the effort succeeded and a number of passengers were placed upon it. At it floated away, however, others attempted to jump upon it, and it was capsized, throwing all who were upon it into the water. The wife and daughter of the captain were upon the staging, and were lost, but Mr. Russell, the clerk, Mr. Joseph Darragh, the engineer, and some others who were also upon it succeeded in swimming ashore.

“There were but thirteen passengers, among whom were Mr. Emanuel Rothschild, his wife and two children, who had been visiting Mr. Kauffman, of this city, and were on their way home to Texas. Besides the regular passengers there were the wife and daughter of Captain Darragh, and the wife of Mr. Joseph Darragh, the engineer. The two-boat Coal Bluff and the Lenti Leoti, rendered most valuable aid to the sufferers from the catastrophe. The latter brought the survivors to this city.

“So far as we could learn eleven lives were lost by drowning. The following is a list of the lost:

“Mr. Emanuel Rothschild, his wife and two children. They were seen to jump into the water, and before they could be rescued were all drowned, Mrs. Capt. Darragh and her daughter, aged about fourteen. This was the first trip ever made by Mrs. Darragh. A colored man named Thomas Bolder, employed as pantryman; also two deck hands and a fireman whose names we have not learned.

“In addition to these, we are informed that there was on board a gentleman who was so sick as to be unable to leave his berth. His brother-in-law succeeded in placing him on the staging, and when he fell from that he got him on a plank. The sick man, however, was too much exhausted to keep his position, and fell off and was probably drowned.

“The boat and cargo were entirely consumed. The cargo consisted of agricultural implements, wagons, iron, nails, glass, etc., on board, for the Southern market, and principally owned by manufacturers in this city….

“The Financier was built in April, 1864, and was owned by Captain John Darragh, who was in command, Captain James Russell, chief clerk, and Joseph Darragh, first engineer. She was a side-wheeler, one hundred and fifty-three feet in length, thirty-five feet in breadth, and had six feet depth of hold. She was valued at about $32,000, and was insured for $25,000, all in Pittsburgh offices…

“Mr. Russell, the clerk, was in the office at the time of the explosion, and had sufficient presence of mind to lock the safe, so that the money and valuables will probably be recovered. The books and papers of the boat, and the clothing of the officers, however, are all lost. The cargo was insured to the amount of $43,200.

“Search for the bodies commenced yesterday morning at an early hour, and at about ten o’clock the bodies of Mr. Rothschild and Mrs. Darragh were found near the scene of the accident. Neither was much disfigured. Mr. R. had his arms open, as if he had died clasping his infant children. His remains were brought to the residence of Mr. Hauffman, Robinson street, Allegheny. Coroner Clawson was summoned to hold an inquest, but having no jurisdiction in the case he declined. The Coroner of Beaver county has been sent for.” (Daily Evening Bulletin, Philadelphia. “Burning of a Steamer on the Ohio River. Loss of Twelve Lives.” 4-16-1866, p.8.)

April 19: “Pittsburgh. – The Gazette, of Tuesday [17th] says: The Emma Graham, from Zanesville, got in on Sunday night. She brought up the remains of the daughter of Captain Darragh, of the ill-fated Financier. The body, we learn, was recovered on Sunday, about one hundred yards below where the disaster occurred.

The Gazette of yesterday [Wednesday], says: Of the ten lives lost by the burning of the ill-fated Financier, but four bodies have thus far been recovered. The funeral of Captain Darragh’s wife and daughter, which took place on Monday, was largely attended.” (Cincinnati Commercial. “Gleanings from our Exchanges.” 4-19-1866, p. 7.)

Sources

American Oil & Gas Historical Society. “Two-Wick Camphene Lamp.” Accessed 8-29-2020 at: https://aoghs.org/products/two-wick-camphene-lamp/

Cincinnati Commercial. “Died.” 4-17-1866, p. 5. Accessed 8-29-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/cincinnati-commercial-apr-17-1866-p-9/

Cincinnati Commercial. “Gleanings from our Exchanges.” 4-19-1866, p. 7. Accessed 8-29-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/cincinnati-commercial-apr-19-1866-p-14/

Cincinnati Commercial. “Terrible Disaster. Steamboat Financier Destroyed. Twelve Lives Lost. Fearful Result of Carelessness.” 4-15-1866, p. 2. Accessed 8-29-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/cincinnati-commercial-apr-14-1866-p-18/

Daily Evening Bulletin, Philadelphia. “Burning of a Steamer on the Ohio River.” 4-16-1866, p8. Accessed 8-29-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/philadelphia-daily-evening-bulletin-apr-16-1866-p-8/

Jackson-Township historical preservation on Facebook. Accessed 8-29-2020 at: https://www.facebook.com/jacksontownship.historicalpreservation/posts/the-former-crow-island-located-in-the-ohio-river-near-aliquippa-beaver-county-in/1992370644128805/

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=9&size=125&q1=ceres

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.

–17-25 Blanchard on estimated death-toll range.*

–40-50 Daily Commercial Register, Sandusky, OH. “The News.” 3-7-1866, p. 2, col. 2.**
–25-50 Christian Advocate, St. Louis, MO. “Miscellaneous.” 3-8-1866, p. 12, col. 4.
— 25 New Albany Daily Ledger, IN. “Explosion of the Steamer Lockwood.” 3-5-1866, p.3, c.5.
— 25 Way’s Packet Directory, 1848-1994: Passenger Steamboats…[MS Riv. Sys.]… 1999, p.384.
— 20 Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats. Report of… p. 287.
— 20 Fort Wayne Daily Gazette, IN. Mar 6, 1866, p. 2.
— 20 NYT. “Explosion of the Steamer Lockwood – Twenty Persons Killed…” 3-7-1866, p. 8.
— ~15 Chicago Tribune, IL. “The Latest River Horror.” 3-10-1866, p. 2, col. 8.
— 9-10 Bragg. Historic Names and Places on the Lower Mississippi River. 1977, 84-85.

*Blanchard estimated death toll. Given that we find none of the sources convincing as to their exactitude, we choose to employ a range of fatalities. If it were not for Bragg’s number of nine-to ten deaths we would use as the low-end of our range we use the number twenty noted in the report of the Sixth District of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats. While we personally are of the opinion that the most likely range is twenty to twenty-five, Bragg’s number gives us pause. Thus we have attempted to create a listing of likely deaths based on named fatalities at the time, unnamed fatalities noted in the plural, such as cabin crew, chambermaids, cooks, deck hands, deck passengers, and firemen. In that accounts below speak in the plural for these positions we assume at least two deaths (with the exception of chambermaids, which was noted as exactly two). To this we add the two named individuals for whom we have seen reporting as to their deaths due to injuries afterwards. Such a listing derives seventeen deaths. (See below, after Narrative Newspaper section and before Sources.)

For the high-end of our range we use the number twenty-five noted by Way in his Packet Directory of Passenger Steamboats. Way is generally a fairly reliable source, and we are thus uncomfortable with disregarding his account.

It is possible that there were more crew and passenger deaths as some sources claim. However, we have attempted a search of newspaper articles for several weeks beyond the explosion looking for notices of bodies coming to the surface or located along the banks downstream, without success. We do see death notices for two of those noted as badly injured in first reports. Perhaps there were other deaths from injuries, but we have not seen notices to that effect.

** Daily Commercial Register. This, apparently is based on the same Memphis dispatch of March 5 we see in the New Albany (IN) Daily Ledger, which, after noting twenty immediate deaths noted “A number of the cabin crew, cooks, and negro firemen were lost [and two chambermaids], but their names are not known…I think the number of killed amounts to forty or fifty, as the survivors state there were a number of deck hands and deck passengers on the lower deck who were killed by the explosion, and whose names are unknown.”

Narrative Information

Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats: “The boilers of the steamer Lockwood exploded February 3, 1866 [sic., March 4]; the loss of life 20, and of property $75,000.” (Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats. Report of Board of Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats. 10-24-1866, Report of Sixth Supervising District (Louisville), p. 287; in Annual Report of…Secretary of…Treasury on…State of…Finance for the Year 1866. Washington, 1866.)

Bragg: “In 1866 a fine new steamboat, the R. J. Lockwood, exploded and burned in Cow Island Bend [Current Islands No. 47 and No. 48, Mile 715.0 Above Head of Passes]. There were the usual rumors that a steamboat race had been under way shortly before the accident, and the usual vigorous denials. Nine or ten people lost their lives, and a contemporary eyewitness account of the accident described in graphic and painful detail how the boat sank with the charred bodies of some of the victims still on board.” (Bragg. Historic Names and Places on the Lower Mississippi River. 1977, 84-85.)

Way: R. J. Lockwood. Sternwheel, wood-hull packet, built in St. Louis in 1864 at 418 tons, measuring 210 x 34 x 5, with three boilers. “…On Mar. 4, 1866, exploded boilers at President’s Island below Memphis, Capt. Ben Howard in command. He and Capt. George Willard 9 a passenger) were seated at the cabin stove, about tea time, and were lifted to the roof and bruised. She was upbound from New Orleans and had but 20 cabin passengers. Life loss was set at 25….”

Newspaper

March 5, New Albany Daily Ledger, IN: “A Memphis dispatch says the steamer Lockwood exploded her boilers 20 miles from Memphis, and burned. Twenty-five lives are reported lost….”
(New Albany Daily Ledger, IN. “Explosion of the Steamer Lockwood.” 3-5-1866, p. 3, c. 5.)

March 5, New Orleans Daily Crescent: “(Associated Press Dispatches.) Memphis, March 5….The steamer R. J. Lockwood, Capt. Ben Howard, en route from New Orleans to St. Louis, exploded her boilers last night at the foot of President Island, several miles below this city [Memphis] and in a short time was burned to the water, with a loss of about fifteen souls, as near as can be ascertained, the register being lost. It is estimated that there were about forty passengers aboard. The Lockwood had recently abandoned the Ouachita river trade, been repaired and inspected at New Orleans, and was to enter the Missouri river trade on reaching St. Louis. There was not much freight on board….

“The following are known to be killed: Oliver Graham, second engineer, of New York; George Casner, barkeeper, of St. Louis; James King, of Staten Island….” (New Orleans Daily Crescent. “Another Steamboat Explosion. Steamer R. J. Lockwood Destroyed.” 3-6-1866, p. 1.

March 5, NYT: “Memphis, Monday, March 5. The steamer Lockwood blew up and was burned last night about eighteen miles below here. There were twenty killed and twenty-five injured. She is valued at $60,000, and not insured. The names of the killed and wounded are not known yet.

Second Dispatch.

Cincinnati, Tuesday, March 6. A special dispatch to the Commercial gives some particulars of the disaster to the steamer Lockwood.

“The explosion tore away the cabin as far back as the centre of he boat, killing twenty persons instantly, and scalding and wounding twenty-five others.

“The boat took fire and burnt until she sunk.

“The steamer Mephom was going down the river at the time, and landed her bow at the stern of the Lockwood, and saved every persons not killed by the explosion.

“Among the killed are the following: James King, of Staten Island, N.Y., and Clem Graham, Second Engineer of New-York.” (New York Times. “Explosion of the Steamer Lockwood – Twenty Persons Killed…” 3-7-1866, p. 8.)

March 6, Fort Wayne Daily Gazette, IN: “New York, March 6.—The only additional news regarding the disaster to the Lockwood is contained in a dispatch from Memphis, which states that the steamer blew up and was burned on the night of the fourth instant, about eight miles below that city, there were twenty killed and twenty-five injured….” (Fort Wayne Daily Gazette, IN. Mar 6, 1866, p. 2.)

March 6, New Albany Daily Ledger, IN: “Special Dispatch to the Louisville Courier.

“Memphis, March 5 – P.M.
“The steamer R. J. Lockwood, bound from New Orleans to St. Louis, exploded about seven o’clock last evening, while eighteen miles below this city, and afterwards burned until she sank.

“This steamer had till recently been running in the Ouachita river trade, and was going to St. Louis to enter the Missouri river trade. She was inspected at New Orleans on last Wednesday, and pronounces seaworthy. After running a day or two her boilers were discovered to be in a leaky condition. Capt. Ben Howard proposed to the engineer to stop at Helena and repair, but the engineer thought it unnecessary till the boat should arrive at Memphis. Thus the delay proved fatal. The explosion tore away the cabin, as far back as the centre, killing twenty persons instantly, and scalding and sounding, or otherwise injuring about twenty-five others.

“Fortunately the M. S. Mepham was coming down at the time and rendered most timely and very fortunate aid to the distressed passengers and officers of the boat, as the Lockwood caught fire immediately. The Mepham rounded to and landed her bow against the stern of the ill-fated steamer, thus saving every persons not killed by the explosion.

“It is due to Captain Howard to mention that he ordered the steam reduced and the speed slackened after he had concluded to come to this port before repairing.

“The following is a list of the killed, wounded, and saved:

Killed.
Clem. Graham, second engineer.
Geo. Casner, bar-keeper, St. Louis.
Jas. King, Staten Island, New York
Dangerously Injured
A. McDougall, first engineer, [Died from injuries.]
Clark M. McLaughlin, striker.
John H. Robinson, first clerk, Jefferson City, Mo. [Died from injuries.]

Slightly Wounded and Survivors [We omit list of names.]

“A number of the cabin crew, cooks, and negro firemen were lost, but their names are not known. All the lady passengers, besides the two chambermaids, were saved.

“I think the number of killed amounts to forty or fifty, as survivors state that were a number of deck hands and deck passengers on the lower deck who were killed by the explosion and whose names are unknown.” (New Albany Daily Ledger, IN. “Another Terrible Steamboat Disaster. 3-6-1866, p. 2, col. 6.)

March 7: “The steamer R. J. Lockwood exploded her boilers near Memphis, on Sunday night, killing forty or fifty persons and wounding as many more. The boilers had been ‘inspected’ four days before, and the captain knew they were leaking the day of the explosion. Will anybody be tried for murder this time?” (Daily Commercial Register, Sandusky, OH. “The News.” 3-7-1866, p. 2, col. 2.)

March 7: “Memphis, Mar. 7. Alexander McDougal, first engineer of the Lockwood, died of his injuries at Vicksburg yesterday. His body has been taken charge of by the Odd Fellows, and will be forwarded by them to his family in New Albany.” (New Albany Daily Ledger, IN. “From Memphis. Death Alex. McDougal.” 3-7-1866, p. 3, col. 3.)

March 21: “St. Louis. – The Democrat, of Monday [19th], says….Captain Crawford, of the Henry Ames, left by rail, yesterday morning, for Jefferson City, having in charge the body of the young man Robinson, who died from injuries received by the explosion of the R. J. Lockwood….” (Cincinnati Commercial. “River and Steamboat News….Gleanings from our Exchanges.” 3-21-1866, p. 7, col. 2.)

Blanchard Attempt to Tally Fatalities From Description Above

1. George Casner, bar-keeper, St. Louis.
2. Clem. [Oliver] Graham, second engineer, of New York
3. James. King, Staten Island, New York
4. Alexander McDougall, first engineer, of New Albany. [Died from injuries.]
5. John H. Robinson, first clerk, Jefferson City, Mo. [Died from injuries.]
6. Unnamed cabin crew, 1 of at least 2.
7. Unnamed cabin crew, 2 of at least 2.
8. Unnamed chambermaid, 1 of 2.
9. Unnamed chambermaid, 2 of 2.
10. Unnamed cooks, 1 of at least 2.
11. Unnamed cooks, 2 of at least 2.
12. Unnamed deck hand, 1 of at least 2.
13. Unnamed deck hand, 2 of at least 2.
14. Unnamed deck passenger, 1 of at least 2.
15. Unnamed deck passenger, 2 of at least 2.
16. Unnamed firemen, 1 of at least 2.
17. Unnamed firemen, 2 of at least 2.

Sources

Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats. Report of Board of Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats. 10-24-1866, Report of Sixth Supervising District (Louisville), p. 287. In: Annual Report of the Secretary of the Treasury on the State of The Finance for the Year 1866. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1866. Accessed 9-18-2020 at: https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/annual-report-secretary-treasury-state-finances-194/report-secretary-treasury-state-finances-year-1866-5510/report-board-supervising-inspectors-steamboats-238234

Bragg, Marion. Historic Names and Places on the Lower Mississippi River. Vicksburg, MS: Mississippi River Commission, 1977. Accessed 9-15-2020 at: ftp://ftp.library.noaa.gov/noaa_documents.lib/NOAA_related_docs/US_Army/Mississippi_River_names_1977.pdf

Chicago Tribune, IL. “The Latest River Horror.” 3-10-1866, p. 2, col. 8. Accessed 9-18-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/chicago-tribune-mar-10-1866-p-2/

Christian Advocate, St. Louis, MO. “Miscellaneous.” 3-8-1866, p. 12, col. 4. Accessed 9-18-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/st-louis-christian-advocate-mar-08-1866-p-12/

Cincinnati Commercial. “River and Steamboat News….Gleanings from our Exchanges.” 3-21-1866, p. 7, col. 2. Accessed 9-18-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/cincinnati-commercial-mar-21-1866-p-7/

Daily Commercial Register, Sandusky, OH. “The News.” 3-7-1866, p. 2, col. 2. Accessed 9-18-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/sandusky-daily-commercial-register-mar-07-1866-p-2/

Fort Wayne Daily Gazette, IN. [Steamer Lockwood Explosion], 3-6-1866, p. 2. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=41019291

New Albany Daily Ledger, IN. “Another Terrible Steamboat Disaster. 3-6-1866, p. 2, col. 6. Accessed 9-19-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/new-albany-daily-ledger-mar-06-1866-p-2/

New Albany Daily Ledger, IN. “Explosion of the Steamer Lockwood.” 3-5-1866, p. 3, c. 5. Accessed 9-18-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/new-albany-daily-ledger-mar-05-1866-p-3/

New Albany Daily Ledger, IN. “From Memphis. Death Alex. McDougal.” 3-7-1866, p. 3, col. 3. Accessed 9-18-2020 at: http://genealogytrails.com/ind/floyd/obits1860.html

New Orleans Daily Crescent. “Another Steamboat Explosion. Steamer R. J. Lockwood Destroyed.” 3-6-1866, p. 1. Accessed 9-18-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/new-orleans-daily-crescent-mar-06-1866-p-1/

New York Times. “Explosion of the Steamer Lockwood – Twenty Persons Killed…” 3-7-1866, p. 8. Accessed 9-18-2020 at: https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1866/03/07/79802035.html?pageNumber=8

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.

–16-17 Blanchard estimated death-toll.*

–30-60 Chicago Tribune, IL. “The News.” 2-26-1866, p. 1, col. 1.
–40-50 Madison Weekly Courier. 6-27-1866, p. 2, col. 2.
–25-40 New Albany Daily Ledger, IN. “Another Distressing Steamboat Disaster.” 2-24-1866, 3.**
— 30 Daily Evening Bulletin, Philadelphia. “Fatal Accidents. Thirty…Drowned.” 2-24-1866, p.5.
–19-20 Daily Commercial Register, Sandusky OH. “Loss of the Nannie Byers…” 2-27-1866, p2.
— 15 passengers
–7 members of Griffith family on way to Missouri.
–3 [Crosen family members (father and two sons from Somerset, Ohio). ]
–1 [Mrs. Quinn.]
–1 [W. H. Davidson.]
–1 [Young lady thought to be daughter of W. H. Davidson.]
–4-5 crew
— 1 Oliver Sundrick, bar-keeper. (Or Oliver Gander. )
— 1 Mary Jane Brown, chambermaid.
–>2-3 “some of the deck hands and firemen.” (We guestimate at least 2-3.)
— 1 [Thomas McNutt, body identified but not noted if crewmember or passenger.]
–19-20 Daily Evening Bulletin, Philadelphia. “Another Western Steamboat Disaster.” 2-28-1866, 1.
–15-20 Cincinnati Commercial, OH. “The News.” 2-25-1866, p. 4, col. 1.
–15-20 U.S. Local Steamboat Inspectors William A. Stewart, and C. W. Fisher in Mar 7 report.
— 17 Way’s Packet Directory, 1848-1994: Passenger Steamboats…[MS Riv. Sys.]…1999, p.336.
–15 passengers
— 2 crew (bar-keeper, chambermaid; Cincinnati Commercial. “Miscellaneous.” 2-27-1866, p7)
— 16 Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats (U.S.). Report of… 1866, p. 289.
–10 passengers
— 6 crew
— >15 Jefferson Co. Local History. “River to Rail: Boats & Captains.” Jefferson Co. Pub. Lib.
— 14 Cincinnati Commercial, OH. “Gleanings from Our Exchanges.” 3-6-1866, p. 7, col. 1.

*Blanchard estimated death-toll. *Clearly the reports on the death toll (14-60) cannot all be correct. Our own attempt to count the identified crew and passenger deaths noted below (and one death not identified as crew or passenger) comes to 16 (we do not credit reporting of “some” or “several” deckhand and firemen deaths, instead choosing to rely on a tally of bodies recovered).

In that the Board of Supervising Steamboat Inspectors reports 16 deaths and Way reports 17 deaths, we choose to rely on a range of 16-17 deaths.

**New Albany Ledger: “The very lowest estimate of the number of the lost is that given by the second engineer, who says that at least twenty-five, possibly forty, and it may be that even more were drowned. The general opinion of the survivors is that between sixty and seventy lost their lives.”

Narrative Information

Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats: “The passenger steamers C. E. Hillman and Nannie Byers, the latter descending, collided on the Ohio river on the night of February 24, 1866, five miles above Madison, Indiana, causing the Nannie Byers to sink, by which the lives of ten passengers and six of the crew were lost. Loss on boat and cargo $100,000. The case was investigated by the local board at Cincinnati, they finding the pilot of the Nannie Byers wholly in fault, revoked his license, reporting their proceedings in the case to me. Upon carefully reviewing the testimony, I found the pilot of the Byers guilty of unwarrantable carelessness, and returned his case to the United States district attorney at Indianapolis, Indiana, who now has it under advisement.” (Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats (U.S.). Report of… 1866, p. 289.)

Way: Nannie Byers. Sternwheel wood-hull packet, built in 1863 in Cincinnati, OH, at 199 tons. “Built for Capt. A. N. Byers and others. Tramped Pittsburgh-St, Louis-New Orleans. Left Pittsburgh, new, for St. Louis, May 10, 1864. On Feb 23, 1866, downbound, she and C. E. Hillman came in collision a short distance above Madison, Ind., about 3:00 A.M. The Byers was struck on her port side forward of the engines. As she sank the cabin separated from the hull, was caught and towed into the Madison marine ways. The hull landed at the foot of Church Street, Madison. Fifteen passengers were drowned and two of the crew. The Hillman hot off almost school-free, losing her jackstaff. The Byers was in charge of Capt. W. J. Rusk, a former stockholder. An. N. Byers and James K. Cullam were in the office….” (Way’s Packet Directory, 1848-1994: Passenger Steamboats of the Mississippi River System…(Revised). 1999, p. 325-326.)

Newspapers

Feb 24: “Cincinnati, Feb 24. – The steamer Hillman came in collision with the steamer Nannie Byers, at 2½ o’clock this morning, near Madison, Indiana, sinking the latter almost instantly. Thirty lives are reported to have been lost.” (Daily Evening Bulletin, Philadelphia. “Collision of Western Steamers…Thirty Persons Drowned.” 2-24-1866, 5.)

Feb 24: “Madison, Ind., Feb 24. The People’s Line steamer Hillman, upward bound collided with the Cincinnati and Memphis packet Nannie Byers, just above and in sight of this city, at half past 2 o’clock this morning. The night was dark and it was raining, and the wind was blowing hard, rendering the boats hard to manage.

“The Byers was cut completely down, sinking in four minutes after the collision, and turning completely over. The cabin became detached from the hull, and both are now lying at the foot of Church street. The texas, pilot house, and a portion of the furniture, &c., were caught near the Marine Railway. The boat and cargo are a total loss.

“But the saddest part of the disaster remains to be told. There were on board the Byers nearly one hundred human beings – men, women, and children – most of whom were asleep in their berths, little dreaming that when they next opened their eyes it would be only to close them again forever, and sink helplessly into a watery grave.

“I have conversed with a few of the survivors, but none of them can tell the exact number that perished. The very lowest estimate of the number of the lost is that given by the second engineer, who says that at least twenty-five, possibly forty, and it may be that even more were drowned. The general opinion of the survivors is that between sixty and seventy lost their lives. The Hillman is supposed to have picked up about thirty and taken them on to Cincinnati.

“Among those known to be saved are Captains Rusk and Byers, engineers Benjamin Simmons and Thomas Nicholas, both the pilots, the carpenter, first and second mates, Dutton, Heuston, and Charles Coan, first steward George Fennel, second steward James Fennel, Wordemens, Douce, and Weaver, and the texas tender and his wife, and the berth-maker….

“….One or two bodies were taken from the ruins of the wreck early this morning, and later in the forenoon the body of a young lady was taken out. At the time I dispatch no additional bodies have been taken out of the wreck, but doubtless many more are yet beneath it – some of them locked up in their state rooms, where death found them sleeping…

“The Nannie Byers was an excellent boat, valued at $40,000. She had a valuable cargo aboard. Upon both boat and cargo there was a large amount of insurance, but not enough to cover the heavy loss. They Byers was on her way to Memphis, and most of her passengers got aboard at Cincinnati.” (New Albany Daily Ledger, IN. “Another Distressing Steamboat Disaster.” 2-24-1866, p. 3.)

Feb 25: “The steamer Nannie Byers, which left Cincinnati for St. Louis Friday evening, collided with the steamer C. E. Hillman at Eagle Hollow yesterday morning at 3 o’clock. The Nannie Byers was sunk almost instantly, the cabin and upper works separating from the hull. Fifteen or twenty lives were lost by this disaster. The Hillman was not injured.” (Cincinnati Commercial, OH. “The News.” 2-25-1866, p. 4, col. 1.)

Feb 27: “From the Gazette we learn that the steamer Nannie Byers, which left Cincinnati on Friday evening last [23rd], with twenty cabin and ten deck passengers, and a crew of thirty-five men, came in collision, near Madison, Indiana, on Saturday morning, with the C. E. Hillman, form Louisville. The hull of the Byers was cut in two, and sank in five minutes. Fifteen of the passengers, the bar-keeper, Oliver Sundrick, of Madison, some of the deck hands and firemen, and the chambermaid, Mary Jane Brown, were lost. A family named Griffith, from Butler County, Ohio, consisting of father, mother, grandfather, two sisters and three brothers, who were on their way to Missouri, were all lost, except Miss Elizabeth….” (Daily Commercial Register, Sandusky OH. “Loss of the Nannie Byers and Winchester” 2-27-1866, p. 2.)

Feb 28: “….There are various reports as to the cause of the terrible calamity, of which the following seems most likely to be correct: It I that both the boats whistled as usual in passing, when the Byers somehow became unmanageable and turned half way round, and the Hillman’s bow struck her amidship, checking her on top, when the force of the current caused her to careen with her chimneys up-stream. Mr. Hewetson, the first mate of the Byers, was on the hurricane [deck] at the time, but he says it is impossible to tell which boat is to blame….It is said that of fifteen women on board, only three escaped [inaccurate]. The barkeeper of the ill-fated vessel lived in Madison and was named Olies Gande4r; he is believed to be lost.

“Later. – Workmen are busily engaged in fishing out the furniture in the wreck, and one more body has just been found – that of a man in his shirt sleeves, with a life-preserver on.

LATEST.

“The eight bodies taken from the Nannie Byers have been examined by a coroner’s jury, and the following facts deduced:

“Five of the persons are recognized as members of one family, consisting of eight persons, of whom only one person escaped alive – a girl about fourteen years of age. The bodies of the family removed are, Robert Griffith and Ellen Griffith his wife, and John and Daniel Griffith and Margaret Griffith, their sons and daughter. The family were from Paddy’s Run, Ohio about twenty miles above Cincinnati, and were on their way to Missouri to settle on their farm. On the body of one was found a baggage check, which led to a discovery of their trunk. In the trunk was found letters for a part of the family, showing membership in the Paddy’s Run Congregational Church, signed by Griffith Morris, Clerk, Feb. 15, 1866. Daniel Griffith had a return of thanks to the ‘Ohio volunteer guard for 100 days,’ signed by Abraham Lincoln. On the old gentleman there was found $2,430. There are yet two of the family not found – a married daughter and her husband. The family occupied state-rooms side by side, and only two of them have as yet been opened. Friends have come from Ohio, who recognize the family, and are making arrangements to remove their bodies to Cincinnati to-might.

“We have just been informed that the other bodies, three men, have been recognized by the Captain as a father and two sons, on their way with fine stock to the West. From papers found on them, it seems their name is Crosen, from Somerset, Ohio.

“It is probable that some forty more bodies are somewhere about the ruins. It is a fearful thought, to think how soon so many precious lives were hurried into eternity.” (Madison Weekly Courier, IN. “Terrible Catastrophe! Steamer ‘Nannie Byers’ Sunk!!” 2-28-1866, p. 2, col. 4.)

March 2: “Madison. – The Courier, of Tuesday [Feb 27], says:

“The remains of Oliver Gander, of Madison, bar-tender on the Nannie Byers, were taken out of the wreck yesterday afternoon. The body was conveyed in a spring wagon to the Court-room, where an inquest was held, after which it was taken to the residence of the young man’s parents, next door to the stone house, near the foot of Michigan Road. Young G. was, during the late war, a soldier in the 4th Indiana Cavalry, attached to Captain Cunningham’s company. His funeral will occur on to-morrow morning.

“The other body found yesterday, was that of Mrs. Quinn. Up to last evening ten bodies altogether had been taken from the boat, and decently and properly cared for….

“This morning the eleventh body was recovered – that of a gentleman named W. H. Davidson.

“Still later, a young lady was found, supposed to be the daughter of the gentleman last named….” (Cincinnati Commercial, OH. “Gleanings from Our Exchanges.” 3-2-1866, p. 7, col. 2.)

March 7: “Below will be found the decision of the Local Inspectors in the collision case of the steamers E. C. Hillman and Nannie Byers:

Office Local Inspectors, Cincinnati, March 7, 1866.

To. R. H. Stephenson, Surveyor of Customs:

Sir – as required by law, we hereby report the result of our investigation of the causes that led to the sad collision between the C. E. Hillman, a steamer running in the People’s Line, between this port and Louisville, and the steamer Nannie Byers, bound for St. Louis, on the morning of the 24th ult., about two miles above Madison, Ind.

The steamer Hillman left the wharfboat at Madison at twenty-five minutes before 3 o’clock A.M. of the 24th. When about five hundred yards above the Mammoth Cave Pork-house, on the Indiana side of the river, Mr. Bacon, the pilot of the Hillman, steered her for the Kentucky shore, the usual course of up-stream boats at that stage of water. When about the middle of the river, he saw a steamboat descending the river, from 700 to 900 yards distant. He blew (as he states) one whistle, for the starboard or Kentucky side, the descending boat answering with two whistles. As the Hillman was straightening up, two or three hundred yards from the shore, she blew one whistle again for the starboard. It not being answered, Mr. Bacon, the pilot of the Hillman, rang his bells to back his engines, sufficiently, as it is believed by some three or four persons, to check her headway entirely. The above is the statement of Mr. Bacon, the pilot; Mr. Bumgartner, the mate; Mr. S. Byington, the clerk, and Mr. Mestumaker, engineer – all on watch at the time on the Hillman.

The watchman and striker, in testimony, say:

After the signals had been given for the starboard, there was a signal of two whistles given from the Hillman. The watchman heard no whistles from any other boat. The striker heard the other boat blow two distinct whistles for the larboard side. On the part of the witnesses on the Nannie Byers, there are no two witnesses agree as to the number of whistles blown. The Captain says four signals were given by the Byers, one whistle each; the pilot (Mr. Smith) of the Byers, says he blowed only two signals, one whistle each; the engineer heard three whistles, the third as if in another boat; the watchman heard but one whistle; the mate heard several whistles, but did not know what they were about. It is impossible for this Board to decide as to the number of whistles blown from the statements of the witnesses, and believing that they intended to state the facts as they believed them to exist, and under such exciting circumstances, differences of opinion will exist under the most upright intentions; therefore, this Board must look to the acts of the officers of the respective boats for a solution of the seeming difficulty, and first of the conduct of Mr. Bacon, of the Hillman. When he became aware of a disagreement in signals, he did what the law requires and what any prudent pilot should do: he stopped the engines and started them back, and they continued to back until after the collision. Mr. Smith heard, as he says, the Hillman signal for the Kentucky side, then for the other side, and last, three whistles, meaning, ‘what do you want?’ and all this time doing nothing to avoid a collision as the law requires. But when he conceived a collision inevitable, he halloed [sic] down to the engineer to whale it on to her, and when the two boats were about to strike, he gave his wheel hard toward the Indiana shore, thereby swinging her stern still harder against the bow of the Hillman, that was trying to back away from her. His evidence, in this particular, agrees with the statement of Mr. Byington, who was standing forward on the Hillman and saw the boats collide. It is attempted to show that the Byers was only a few hundred yards from the Indiana shore (the evidence conflicting). Even that fact being proven, would not release the pilot of the Nannie Byers from blame, for if the Hillman was not in her place, but in the road of a descending boat, it would be no excuse for the descending boat to recklessly act in such a manner as to place life and property in jeopardy.

The conduct of Mr. Smith can only be accounted for in one of two ways: First, that he had incapacitated himself by dissipation from acting with judgment and skill; the other, that he never had the proper qualifications. The last is scarcely possible, as Mr. Smith has been a licensed pilot for eight years; and the first can only be inferred from his actions, as in evidence. On the night before, on leaving this city, and immediately after the melancholy occurrence, it is in evidence that he drank five times within an hour – the last time on the boat, before she left the wharf at the foot of Fifth street, at dark – and that he became intoxicated immediately after the collision, on board the Hillman.

We can not close this communication without noticing another singular feature in this case. We do not blame any one in particular, but rest the blame where it should fall. The man acting as mate of the Byers had never acted as mate of a boat before; the watchman had never been on a boat before on the Western rivers, except two months as cook on the Bostona. This may account, in part for no exertions being used to avoid a collision.

We therefore come to the conclusion, from the evidence brought before us, that the collision of the C. E. Hillman and Nanny Byers was caused by the reckless conduct of Albert H. Smith, whereby the Nannie Byers was sunk, causing the loss of fifteen or twenty lives, and property to thee amount of near $100,000; and for such reckless and careless conduct in the discharge of his duties as a pilot, we revoke his license as a pilot from this date.
Wm. A Stewart,
C. W. Fisher,
U.S. Local Inspectors.

(Cincinnati Commercial, OH. “River and Steamboat News.” 3-8-1866, p. 7, col. 1.)

March 14: “It appears on evidence that the pilot of the Nannie Byers, which was sunk by the collision with the Hillman, was carried on board helplessly drunk, when the boat left Cincinnati. It is a well-understood fact that steamboat captains are now employing such incompetent men, because they wish to break down the Pilot’s Association, and will not pay the wages adopted by the organization….” (Iowa Transcript, Toledo, IA. “Summary of the Week.” 3-14-1866, p. 2, c.5.)

Sources

Aurora Commercial. 3-10-1866, p. 1, col. 1. Accessed 10-6-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/aurora-commercial-mar-10-1866-p-1/

Aurora Commercial, IN. “Nannie Byers Sunk.” 3-3-1866, p. 1, col. 1. Accessed 10-6-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/aurora-commercial-mar-03-1866-p-1/

Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats (U.S.). Report of Board of Supervising Inspectors of Steamboats. 10-24-1866. Report of Seventh Supervising District (Pittsburgh), p. 289. In: Annual Report of the Secretary of the Treasury on the State of The Finance for the Year 1866. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1866. p. 276. Accessed 9-18-2020 at: https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/annual-report-secretary-treasury-state-finances-194/report-secretary-treasury-state-finances-year-1866-5510/report-board-supervising-inspectors-steamboats-238234

Chicago Tribune, IL. “The News.” 2-26-1866, p. 1, col. 1. Accessed 10-6-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/chicago-tribune-feb-26-1866-p-1/

Cincinnati Commercial, OH. “Gleanings from Our Exchanges.” 3-2-1866, p. 7, col. 2. Accessed 10-6-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/cincinnati-commercial-mar-02-1866-p-7/

Cincinnati Commercial, OH. “Gleanings from Our Exchanges.” 3-6-1866, p. 7, col. 1. Accessed 10-6-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/cincinnati-commercial-mar-06-1866-p-7/

Cincinnati Commercial, OH. “Miscellaneous.” 2-27-1866, p. 7. Accessed 10-6-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/cincinnati-commercial-feb-27-1866-p-7/

Cincinnati Commercial, OH. “River and Steamboat News.” 3-8-1866, p. 7, col. 1. Accessed 10-6-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/cincinnati-commercial-mar-08-1866-p-7/

Cincinnati Commercial, OH. “The News.” 2-25-1866, p. 4, col. 1. Accessed 2-25-1866 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/cincinnati-commercial-feb-25-1866-p-4/

Daily Commercial Register, Sandusky OH. “Loss of the Nannie Byers and Winchester” 2-27-1866, p. 2. Accessed 10-6-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/sandusky-daily-commercial-register-feb-27-1866-p-2/

Daily Evening Bulletin, Philadelphia. “Another Western Steamboat Disaster.” 2-28-1866, p. 1. Accessed 10-6-2020: https://newspaperarchive.com/philadelphia-daily-evening-bulletin-feb-28-1866-p-1/

Daily Evening Bulletin, Philadelphia. “Collision of Western Steamers…Thirty Persons Drowned.” 2-24-1866, p. 5. Accessed 10-6-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/philadelphia-daily-evening-bulletin-feb-24-1866-p-5/

Iowa Transcript, Toledo, IA. “Summary of the Week.” 3-14-1866, p. 2, col. 5. Accessed 10-6-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/the-iowa-transcript-mar-14-1866-p-2/

Jefferson County Local History. “River to Rail: Boats & Captains.” Jefferson Co. Public Library. Accessed 10-6-2020 at: http://www.jeffersoncountylocalhistory.org/riverboatsandcaptains

Madison Weekly Courier, IN. 3-7-1866, p. 2, col. 3. Accessed 10-6-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/madison-weekly-courier-mar-07-1866-p-2/

Madison Weekly Courier. 6-27-1866, p. 2, col. 2. Accessed 10-6-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/madison-weekly-courier-jun-27-1866-p-2/

Madison Weekly Courier, IN. “Terrible Catastrophe! Steamer ‘Nannie Byers’ Sunk!!” 2-28-1866, p. 2, col. 4. Accessed 10-6-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/madison-weekly-courier-feb-28-1866-p-2/

New Albany Daily Ledger, IN. “Another Distressing Steamboat Disaster.” 2-24-1866, p. 3. Accessed 10-6-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/new-albany-daily-ledger-feb-24-1866-p-3/

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.

— 215 NYT. “The Disaster to…Steamer W.R. Carter; Account from a Passenger…” 2-27-1866.
— 150 Scientific American. “Record of Boiler Explosions,” Vol. 14, N9, Feb 24, 1866, p. 128.
— 125 Berman, Bruce D. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. 1972, p. 196.
— 125 Daily Milwaukee News, WI. “Later from the Carter,” Feb 6, 1866, p. 1.
— 125 Lytle and Holdcamper. Merchant Steam Vessels of the [U.S.] 1807-1868. 1952, p. 271.
— 125 Nash, Jay Robert. Darkest Hours. 1977, p. 689.
— 125 Twaintimes, “W. R. Carter,” Feb 9, 1866, p. 4.
— 125 Way’s Packet Directory, 1848-1994…Steamboats…MS Riv. System… 1994, p. 477.
— 123 Bragg. Historic Names…Places on…Lower Miss. River. “Willow Cutoff,” 1977, p. 150.

Narrative Information

Bragg: “Willow Cutoff. Mile 464.3 AHP…When Albemarle Bend was still a part of the navigation channel of the river, Island No. 98 lay close to the Mississippi shore in the bend. On February 3, 1866, the steamboat W. R. Carter was hustling past the island, southbound for New Orleans. As she slid past Island No. 98, here was a tremendous explosion as the boat’s boilers burst. As usual, a raging fire followed the explosion.

“The W. R. Carter, built in 1864, had accommodations on board for more than 100 passengers. Her large staterooms were luxuriously furnished, and opened into a main cabin that was 225 feet long. There was a nursery on the boat, where small children were cared for while their parents enjoyed the splendid meals that were served in the large dining room. The boat had just been overhauled when she exploded on February 3, 1866, and was believed to be in perfect condition. She was carrying a full load of passengers and freight.

“The survivors of the accident—and they were pitifully few—were picked up by a passing steamer and rushed to Vicksburg for medical attention. Twenty-four hours after the accident, only three bodies had been recovered and debris and wreckage was still floating past Vicksburg’s waterfront. It was estimated that 123 persons had died. For weeks afterward, Vicksburg newspapers were filled with heart-rending notices and advertisements from relatives of the missing victims, begging for information and assistance in locating bodies.

“The W. R. Carter had been one of the fast packets of the Atlantic & Mississippi Steamship Company. The company and its hopeful stockholders had spent about $3.5 million on 24 boats in 1866. By 1869, the investors were counting their losses. Fierce competition from independent owners and the loss of 11 of the company’s boats by explosions and other accidents wrecked the enterprise and cost the stockholders about $2 million.” (Bragg. Historic Names…Places on… Lower Miss. River. “Willow Cutoff,” 1977, p. 150.)

Feb 6 report, Daily Milwaukee News: “Vicksburg, Feb 3.—Two hundred passengers were aboard the Carter. One hundred and twenty-five lives were lost at the lowest estimate. Eight bodies were taken from the river yesterday and today….” (Daily Milwaukee News. WI. “Later from the Carter,” Feb 6, 1866, p. 1.)

“Cincinnati, Feb. 5—The steamer Carter exploded her boilers thirty-five miles above Vicksburg at four o’clock Friday [Feb 2] morning. The boilers passed forward of the pilot house, tearing away the forward part of the cabin. After the explosion the boat took fire and continued to burn till 7 o’clock, compelling all who had escaped death by the explosion to jump into the river.

“Capt. Hurd had just gone off watch when the explosion occurred, and was not afterwards seen. The steamer Evening Star picked up all the survivors floating in the water, and carried them to Vicksburg. It is not known how many lives were lost.” (Daily Milwaukee News, WI. “Another Fearful Boiler Explosion,” Feb 6, 1866, p. 1.)

Feb 13, NYT: “Summers Forest, Feb. 13, 1866. On the night of the 2d inst., …I concluded to make one more effort to sleep. This was about 3 o’clock at night… two boilers burst….the first thing that awakened me was a desperate effort to get air. I felt and heard the tremendous explosion, and at once the doors of my room were thrown open, the air-windows and the planks in the floor, and the hot steam poured in and was about to suffocate me when I rushed for the cabin, but I felt the steam growing hotter and thicker. I then made for the guards, and got out of breath in the narrow way between my room and the wheel-house, but made a desperate lunge and found myself getting air, but I could see nothing, so dense was the steam. I could hear screams. Two men rushed against me and cried out, ‘Jump, jump.’ They came near throwing me overboard, but I caught a rope and with one foot held on to the boat. The two men leaped forward, and as they did so, a gust of wind blew the steam and smoke aside, and I saw that they had jumped into the crater where many others were vainly struggling, but being rapidly burned to death. They had jumped right on the red-hot boilers, and not off the boat into the water.

“I could not keep my footing on the boat, being on the edge of the planks near the wheel-house, could not recover my position as the rope I seized was not very tight, so I had to go down, and by a desperate leap I swung to the left of the fire – the awful crater – and fell into the debris of the boat…. The flames forced me to take to the water. I jumped on a few planks, and then seized a cotton bale, but found it very unwieldy and wholly at the mercy of the strong current. I then saw a sunken boat with four scalded men in it; I made for it and threw some bran-bags out, baled-out the water and got a plank, and after an hour’s work reached the shore. Our boat sunk, but we got hold of roots, and persons came along and helped us up on the bank.

“It was like the explosion of a mine, or a stroke of lightning – so sudden, so instantaneous, so destructive. There were certainly two hundred and fifty souls on board – thirty-five were saved – but of these more than half were terribly scalded or burned.” (NYT. “The Disaster to…Steamer W.R. Carter; Account from a Passenger….” 27 Feb 1866.)

Way: “W. R. Carter. SW p wh b [Sidewheel, wood hull, built] Louisville, Ky., 1864. 563 tons. Built for Capt. Linas Logan, and named for a citizen and merchant of St. Louis, formerly of Louisville. Exploded boilers at Island 98, about 35 miles above Vicksburg, Feb 9, 1866. The life loss was set at 125 persons. She had ‘tubular’ boilers…These tubulars had won wide acceptance due to fuel economy, but a series of disaster resulted. The Missouri’s tubulars had exploded several days prior to the Carter tragedy; the Sultana tragedy was another such case. The U.S. Inspectors outlawed tubular boilers soon after the Carter exploded, and many packets were promptly taken out of service until reboilered with proven Western style boilers….The Evening Star brought some survivors to Vicksburg, and Luna took others to Memphis. The Emerald also picked up a few.” (Way’s Packet Directory, 1848-1994…Steamboats…MS Riv. System. 1994, p. 477.)

Sources

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

Bragg, Marion. Historic Names and Places on the Lower Mississippi River. Vicksburg, MS: Mississippi River Commission, 1977. Accessed 9-15-2020 at: ftp://ftp.library.noaa.gov/noaa_documents.lib/NOAA_related_docs/US_Army/Mississippi_River_names_1977.pdf

Daily Milwaukee News, WI. “Another Fearful Boiler Explosion” [W. R. Carter], 2-6-1866, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=119996860

Daily Milwaukee News, WI. “Later from the Carter,” Feb 6, 1866, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=119996860

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.

New York Times. “The Disaster to the Steamer W. R. Carter – Account from a Passenger on the Vessel.” February 27, 1866. Accessed at: http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9A07E2DE1631EF34BC4F51DFB466838D679FDE

Scientific American. “Record of Boiler Explosions,” V14, N9, 2-24-1866, 128. Google digitized: http://books.google.com/books?id=FzdJAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

Twaintimes. 1857-1867. Accessed at: http://twaintimes.net/page4.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.