MEMPHIS FEBRUARY 14TH, 1830 HELEN M' GREGOR STEAMBOAT DISASTER ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN ARKANSAS MORRILTON DEMOCRAT FEBRUARY 20, 1830 IT HAS NEVER BEFORE FALLEN TO OUR LOT TO WITNESS AN EVENT OF SUCH A HEART RENDERING NATURE AS THAT WHICH OCCURRED AT OUR LANDING ON WEDNESDAY MORNING. THE STEAMBOAT HELEN M'GREGOR, WITH ABOUT 410 PASSENGERS ON ABOARD, HAVING STOPPED AT THIS PLACE FOR A SHORT TIME, WAS IN THE ACT OF PUSHING OFF, WHEN ONE OF HER BOILERS HAVING BURST WITH A TREMENDOUS EXPLOSION, WAS THROWN FROM IT'S BED OVER THE FORECASTLE INTO THE RIVER: THE CHIMNEYS THROWN DOWN: EVERY BOILER DISLODGED, AND THE BOILER DECK, ENGINEER'S ROOM AND ADJACENT OFFICES, MADE A COMPLETE WRECK IN AN INSTANT. TO GIVE AN ACCURATE DESCRIPTION ON THE SCENE WHICH FOLLOWED, WOULD EXCEED THE POWERS OF THOSE FAR MORE GIFTED THAN OURSELVES. A LARGE NUMBER OF THE DECK PASSENGERS, AS IS USUAL WHEN STARTING OUT OF PORT, HAD CROWDED TO THE FORWARD PART OF THE BOAT AND WERE ON THIS OCCASION THE PRINCIPAL SUFFERERS. AMID THE SMOKE AND DUST WERE TO BE SEEN, AT THE SAME MOMENT, THE DEATH STRUGGLE AND SPOUTING BLOOD OF THOSE WHO HAD RECEIVED THEIR MORTAL WOUNDS; WHILE THE SHRIEKS OF THE WOUNDED AND DYING WERE MINGLED WITH THE GENERAL CONFUSION. OUR CITIZENS RUSHED SPONTANEOUSLY TO THE SCENE OF THE DISASTER, AND BY THEIR ACTIVITY AND EXERTIONS RESCUED MANY A POOR FELLOW FROM A WATERY GRAVE. HOUSES WERE THROWN OPEN, OILS, LINTS, BANDAGES AND BLANKETS FREELY FURNISHED FOR THE USE OF THE WOUNDED, AND SOME WERE SEEN EVEN CONTENDING FOR AND CLAIMING THE RESPONSIBILITY OF NURSING AND PROTECTING SUCH AS THEY HAD BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN SAVING. WE TAKE PARTICULAR PLEASURE IN NOTICING THE ACTIVITY OF OUR PHYSICIANS ON THIS OCCASION, ALL OF WHOM IMMEDIATELY REPAIRED TO THE SPOT, NOR CEASED THEIR LABORS UNTIL THE WOUNDED HAD RECEIVED EVERY ATTENTION AND COMFORT WHICH THEIR SITUATION REQUIRED. FOR THE SATISFACTION OF THOSE ABOARD, WHO HAVE MANY FRIEND AND RELATIONS ON BOARD OF THE BOAT, WE HAVE TAKEN THE PAINS TO COLLECT A LIST OF KILLED AND WOUNDED, WHICH WE ANNEX HERETO. DOUBTLESS MANY WERE BLOWN OVERBOARD, WHO HAVE SUNK AMIDST THE WHIRLS AND SANDS OF THIS IMPETUOUS RIVER, NEVER TO RISE AGAIN. AS YET, HOWEVER, WE HAVE ONLY HEARD THE NAMES OF TWO WHO PERISHED IN THIS MANNER, WHOM WE HAVE INCLUDED IN THE LIST OF KILLED. KILLED RICHARD HANCOCK, LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY A.VAN METER, HARDIN COUNTY, TENNESSEE ? TALBOT, LONG REACH, OHIO JAMES BLEDSOE, KENTUCKY ? CARROLL, CINCINNATI, OHIO ED P. BEADLES, CLARK COUNTY, INDIANA J. DUNN, EAST TENNESSEE G.B. GILES, CINCINNATI EPHRAIM GOBLE, BROOKVILLE, INDIANA WILLIAM STOCKWELL, SALEM, INDIANA DELANY, A FREE BLACK ONE WHITE MAN, NAME UNKNOWN WILLIAM EWING, CLARKE COUNTY, INDIANA J. REAVES, HARRISON COUNTY, INDIANA LEWIS YOUNG, A BLACK FIREMAN A BLACK BOY, 12 TO 13 YEARS OLD BADLY WOUNDED GEORGE FREY, TIPTON COUNTY, TENNESSEE JOHN CAMERON, CLARKE COUNTY, INDIANA JOSHUA RICHARDSON, INDIANA JOHN VALENTINE, MASS. ? DE HAVEN, PHILADELPHIA JOHN LELAND, ONE OF THE PILOTS J. SUGG, UNION COUNTY, KENTUCKY ? FILCHEN, UNKNOWN Z. BAILEY OR BELL, HARDIN COUNTY, TENNESSEE H. HELDRETH, MADISON COUNTY, INDIANA JOHN ADDISON, ONE OF THE CREW THOS. DRENARD, WILSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE J. SWAN, LAWRENCE COUNTY, INDIANA J.TENYCK, SHIPPINGPORT WILLIAM CASE, NEW YORK A BLACK MAN, NAME UNKNOWN SLIGHTLY WOUNDED ? TYSON. CAPTAIN OF THE BOAT ? TURNER. ENGINEER ? GRAY, 2ND MATE T.O'DANIEL, INDIANA T.L. KNOWLAND, OHIO J.MONASCO, TIPTON COUNTY, TENNESSEE JOHN COONS, CLARKE COUNTY, INDIANA WILLIAM POTTORFF ? DOHERTY, OVERTON COUNTY, TENNESSEE THOS. BANK, LAWRENCE COUNTY, INDIANA GREEN WILLIAMS, A BLACK FIREMAN SUBMITTED BY TRACY SMITH ON 6-2000 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Tracy Smith (© 2000 Tracy Smith)