1841 — Aug 12, steamer Louisiana boiler explosion, MS River, near Bayou Sara, LA –20-23

Blanchard estimated death-toll range.*

–20-25 Log Cabin, Albany, NY. “Another Steamboat Explosion…Loss of Life.” 8-28-1841, 3.
— 5 crew (three drowned and two died from scalding injuries)
–15-20 U.S. soldiers missing, presumed drowned.
— 5-23 Adams Sentinel and General Advertiser. “Steamboat Explosion!,” Aug 30, 1841, p. 4.
— 23 Memphis Appeal in Holly Springs Gazette, MS. “Another Steam Boat Accident.” 9-2-1841, 1.
— 9 crew
–14 U.S. soldiers
— 23 Way’s Packet Directory, 1848-1994: Passenger Steamboats…[MS Riv. Sys.]… 1999, 295.
— 3-21 Army and Navy Chronicle. “Military Intelligence,” Vol. 12, No. 35, Sep 2, 1841, p. 279.
— 5 crew
–16 U.S. soldiers
–18-21 Boston Morning Post. “Steamboat Explosion.” 8-26-1841, p. 2, col. 4.
— 20 Berman, Bruce D. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. 1972, p. 178.
— 20 Mississippi Creole, Canton, MS. “Steamboat Disasters.” 8-21-1841, p. 2, col. 2.
— 19 Mobile Daily Commercial Register and Patriot, AL. “Disasters.” 8-18-1841, p. 6.
— 18 Madison Express, WI. “Dreadful Accident,” Sep 8, 1841, p. 3.

*Blanchard on estimated death-toll range: While the newspaper accounts show a general range of eighteen to twenty-five, we choose to rely on the books by Berman and Way, with Berman showing 20 deaths and Way, 25. Given the generality of the reporting, with few named losses, it is possible that fewer or more were lost. We are of the opinion, however, that a range of 20-23 captures the best range.

Blanchard on location. Sources below note several locations – within about a 45-mile range.

The Boston Morning Post, crediting the New Orleans Picayune, cites the Capt. Woods of the Louisiana as writing the explosion took place “near the Bayou Sarah.”

The Log Cabin, Albany, NY, writes that the explosion occurred “about fifteen miles above Bayou Sara.”

The Maid of Arkansas is reported to have written that the explosion occurred while the Louisiana was opposite the Bayou Sara.

The Mississippi Creole of Aug 21 places the explosion fifteen miles below Bayou Sara. Bayou Sara is a waterway that empties into the Mississippi about twenty-five to thirty miles upriver from Baton Rouge near upper end of the Bayou Sara Bend. Fifteen miles below Bayou Sara would appear to put the location in the vicinity of the Fancy Point Towhead within the river and Fancy Point Chute to the east, with Hermitage, below on the west shore.

The Mobile Daily Commercial Register and Patriot places the explosion near “Pheonix Island” on the Mississippi. We are unfamiliar with this location.

Way writes the explosion took place opposite Baton Rouge.

We can say from the notes above that the explosion certainly took place between Bayou Sara to the north and Baton Rouge to the south. Given that the New Orleans Picayune writes the paper had received a letter from Capt. Woods “that when near the Bayou Sarah, the starboard boiler…burst,” it seems that the mouth of the Bayou Sara waterway was the proximate location.

Narrative Information

Berman: “Louisiana…Aug 1841. Exploded. Mississippi River. 20 lives lost.” (Berman 1972, 178.)

Way: Louisiana. Sidewheel wood-hull packet, built in 1840 in New Albany, IN, at 631 tons, measuring 272 x 33 x 9. “The largest of her day. Built for Memphis-New Orleans trade….A steam explosion opposite Baton Rouge killed 23, most of them U. S. soldiers, August 1841.” (Way’s Packet Directory, 1848-1994: Passenger Steamboats…[MS Riv. Sys.]… 1999, 295.)

Newspapers

Aug 18, Mobile Daily Commercial Register and Patriot, AL: “The steamboat Louisiana burst her boiler on the 12th inst. Near Pheonix [sic.] Island, on the Mississippi which instantly killed three of her crew. Six others were very badly scalded. There were 200 of the United States troops on board, twelve or fifteen of whom were missing.

“Since the above was put in type, later news has been received, that one of the soldiers was killed; 13 are missing and 7 severely scalded. Of the boat hands 3 are missing; 2 dead and 4 scalded.” (Mobile Daily Commercial Register and Patriot, AL. “Disasters.” 8-18-1841, p. 6.)

Aug 21, Mississippi Creole, Canton, MS: “….From the Vicksburg Whig we learn the steamer Louisiana, Capt. Powell, burst a boiler 15 miles below Bayou Sara, on the 13th inst. With 200 Florida troops on board under the command of Capt. Miller. Twenty persons were killed and several others scalded. ‘She was running at the usual rate, with plenty of water in her boiler, and the accident is supposed to have occurred in consequence of the inferior quality of the iron, and not from a press of steam.’ Those killed and scalded were some of the boat’s crew and some of the troops.

“Capt. Powell has been long on the river and we think this is the first accident of any importance that has ever occurred to him. May this be his last misfortune.” (Mississippi Creole, Canton, MS. “Steamboat Disasters.” 8-21-1841, p. 2, col. 2.)

Aug 26, New Orleans Picayune in Boston Morning Post: “The editor of the New Orleans Picayune has received a letter from Capt. Woods, of the steamer Louisiana, stating that when near the Bayou Sarah, the starboard boiler of that boat burst. Five of the crew and one U. S. soldier were killed, and four of the crew scalded. Twelve or fifteen soldiers are missing.” (Boston Morning Post. “Steamboat Explosion.” 8-26-1841, p. 2, col. 4.)

Aug 28: “The boiler of the steamboat Louisiana exploded on the 13th inst., about fifteen miles above Bayou Sara. Three of the men belonging to the boat were drowned, viz: William Smith, Duckhard J. Goodman, firemen, and Harry Finly, colored, fireman; six persons were scalded, tow of whom have sine died. There was a company of U.S. troops on board, fifteen or twenty of whom are missing and most of them supposed to be drowned. None of the officers of the boat or army, or any of the cabin passengers, were injured.” (Log Cabin, Albany, NY. “Another Steamboat Explosion and Loss of Life.” 8-28-1841, p. 3, c.1.)

Aug 30, Adams Sentinel and General Advertiser, Gettysburg, PA: “The steamboat Louisiana, bound from N. Orleans for St. Louis, with U.S. troops, exploded the head of one of boilers, the fatal effects of which are thus described in a letter from the captain:

10 miles above Bayou Sara [LA].
August 13, 1841.

“While running along last evening as usual, the head of the starboard boiler burst, carrying every thing before it to a heavy bank of wood piled on the forecastle. By this accident we lost three overboard, supposed to be drowned… We had six scalded, two of whom are since dead…

“The surviving four are doing well and are not in a dangerous situation, except one whose case is doubtful. Of the U.S. troops there are some 12 or 15 missing and one dead. None of the officers of the army or of the bot are hurt, nor any cabin passenger. I am induced to believe that the missing persons were either blown overboard or jumped over and were drowned. Several swam ashore. (A later account gives the number as 34 in all – five dead, 11 scalded, and 18 missing.).” (Adams Sentinel and General Advertiser, Gettysburg, PA. “Steamboat Explosion!,” Aug 30, 1841, p. 4.)

Sep 2, Army and Navy Chronicle: “1st Infantry. – The U.S. steamer Col. W.S. Harney arrived at New Orleans, on the 9th Aug. from Cedar Keys, with about 200 men…. In addition…there are 230 troops on board the ship Wm. Cass, bound for New Orleans, and which sailed a few days previous to the Col. H. The whole are destined for Forts Crawford, Snelling, Atkinson and Winnebago, to relieve the troops stationed there…

“The above troops were embarked on board the steamboat Louisiana, for St. Louis. On the 12 Aug. the head of the starboard boiler burst, by which accident 12 or 15 of the U.S. troops were killed, or thrown overboard. None of the officers were injured.

From the New Orleans Courier, Aug. 16.

“We have been obligingly favored by an officer of the U.S. Army, with the following extract of letter dated, Steamer Louisiana, Point Coupee, August 13, 1841.

“Sir – I send you a hasty report of the loss sustained by our regiment and the steamer, from the disaster yesterday evening, to which I refer you to the letter of the captain of the Louisiana….

“Killed, 1 – Missing, 15 – Scalded 7.
“Hands of the steamer: — Missing, 3 – Dead, 2 – Scalded, 4….9
“Total…32

“Aggregate: — Dead, 3 – Scalded, 11 – Missing, 18.” (Army and Navy Chronicle. “Military Intelligence,” Vol. 12, No. 35, Sep 2, 1841, pp. 279-280.)

Sep 2: “The Steam Boat Louisiana on her way up, about fifteen miles above Bayou Sara, one of her boilers exploded and killed some 23 persons; fourteen of whom were soldiers of the United States Army, under the command of Capt. A. S. Miller. The other nine persons who were lost, were hands belonging to the boat. No material damage done otherwise than the bursting of the boiler, and the loss of one chimney. The (Mem.) Appeal.” (Holly Springs Gazette, MS. “Another Steam Boat Accident.” 9-2-1841, p. 1, col. 4.

Sep 8, Madison Express, WI: “The Maid of Arkansas, which arrived this morning from New Orleans, says the Gazette reports that on the 19th inst., as the Louisiana arrived opposite Bayou Sara, her starboard boiler burst – killing 18 persons and scalding 21 others, 8 or 10 very dangerously. She was bound from New Orleans to this place with a large number of passengers, among whom were 200 U.S. soldiers. It is remarkable that so few, comparatively, were killed. Nine of the killed were firemen, the others were U.S. soldiers. Their names are not given. – St. Louis Pennant.” (Madison Express, WI. “Dreadful Accident,” Sep 8, 1841, p. 3.)

Sources

Adams Sentinel and General Advertiser, Gettysburg, PA. “Steamboat Explosion!,” 8-30-1841, p. 4. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=3093043

Army and Navy Chronicle. “Military Intelligence” [Steamboat Louisiana Boiler Explosion]. Vol. 12, No. 35, Sep 2, 1841, p. 279. Digitized by Google at: http://books.google.com/books?id=TKhLAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

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

Boston Morning Post. “Steamboat Explosion.” 8-26-1841, p. 2, col. 4. Accessed 9-27-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/boston-morning-post-aug-26-1841-p-2/

Holly Springs Gazette, MS. “Another Steam Boat Accident.” 9-2-1841, p. 1, col. 4. Accessed 9-27-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/holly-springs-gazette-sep-02-1841-p-1/

Log Cabin, Albany, NY. “Another Steamboat Explosion and Loss of Life.” 8-28-1841, p. 3, c.1. Accessed 9-27-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/albany-log-cabin-aug-28-1841-p-3/

Madison Express, WI. “Dreadful Accident” [Louisiana Boiler Explosion], 9-8-1841, p. 3. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=33398733

Mississippi Creole, Canton, MS. “Steamboat Disasters.” 8-21-1841, p. 2, col. 2. Accessed 9-27-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/the-mississippi-creole-aug-21-1841-p-2/

Mobile Daily Commercial Register and Patriot, AL. “Disasters.” 8-18-1841, p. 6. Accessed 9-27-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/mobile-daily-commercial-register-and-patriot-aug-18-1841-p-6/
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.