Silver Spray Steamer
Cincinnati Daily Enquirer, 2 August 1870, page 8
EXPLOSION NEAR MEMPHIS
The first news of the disaster was received about nine o'clock
and from that time till late in the evening the greatest anxiety prevailed to
learn the fate of those on board. The majority of the crew resided in either,
Cincinnati, Covington or Newport.
The ill-fated steamer Silver Spray was built at Brownsville, Pennsylvania and finished at Pittsburg in January 1864. She was 155 feet long, 37 feet beam, 6 feet hold and a capacity of 550 tons. She was built by Captain Shuman and others, and received the machinery of the old W I Maclay. She continued in the trade for over a year, but in 1865, a new outfit being furnished from O T Dunmont's shop in this city.
The Silver Spray, under command of Captain John S Patterson, her owner, and running under the auspices of the Cincinnati and New Orleans Packet Company, left here Saturday night, July 9. She left on her return trip on Monday, July 25, with a fair trip and having the barge Monarch well laden in tow. She was in command of Captain Jordan. Captain Patterson returned to this city by rail.
The steamer passed Memphis on Sunday and reached what is known as Pacific Place, just thirty-five miles about that city, shortly after midnight. It was at this point the explosion took place. Mr. Singleton, second clerk, says that the explosion took place at precisely the time the watch was being changed, and that in that instant both the boat and barge were enveloped in flames.
Nothing was left for those who were not killed outright but to plunge into the river and make for land, the nearest point of which was more than three hundred feet from the burning steamer. The following is as a corret list of the lost, injured and saved as can possibly be obtained:
LOST
F H Jordan, pilot in Command, Cincinnati; Thaddens Wirthlin, first clerk, Newport Ky. Ash R Taylor, second mate, Long Beach Oh; C Jordan, steersman; Cincinnati; Boyd Smith, negro cabin boy, New Richmond Oh; William Bates, negro second steward, Cincinnati; Alfred Carnes, colored cook, Pittsburg and a colored chambermaid, name unknown, Cincinnati. Charlie Jordan, steersman, a son of the Captain, died soon after being rescued.
FATALLY INJURED
Ed Long, bar keeper, Cincinnati; Dick Cage, colored cook, New Richmond Oh; porter, colored, name unknown, Cincinnati; George Williams, deck hand, colored, Louisville.
SLIGHTLY INJURED
A P Singleton, second clerk, Newport Ky. Ed Patterson, pilot, Cincinnati; James Corcoran, first mate, Cincinnati; Richard Nichols, deck hand, Cincinnati; N S Haynes deck hand, Louisville; T W Gill, deck hand, Louisville, William Fay, cook, Cincinnati; Eph Marshall, colored deck hand, Cincinnati; Ed Patterson, pilot, Newport Ky.
SAVED
Z M Ashford, engineer, Newport Ky; John Clay, steersman, Cincinnati; Henry Shelby, pantry man, colored, Detroit; Geo Sanderlin, colored, texas-tender, New Orleans; Joseph Legley, Cincinnati; John Clay, steersman, Cincinnati; B H Ashford, first engineer, Newport Ky. Wash Meredith, second engineer, Pittsburg; John Parker, colored, deck hand, New Orleans; Charles Smith, colored, deck hand, New Orleans. Benjamin West, colored, New Albany;
DECK PASSENGERS SAVED
John Plywesser, Cincinnati; John Pohl, Cincinnati; Heinrich Myers, New Orleans; a Swede, his wife and infant, names unknown.
The Silver Spray floated down about two miles and lodged on a bar, where she and her barge burned to the water's edge. The boat had near three hundred crates of queens ware, several cabins and seven deck passengers, and nineteen deck hands and roustabouts. It is believe by Mr. Singleton that twenty-six lives were lost.
MEMPHIS, August 1-10 PM-From further particulars of the Silver Spray disaster, it is now ascertained that there were forty-five persons on the boat, of these twenty-six have been found, two of whom, Jordan and Long, have since died in the hospital. Out of nineteen roustabouts only seven were recovered, five of whom are in the hospital severely wounded.
NAMES OF ADDITIONAL LOST
Two cabin boys named Sach and Carmack, Mary Brach, chambermaid, are also known to be lost. Stephens wife and child were saved. Richard Doyle, watchman; Henry Ralston, colored porter and Wm Duncan, who were severely wounded are also in the hospital.
The survivors speak in the warmest terms of the conduct of the people on shore and the officers, crew and passengers of the city of Cairo. Portions of the wreck have been passing here this afternoon.