The St. James was a high pressure boat, owned by Capt. W. II. Wright. She was built at Cincinnati in 1850, and was employed on the Mississippi river until about a month before her destruction, at which time she was engaged on Lake Pontchartrain. The accident took place on that lake, at Pointe Aux Herbes. The St. James left Rey St. Louis on Sunday night, July 4th, 1852, in company with the steamboat California, having on board a large number of persons who had been spending the anniversary of Independence at the watering places. Between two and three o’clock, on the morning of the fifth, the St. James stopped at the point designated above, fifteen miles from the Pontchartrain railway landing, and having taken in several passengers, started again on her course. JIer companion, the California, was at this time a short distance astern; each boat, probably was endeavoring to outrun the other, and it is conjectured that the officers of the St. James, in their eagerness to beat their rival, exposed the lives of their passengers to very obvious danger.
The St. James had run scarcely two hundred yards from the point where she had stopped, when all the boilers exploded, and nearly at the same moment, the boat took fire. The staunchioris being torn away by the explosion, the whole of the boiler deck fell upon the boilers and machinery, precipitating a great many persons into the lower part of the boat, which was now flooded with scalding water, or strewn with the ignited fuel, which had been scattered abroad. Owing to this circumstance, a number of passengers who had not been injured by the explosion itself, were severely scalded or burned when the deck fell in. As the time at which the disaster took place was long before daylight, many of the passengers were asleep. Some of them awoke in eternity, without knowing, perhaps, what cause had hurried them thither, and others were aroused from their slumbers by a sense of intolerable bodily anguish. Vainly would we attempt to picture the scene which now presented itself on the burning steamer. The shrieks of the aifrighted passengers were heard on board of the California, and Captain Ensigns of that steamer, immediately steered for the wreck. The space between the two boats was lighted up by the conflagration to the brightness of mid-day, and the spectators from the California could see the terrified men and women on board of the St. James hurrying to and fro, wringing their hands, or seizing on such articles as they could use for temporary support, and jumping into the lake. The screams were awfully distinct and harrowing, as they arose not from the burning boat only, but from the water, in all directions, where many human beings were shouting for help, or gasping in the last agony. Voices were calling from all points, as the boats of the California went about swiftly, picking up all who could be reached. The horrified eyes of the people on the California could see men cease to struggle and go down, while those who saw them perish had no power to save. It was a scene to harrow the soul of humanity, a scene which could not be remembered without horror, and one that could never be forgotten.
As the California approached the burning wreck, the heat was so intense that Captain Ensign was compelled by a due regard for the persons immediately under bis charge, to haul off a short distance. The boats belonging to the California were launched, manned, and sent to the aid of the sufferers. The flames rose from the centre of the St. James, and Captain Ensign, while making a second attempt to reach the persons on the wreck, succeeded, by nice management, in getting under the stern, and a large number of ladies and gentlemen from the St. James were thus enabled to reach the deck of the California. All who were saved owe the preservation of their lives to Captain Ensign.
Among the passengers who were lost, was Judge Preston, of the Supreme Court of Louisiana, and several other distinguished citizens of that State. Judge Preston had his berth over the boilers. lie was seen to retire to rest, and immediately after the explosion, the place where he slept was found shattered to pieces, and he was no where to be seen.
J. M. Wolf, Esq., a member of the New Orleans bar, and his son, a lad of fourteen, were seen standing together on the wreck. The boy was urging his father to jurbp into the water, declaring that he could save him. The father refused, and the boy threw himself overboard and swam towards the California, which was then approaching. He reached her in an exhausted state, and was saved. A rope was thrown to him just as he cried out that he could struggle no more. It is mentioned, as an illustration of this lad’s coolness, that he placed his clothes on a small piece of plank and floated them with him to the California, having an eye to the safety of his wardrobe when his life seemed to be in the greatest peril. When taken on board the California, be had his rescued garments under his arm, and dressed himself with the greatest composure. Mr. ‘Wolf, the father of this boy, who could not be induced to leave the wreck, was lost.
Captain Clarke, Commander of the St. James, was asleep at the time of the explosion. When awakened by the terrific report and the commotion on board, he ran on deck, and with the assistance of the pilot, Mr. Samuel Henderson, he took possession of the yawl, keeping back the crowd which was intent on the same object. Ilaving launched this small boat, Captain Clarke placed in it Mrs. Asher, her daughter, (a young lady of sixteen,) and her two younger children; also Mrs. Sheed and Robert Smith, the steersman, who had an arm broken. With these persons, the yawl started for the California, but striking against that vessel, the little boat upset and all who were in it, except Mrs. Sheed were drowned. Mr. H. L. Sheed, the husband of this lady, was also one of the passengers of the St. James, and he was lost. Captain Clarke’s two little sons saved themselves by swimming to the California. Captain Clarke himself was badly scalded, and Captain Wright, the owner of the boat, received severe injuries.
Many of the passengers had not registered their names. The persons named below are scarcely a moiety of those who perished.
LIST OF KILLED.-Hon. Isaac T. Preston, Judge of the Supreme Court of Louisiana ; Mr. Richard Turner, late Commissary of the Fourth Ward, Second Municipality, New Orleans; J. M. Wolf, member of the New Orleans bar; John Molley and Nicholas Read, of New Orleans; Mr. Sheed, of the U. S. Branch Mint, of New Orleans; James M. Jones, mate of the St. James; the watchman of do., name not mentioned; a colored boy, slave of Dr. Penniston, of New Orleans; another slave, belonging to Captain Tuft; Mrs. Asher and her three children; Mr. Paul, engineer; John, a colored man, second steward of the boat; Robert Smith, steersman; S. Forrester; Mr. Gatchet Delisle; and about twenty others, whose names could not be ascertained.
WOUNDED.-Captain Wright, owner of the St. James, (badly scalded;) Captain Clarke, Commander of do., burned by a piece of blazing timber Which fell on his head; Oliver Rout, second engineer, (badly scalded;) Francis Turner, Assessor of the First District; Wm. Collins, first engineer, (badly burnt;) Eliza Wilson; Wm. Deacon, (much injured;) Francois Francis, a passenger, (severely scalded;) Harry Harvey, passenger, (badly scalded;) J. C-. Wheeler; Robert McMillar, deck hand, (scalded and right arm broken;) Gregory, colored boy, and Patrick, a colored man, slaves of Madam Isabel, (much hurt;) George, Bill, Patrick and Julius, firemen, all badly scalded.
Mr. Turner, the Assessor, who is mentioned in the list of wounded, had risen and dressed himself, and was walking about the cabin, thinking that he had been imprudent in venturing on a lake boat which used “high pressure ;” and while his thoughts were thus occupied, the explosion took place. His injuries, however, were not of a very serious nature.