COLLITION OF TALISMAN AND TEMPEST.

Before daylight on the morning of November 19th, 1847, the steamboats Talisman and Tempest came in collision on the Mississippi river, half a mile below Cape Girardeau. The Talisman was struck forward of the boilers, and sunk within ten minutes. The Tempest, which was but slightly damaged, rounded to, and came to the relief of the Talisman’s crew and passengers. The officers and crews of both steamers exerted themselves to save life and property; but to the dis­grace of human nature, it is related that a number of heartless and conscienceless scoundrels came in small boats to the scene of the dis­aster, and totally regardless of the supplications of the drowning pas­sengers who implored their aid, they betook themselves to plunder, seizing on the floating baggage, and every other article of value which came within their reach. One of the villains engaged in these nefarious operations was a resident of Cincinnati, and bore the name of Barnes. His Uhristian name, (if he ever had any,) is not mentioned, or gladly would we give it to the public; still more gladly would we “Place in every honest hand a whip to lush the rascal naked through the world.”

Several of the crew and many of the deck passengers were drowned. Two or three families of German emigrants, numbering about twenty­five persons, were among the passengers. Ten persons, all of one family, were lost. An effort was made to rescue the bodies of the per­sons drowned by means of the diving bell. A young German, who was unable to speak a word of English, continued to wauder about the deck of the Tempest, wringing his hands and making exclamations of distress; his eyes were fixed upon the river, as if he expected the deep waters to give up the wife and children they had taken from him. The fate of Mr. Butler, the engineer, was particularly distressing. lie was on watch, and although he saw at once and was told repeatedly that the boat was sinking, he refused to leave his post until the water was up to his waist. It was then too late to save himself, and, being unable to withstand the rush of water, he was borne back among the machinery, and drowned. An interesting young married couple, whose names were unknown to the people of the boat and to their fel­low passengers, were among the victims of this calamity. The young gentlcmnau was a good swimmer and might have saved himself; but perished in a vain attempt to save the life of his bride. These two weie the only cabin passengers lost; all the rest of the drowned were deck passengers, or persons belonging to the boat. Fifty-one persons, men, women and children, are known to have been drowned by this accident, and probably as many more, who are not designated in the annexed list.

Persons known to have been drowned.-Mrs. Nicholls, Mrs. Keziah Bennett, Sarah Bennett, her daughter, aged ten years, Belinda Ben­nett, another child of Mrs. B., aged eighteen months, Thomas Bennett, aged eight years, and Frances Bennett, aged six years, also children of Mrs. B., Miss Charlotte Cady, Miss Eleanor Cady, Eliza Stone, aged two years. (All of these were from Morgan County, Ohio, mov­ing to Schuyler County, Ill. They were travelling under the protec­tion of John B. Stone, whose little daughter was lost with the rest.) E. Williams, Johnson O’Neil, deck-hands from Pittsburgh; John Tho­mas Butler, chief engineer; two children of. Mr. Thomas Pryor; six­teen German emigrants, whose names were not entered in the books nine negroes belonging to Mr. R. R. Buchner, of Calloway County, Missouri; two young men from Armstrong County, Pa., and a faaiily of ten persons from Illinois, names unknown.

An intelligent man, who was one of the survivors, stated that the deck was crowded with passengers, and the boiler deck was so thronged with passengers, freight, and live stock, that he (the narrator) could scarcely find a place to lie down. He estimated the number of deck passengers at one hundred and fifty, and supposed that half of them, at least, were drowned. Only four or five bodies, among them the two children of Mr. Pryor, were recovered by means of the diving-bell. Mr. Cady, the father of the two young ladies mentioned in the fore­going list, used many efforts to recover their remains, but did not suc­ceed. It is conjectured that most of the bodies were carried to a great distance by the current.

advertisements

(source: Lloyd's Steamboat Directory from 1856)