Disaster on the Mississippi

by Gene Salecker

Over 1,700 people died, making it the worst marine disaster in U.S. history. This book looks at the disaster through the eyes of the victims themselves.

Disaster on the Mississippi

Author: Gene Salecker

Publisher: Naval Institute Press

ISBN: 1612517730

Page: 376

View: 965

At two o’clock in the morning on 27 April 1865, seven miles north of Memphis on the Mississippi, the sidewheel steamboat Sultana’s boilers suddenly exploded. Legally registered to carry 376 people, the boat was packed with 2,100 recently released Union prisoners-of-war. Over 1,700 people died, making it the worst marine disaster in U.S. history. This book looks at the disaster through the eyes of the victims themselves. It offers a concise, minute-by-minute account on the cause of the explosion and its effect on different parts of the boat. To focus on the personal stories of the victims, both civilian and soldier, Gene Eric Salecker patiently collected material from hundreds of letters, period newspaper stories, and other sources. Readers are first introduced to victims while they are languishing in Confederate prisons and follow their release to an exchange camp outside of Vicksburg to their eventual crowding onto the Sultana. His knowledgeable narrative is interwoven with individual reminiscences, including those of the heroic rescuers. He offers unprecedented details about the captain’s handling of the steamboat and corrects some long-held myths about the placement of the soldiers on the Sultana and newspaper coverage of the disaster. A large portion of the book covers rescue attempts, both successful and failed, and the aftermath of the disaster as it affected those involved. With its emphasis on the human-interest aspect of the Sultana, this book brings to the literature a critical point of view and much new research.

Disaster Assistance Legislation Hearings Before the Subcommittee on Flood Control 91 2 on H R 17518 and Related Bills

by United States. Congress. House. Public Works

FBWCTPAL DISASTERS IX 1»«9 The two most catastrophic disasters, measured
in cost to the President's Disaster ... Hurricane Camiile struck the Mississippi
River Delta area in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast in Mississippi, with winds of up
to ...

Disaster Assistance Legislation Hearings Before the Subcommittee on Flood Control 91 2 on H R 17518 and Related Bills

Author: United States. Congress. House. Public Works

Publisher:

ISBN:

Page: 248

View: 420

Disaster Case Management

by United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery

MC MC Mississippi Case Management Consortium " Phase II ” Pilot Quarterly
Report MISSISSIPPI CASE MANAGEMENT CONSORTIUM Lead Agency :
Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service Project Title : Disaster Case
Management ...

Disaster Case Management

Author: United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery

Publisher:

ISBN:

Page: 231

View: 453

Army Support During the Hurricane Katrina Disaster

by James A. Wombwell

For almost a week , emergency management officials in Louisiana focused on
search - and - rescue and evacuation operations to the detriment of other relief
missions . Conversely , even though Mississippi bore the brunt of the hurricane's
fury ...

Army Support During the Hurricane Katrina Disaster

Author: James A. Wombwell

Publisher: U.S. Government Printing Office

ISBN:

Page: 267

View: 542

This occasional paper examines the effectiveness of the United States Army's response to Hurricane Katrina, focusing on what the Army did and how it responded in the face of a large-scale disaster unlike any other ever faced before.

Flood Insurance and Disaster Assistance Hearings Before the Subcommittee on Housing and Urban Affairs of 93 1 on S 269 S 390 S 1495 S 1840 and and S 1889 June 11 12 13 14 and 15 1973

by United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

To illustrate our proposal we need only to look to the Mississippi River and the
Federal projects associated with it . Several dams and innumerable dikes , jetties
, and levees have been constructed at various locations on the Mississippi during
 ...

Flood Insurance and Disaster Assistance Hearings Before the Subcommittee on Housing and Urban Affairs of 93 1 on S 269 S 390 S 1495 S 1840 and and S 1889 June 11 12 13 14 and 15 1973

Author: United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

Publisher:

ISBN:

Page: 431

View: 106

Federal Response to Hurricane Camille

by United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Public Works. Special Subcommittee on Disaster Relief

By way of background , I think it is interesting to note that in the 28 counties in
Mississippi that were covered by the disaster , on the basis of the 1960 Census ,
33 . 7 percent were Negro . Of the recipients of aid in Mississippi , under the
special ...

Federal Response to Hurricane Camille

Author: United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Public Works. Special Subcommittee on Disaster Relief

Publisher:

ISBN:

Page: 2568

View: 601

Loss of the Sultana and Reminiscences of Survivors

by Chester D. Berry

Originally published in 1892, Loss of the Sultana and Reminiscences of Survivors is a collection of first-hand accounts by those who lived to tell the story of perhaps the worst maritime disaster in U.S. history.

Loss of the Sultana and Reminiscences of Survivors

Author: Chester D. Berry

Publisher: Univ. of Tennessee Press

ISBN: 9781572333727

Page: 426

View: 144

Originally published in 1892, Loss of the Sultana and Reminiscences of Survivors is a collection of first-hand accounts by those who lived to tell the story of perhaps the worst maritime disaster in U.S. history. On the Mississippi River just above Memphis at two o'clock on the morning of April 27, 1865, the steamboat Sultana, carrying over 2,400 passengers (it was licensed to carry only 356), exploded and sank. Over 1,700 people perished. Most of the passengers were Union soldiers recently released from Confederate prisons. Many were from East Tennessee. They had boarded at Vicksburg, where the longest siege of the war had resulted in Confederate surrender, ending the Vicksburg campaign. The soldiers, homeward bound from Andersonville and Cahaba Confederate prisons, had survived the terrors of battle, the loss of close comrades, physical and psychological wounds, the risky confinement of hospital, the humiliation of capture and surrender, escape and recapture, homesickness, boredom, the daily threat of death by starvation, disease, suicide, robbery, injury, or death by raiders. Chester D. Berry - one of the survivors - compiled facts, records, and personal accounts of other survivors, resulting in this compelling and profound testimony to the human spirit in the face of tragedy.

Reports of the Naval Engagements on the Mississippi River Resulting in the Capture of Forts Jackson and St Philip and the City of New Orleans and the Destruction of the Rebel Naval Flotilla

by United States. Navy Department

Immediately following the disaster on the berth - deck , it was reported to be on
fire , whereupon the gunner's mate , J. B. Frisbee , instantly closed the magazine ,
he remaining inside . All traces of fire having been quickly extinguished by the ...

Reports of the Naval Engagements on the Mississippi River Resulting in the Capture of Forts Jackson and St Philip and the City of New Orleans and the Destruction of the Rebel Naval Flotilla

Author: United States. Navy Department

Publisher:

ISBN:

Page: 107

View: 480

Life on the Mississippi

by Mark Twain

The night before the ' Pennsylvania ' left, Henry and I sat chatting on a freight pile
on the levee till midnight. The subject of the chat, mainly, was one which I think
we had not exploited before — steamboat disasters. One was then on its way to ...

Life on the Mississippi

Author: Mark Twain

Publisher:

ISBN:

Page: 561

View: 742

Life on the Mississippi

by Mark Twain

The subject of the chat, mainly, was one which I think we had not exploited before
—steamboat disasters. ... We doubted if persons not clothed with authority were
of much use in cases of disaster and attendant panic, still, they might be of ...

Life on the Mississippi

Author: Mark Twain

Publisher: The Floating Press

ISBN: 1775452433

Page: 499

View: 943

Before his literary career took off and he emerged as one of America's foremost men of letters, Mark Twain worked as a steamboat pilot in the antebellum South and Midwest. This fascinating account offers a brief history of commercial boating in the period and a probing, insightful, and eminently entertaining look at Twain's own experiences.

SULTANA TRAGEDY THE

by Jerry O. Potter

This authoritative work contains abundant photographs and illustrations, as well as the most complete list of the ship's passengers available.

SULTANA TRAGEDY THE

Author: Jerry O. Potter

Publisher: Pelican Publishing Company

ISBN: 1455612669

Page: 312

View: 812

Lee Surrenders! "President Murdered!" "Booth Killed!" screamed the headlines of American newspapers in April 1865, leaving little room for mention of a maritime disaster that to this day is America's worst. On April 27, 1865, the Sultana, a 260-foot, wooden-hulled steamboat-smaller than the Titanic but carrying more passengers-exploded on the Mississippi River near Memphis, Tennessee. More than 1,800 men, mostly Union soldiers on their way home from Confederate prison camps, died. On board were over 2,400 passengers-six times the ship's legal capacity. Although jubilant about the war's end, most of the men were weakened by malnutrition and disease from their imprisonment at Andersonville and Cahaba. Hundreds who were not killed in the explosion drowned in the cold, swift waters of the muddy river. Because of the timing of the sinking, coverage of the Sultana's demise was scant, and the tragedy has passed almost unnoticed in the pages of American history. In this highly documented book, author Jerry Potter focuses on how greed, indifference, gross stupidity, and criminal misconduct reaching as far as the White House led to the overloading of the Sultana at Vicksburg. Such irresponsible conduct characterized the actions of President Lincoln, an entire chain of army command, and several profit-hungry civilians. This authoritative work contains abundant photographs and illustrations, as well as the most complete list of the ship's passengers available.

Disaster Struggle Triumph

by Arabella M. Willson

... the rebel stronghold on the Mississippi . ” Fort Pulaski , which guarded the
entrance to Savannah , fell in the spring of ' 62 , as did Island No . 10 , which
commanded the Mississippi . BURNSIDE had effected in February , a lodgment
in North ...

Disaster Struggle Triumph

Author: Arabella M. Willson

Publisher:

ISBN:

Page: 593

View: 532

Mississippi River Tragedies

by Christine A. Klein

The authors deftly uncover the larger story of how the law reflects and even amplifies our ambivalent attitude toward nature—simultaneously revering wild rivers and places for what they are, while working feverishly to change them into ...

Mississippi River Tragedies

Author: Christine A. Klein

Publisher: NYU Press

ISBN: 1479856169

Page: 276

View: 368

Read a free excerpt here! American engineers have done astounding things to bend the Mississippi River to their will: forcing one of its tributaries to flow uphill, transforming over a thousand miles of roiling currents into a placid staircase of water, and wresting the lower half of the river apart from its floodplain. American law has aided and abetted these feats. But despite our best efforts, so-called “natural disasters” continue to strike the Mississippi basin, as raging floodwaters decimate waterfront communities and abandoned towns literally crumble into the Gulf of Mexico. In some places, only the tombstones remain, leaning at odd angles as the underlying soil erodes away. Mississippi River Tragedies reveals that it is seductively deceptive—but horribly misleading—to call such catastrophes “natural.” Authors Christine A. Klein and Sandra B. Zellmer present a sympathetic account of the human dreams, pride, and foibles that got us to this point, weaving together engaging historical narratives and accessible law stories drawn from actual courtroom dramas. The authors deftly uncover the larger story of how the law reflects and even amplifies our ambivalent attitude toward nature—simultaneously revering wild rivers and places for what they are, while working feverishly to change them into something else. Despite their sobering revelations, the authors’ final message is one of hope. Although the acknowledgement of human responsibility for unnatural disasters can lead to blame, guilt, and liability, it can also prod us to confront the consequences of our actions, leading to a liberating sense of possibility and to the knowledge necessary to avoid future disasters.

Mississippi Libraries

by

After gathering details of the disaster from Nancy , I phoned two preservation
contacts that I had made during my first few weeks on the job . The first was Julie
Arnott at SOLINET , who was kind enough to give me addresses of compa - nies
that ...

Mississippi Libraries

Author:

Publisher:

ISBN:

Page:

View: 642

Natural Disaster Analysis After Hurricane Katrina

by Harry Ward Richardson

With the levees in place , the lowlands beyond the river did not flood as often and
people began building homes . History of Flooding and Disaster Response The
Mississippi River flooded in 1927 , killing at least 1000 people and inundating 1 ...

Natural Disaster Analysis After Hurricane Katrina

Author: Harry Ward Richardson

Publisher: Edward Elgar Pub

ISBN:

Page: 311

View: 837

Hurricane Katrina was a pivotal event in the history of disaster mismanagement. Its impact will be felt well into the future and its lessons will be applied around the world. This influential volume explores key policy implications arising from the storm and its aftermath. Leading scholars from fields as diverse as decision analysis, risk management, economics engineering, transportation, urban planning and sociology investigate the policy issues associated with insurance, flood control and the rebuilding of levees, housing, tourism, utility lifelines recovery and resilience, evacuation, relocation and racial implications. By assessing the disruption of life in New Orleans, as well as the inter-regional economic impacts of the disaster, the authors suggest steps that can be taken to minimize future risks, not only in New Orleans but also in all locations threatened by natural disasters. It then goes beyond Katrina to explore experiences and responses to similar events in other parts of the world. Another important feature is a discussion of the overlap between terrorist-initiated disasters and natural disasters. The issues raised by Katrina are very complex and teasing out successful policy implications is far from easy. This book is a major advance towards that goal.Academics interested in the economics, policy, and planning aspects of natural and man-made disasters, specialists in emergency management and policymakers will find the insights and prescriptions offered here invaluable.

Soldiers Lost at Sea

by James E. Wise

A Chronicle of Troopship Disasters James E. Wise, Scott Baron. 4 . Salecker ,
Disaster on the Mississippi : The Sultana Explosion , April 27 , 1865 , 13 – 21 . 5 .
... Potter , The Sultana Tragedy : America ' s Greatest Maritime Disaster , 49 – 51 .

Soldiers Lost at Sea

Author: James E. Wise

Publisher: Naval Inst Press

ISBN:

Page: 280

View: 603

"Heroism, tragedy, devotion to duty, and scandal are just a few of the ingredients that make up this dramatic account of troopship losses in wartime. International in scope, the book offers a compilation of stories about historic troopship disasters caused by torpedoes, aerial attacks, mines, surface fire, foul weather, friendly fire, and poor planning by military decision makers ... Board of inquiry hearings, action reports, survivor debriefings, and personal correspondence collected from archives in Germany, Italy, Russia, Australia, Britain, and the United States help tell the stories of the fifty vessels described in the book. An introductory chapter provides an overview of troopship evolution and losses at sea, beginning with the age of galley warfare. The first to provide a sweeping survey of the subject, this book pays long overdue tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives in vast oceans far from home"--Dust jkt.