SS Sultana
The SS Sultana was a paddle steamer built in 1863 at the John Litherbury boatyard in Cincinnati. Constructed with a wooden hull and four tubular boilers, she weighed somewhere between 690 to 719 tons. The steamer was officially cleared to carry 1000 tons of cargo was destined to supply the cotton trade along the lower Mississippi, but was also considered a fine vessel to carry passengers between New Orleans and St. Louis.
In April 1865, the united states of America simultaneously celebrated the end of the civil war and mourned the death of President Lincoln. At that time the Captain of the Sultana was one James Cass Mason. The war had left most of the South with little to no communications. To capitalise on this Mason had been distributing newspapers along the Mississippi. Upon arriving at Vicksburg, Mason was approached by the chief quartermaster Rueben Benton Hatch Jr. Hatch was a deeply corrupt individual who had been caught numerous times committing fraud and taking bribes for army equipment. But due to his family connections within local government, he repeatedly avoided prosecution. Hatch informed Mason that the US Government were offering financial rewards to those who could transport former union POWs back to the North. The rate was $2.75 for enlisted men and $8.00 for officers. Hatch would then offer Mason a guaranteed group of soldiers in return for a bribe. As part-owner of the Sultana and in need of money, Mason accepted the offer knowing full well that the number of men would exceed the capacity of his vessel.
With a deal struck Mason continued down to New Orleans delivering news and cargo along the way before returning to Vicksburg. But before arriving, one of the four boilers sprang a leak causing a considerable loss of power. The tubular boilers were susceptible to sediment and mineral build-up associated with river water. If not monitored and maintained correctly hot spots and metal fatigue would form. At Vicksburg, the boiler was attended to by a mechanic. He insisted on lengthy and extensive repairs before taking on passengers. Fearing the loss of his deal with Hatch, Captain Mason ordered a swift repair that would later prove insufficient.
Problems also occurred when loading the former POWs onto the Sultana. Likely a mixture of miscommunication and corruption, 1,960 men were directed aboard the Sultana, emptying the entire parole camp. Add to this were twenty-two infantrymen, seventy paying passengers, and eighty-five crew. Although figures are disputed, it is believed that the Sultana was carrying 2,137 despite her maximum passenger capacity of 376. The overcrowding can be seen in a photograph taken at Helena the day before Sultana was destroyed.
For two days the Sultana travelled North along the Mississippi facing terrible flooding that extended the river’s width by several miles in places. She offloaded cargo and some lucky passengers in Helena then continued North, taking on new coal after passing Memphis.
At around 2 am on the 27th of April 1865, the previously damaged boiler failed under pressure. The resulting explosion threw hot coals and iron shrapnel into the three remaining boilers setting off a chain reaction. The blast tore through the ship, instantly killing hundreds packed onto the decks and removing the wheelhouse, leaving the vessel adrift and aflame. The two smokestacks collapsed, one into the mass of destruction caused by the explosion, the other onto the forward upper deck crushing many. As the decks themselves began to burn and collapse, more were trapped on the mid and lower decks. Many of the former POWs were still weak and ill due to captivity. They had to choose between the burning ship or the water. Some survivors lacked the strength or could not swim at all, and many would die of hypothermia in the cold spring waters.
Rescue attempts began around half an hour after the explosion when the steamer Bostona II arrived heading South in Memphis. Several ships, Union and Confederate soldiers alike picked up survivors as they floated downstream into Memphis. But in total around 760 survivors were rescued. The wreck of the Sultana drifted downriver and eventually sank West of Memphis at around 9 am.
The official death toll is disputed due to the problems loading the Sultana. But accounts have suggested it could have been anywhere between 1,100 and 1,547. One of the victims was Captain Mason himself. Many bodies were impossible to recover, but some were found as far south as Vicksburg. Those recovered were later buried in Memphis national cemetery. The destruction of the Sultana would be classed as the worst maritime disaster of the 19th Century if the records had been accurate. But it is safe to say it is absolutely the worst in American history.
Due to continued flooding and the Mississippi River changing course several times since 1865, the Sultana is now likely buried under dry land. The remains of the wreck are believed to lie under a field near Marion Arkansas.
