Was the wreck of the Sultana ever found?
Remnants found In 1982, a local archaeological expedition, led by Memphis attorney Jerry O. Potter, uncovered what was believed to be the wreckage of Sultana. Blackened wooden deck planks and timbers were found about 32 feet (10 m) under a soybean field on the Arkansas side, about 4 miles (6 km) from Memphis.
What caused the SS Sultana disaster?
A leak in the tubes that carried the super-heated water caused the explosion of the Sultana’s boilers, which destroyed the nearby parts of the boat and sent hot water and burning embers onto the sleeping passengers. Some were killed instantly by the explosion.
What was the tragedy that happened aboard the Sultana?
On April 27, 1865, the United States experiences its worst maritime disaster in history. Mere weeks after the Civil War came to an end, the steamboat, Sultana exploded and sank in the Mississippi River, killing an estimated 1,200 to 1,800 Union soldiers who were released from prison and on their way home.
How many died on the Sultana disaster?
Many of those who were not killed immediately perished as they tried to swim to shore. Of the initial survivors, 200 later died from burns sustained during the incident. Researchers indicate that 1,195 of the 2,200 passengers and crew died, making the Sultana incident the deadliest maritime disaster in U.S. history.
Where are the remains of the Sultana?
According to witnesses, it took about twenty minutes for the remains of the Sultana to burn to the waterline, finally resting in mud on the Arkansas side of the river. It is believed buried today under about twenty feet of soil beneath a soybean field in northeast Arkansas.
Was the Sultana sabotaged?
The Sultana remains the deadliest maritime disaster in U.S. history. Conspiracy theories quickly spread. The most popular: A Confederate messenger, Robert Louden, sabotaged the Sultana with a coal torpedo. Most of these conspiracies have since been dismissed.
How many survived the Sultana?
Many Sultana experts put the death toll at 1,500 to 1,800, making the Sultana death toll higher than the Titanic. About 800 survivors were found and taken to hospital in Memphis, but nearly 300 died there from burns and exposure.
What happened to the steamboat SS Sultana?
On April 27, 1865, the steamboat Sultana exploded and sank while traveling up the Mississippi River, killing an estimated 1,800 people.
Where is the Sultana now?
Where did the Sultana sink on the Mississippi River?
THE WORST MARITIME DISASTER IN US HISTORY In the early morning hours of April 27, 1865, the steamboat Sultana exploded into a fiery blaze on the Mississippi River, eventually drifting and sinking near the Arkansas banks.
Was the SS Sultana sabotaged?
Where is the Sultana buried?
The National Underwater and Marine Agency, a private organization, says researchers have found physical evidence that a large part of the steamer Sultana is buried in what is now a soybean field northwest of Mound City, Ark., just across the Mississippi River from Memphis.
Why was the loss of the steamboat Sultana important in US history?
The Shipwreck That Led Confederate Veterans To Risk All For Union Lives : NPR. The Shipwreck That Led Confederate Veterans To Risk All For Union Lives On April 27, 1865, a steamboat named the Sultana exploded and sank while transporting Union soldiers up the Mississippi.