Terrible Accident on the Mississippi
Newspaper article describing the sinking of the Sultana
Transcripts:
Terrible Accident on the Mississippi.
Cairo. April 28– The steamer Sultana from New Orleans the evening of the 21st arrived at Vicksburg with boilers leaking badly. She remained there three hours repairing, taking on 1,996 Federal soldiers and 350 officers, lately released from Cahawba and Andersonville prisons. She arrived at Memphis last evening. After coaling she proceded about 2 a.m. and about 3 o’clock, when 7 miles above Memphis, blew up, immediately taking water and burning to the water’s edge. Of 2156 souls aboard not more than 700 bad been rescued. Five hundred rescued are now in hospitals and 200 or 300 injured at the Soldiers’ Home. Captain Mason, of the Sultana, is supposed lost. At 1 o’clock this morning the river in front of Memphis was covered with soldiers struggling for life, many badly scalded. Boats immediately went to their rescue, and are still engaged In picking them up. Gen. Washburn immediately organized a board of officers to investigate the affair, and they are now at work doing so. No further particulars received.
Questions:
According to the newspaper article, what happened to the Sultana?
Who was on board, and what happened to them?