The heartbreaking story of the Titanic has captivated millions—but few have heard of the Sultana’s sinking on the Mississippi River. To this day, the explosion of this commercial steamboat is considered the worst maritime disaster in American history.
On the fateful day of April 27, 1865, the Sultana—with a 376-passenger capacity—carried 2,130 people. But that wasn’t all. Unbeknownst to many on board, the boat’s boiler was in a dangerous state of disrepair. To save time, Captain James Cass Mason and his chief engineer made a chilling mistake. They instructed a mechanic to patch up the leaky boiler as a temporary fix. The consequences proved catastrophic.
At two in the morning, the damaged boiler exploded. In a single instant, 400-500 men were lost in a single instant—but this was just the beginning. Only seconds later, two more boilers also exploded. The blast completely demolished the pilothouse, killing Captain Mason. Now ablaze, the Sultana had no one to steer it. But it gets worse.
History’s most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. Making distraction rewarding since 2017.
Because the majority of the passengers were paroled prisoners, many of them suffered from illnesses or weak constitutions. So while survivors fled to the water for safety, some were too frail to stay afloat. Although other vessels eventually arrived to assist in the rescue, many survivors drowned or died of hypothermia.
Locals found bodies washing up on the shores of the Mississippi for months after the tragedy, though many were never recovered. In the end, there was an estimated 1,169 casualties. But that wasn’t all. As horrifying as these losses were, the sinking of the Sultana has been largely forgotten.
At the time, the press focused entirely on other sensational events, including the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln and the end of the Civil War. What’s more? Despite the overcrowding of the steamboat and improper practices, nobody was held accountable for Sultana’s horrifying downfall.
Sources: 1
My mom never told me how her best friend died. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery.
Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark history—or the chilling secret shared by her and Louis.
I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life.
Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIII’s rejected queen—but few people know her even darker history.
Dear reader,
Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? We’re always looking for your input! Please reach out to us to let us know what you’re interested in reading. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from “Life” to “Compact Cars and Trucks” to “A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius.” We’ll get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics you’re interested in. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. Thanks for your time!
Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? At Factinate, we’re dedicated to getting things right. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. We want our readers to trust us. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. Please let us know if a fact we’ve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect it’s inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. Thanks for your help!
Warmest regards,
The Factinate team
If you like humaverse you may also consider subscribing to these newsletters:
