Sinking The Sultana

Sinking The Sultana

YA/adult nonfiction
"Suddenly, with a loud roar, one of the Sultana's boilers
burst. Within seconds, two more boilers exploded. Steam and chunks
of red-hot iron blasted upward through the center of the boat. The
explosive force shattered the support structures of the main and cabin
decks as if they were toothpicks. Within a moment, both decks had
collapsed behind the main stairway in the center of the boat. A
gaping hole replaced the staterooms and cabin area above the boilers.
Surrounding the hole, the cabin deck's broken floorboards slanted
toward the fireboxes left exposed after the boilers exploded. The
Sultana's two chimneys, robbed of their support, toppled and crashed
onto the hurricane deck. Hundreds of men on the collapsed cabin and
smashed hurricane decks slid toward and then dropped into the
fireboxes' blazing coals."
Nobody can describe a marine catastrophe quite like Sally
M. Walker. Back in 2012, when this blog was close to its first
birthday, we discovered her Blizzard Of Glass. We learned that the
largest pre atomic bomb man made explosion happened in Canada in 1917
in Halifax Harbor when a freighter carrying explosive cargo for the
war in Europe collided with another ship. (If you want to read more I
posted that review July 17th of that year.) Sinking The Sultana takes
readers to an earlier war, the Civil War to be exact. As in Blizzard
Of Glass, Walker makes a too little known tragedy come to life through
vivid description, skillful interweaving of narrative and backstory,
and the experiences of the small group of individuals readers are most
vividly introduced to.
It was April 27, 1865. The Civil War had just ended. The
assassination of President Lincoln had sent America into shock. Still
wrapping up the military post conflict loose ends had to be done.
Prison camps like the notorious Andersonville were filled beyond
their capacity with men who had somehow survived battle, exposure,
starvation, parasites, and disease--men who now had to be returned to
their homes and families. To one group, these gaunt, traumatized
veterans, desperate for freedom and a normal life with loved ones,
were potentials for profit. Owners of steamboats (then relatively
new, state-of-the-art river transportation) knew that the more of
these men one could pack on board, the higher the profit.
The Sultana had been built in Ohio in 1862. Considered then
quite luxurious in accomodations, she was licensed to carry 376
passengers. Although nobody knows how many people traveled on her
final voyage, estimates are in the vicinity of two thousand. Days
earlier a bulge had developed in one of her boilers. A professional
boilermaker had recommended extensive repairs. Delay could have
resulted in other steamboats hauling the suddenly profitable soldiers.
Only a temporary repair was made.
More lives were lost than when the Titanic hit an iceberg forty-
seven years later. But Walker cautions against viewing the sinking of
the Sultana as of purely historical interest. Similar elements--civil
war, desperation and people who profit from it, and horrendously
crowded watercraft--doom too many of today's refugees. Her last
paragraph challenges us all.
"History and research are all about making connections. Each
time a person discovers the Sultana's story--even though it may be
many years after the disaster--a connection is established between
that person and the people who were on the boat. Maybe the Sultana
connection will motivate that person to help a victim who has suffered
a recent disaster. Maybe it will give someone the courage to protest
against an unethical situation, an unfair business practice, or an
action that exhibits questionable safety. Recognizing and acting in
these cases makes the Sultana relevant for people today. Perhaps that
is the best way we can honor the memory of those who died on the
Sultana."
Let's forge those connections!
On a personal note, I am having a fantastic weekend! I have so much
going on I'm a day late posting this. Friday was the first day of
Clean Sweep. People were stuffing bags with clothes. Stuff was
flying off the tables. We ended up taking in $5,400. I ran the
clothes section. I gave stuffed animals to cute kids who behaved and
mints to adults who looked like they were waiting patiently for
friends. The second day I kept trying to give away a humungous ugly
Christmas sweater. Everyone said it looked better on me. I guess if
there's a contest in December I have a guaranteed win. I don't know
what the total ended up but I wouldn't be surprised if we hit $6,000.
Lisa bought us all Family Dog take out both days. I got lots of
clothes, school supplies, and other totally cool stuff including the
most comfy chair ever, perfect for me and Joey cat. Today I went on a
drive with Eugene and he got us subs for lunch.
A great big shout out goes out to my clean sweep crew, our benevolent
boss, Lisa, and the customers who laid their money down.
jules hathaway



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