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Disaster on the Mississippi: The Sultana Explosion, April 27, 1865

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The Sultana Exploding On The Mississippi River On April 27, 1865. Disaster On The Mississippi: The Sultana Explosion April 27 1865

On April 27, 1865, the steamboat Sultana exploded on the Mississippi River near Memphis, Tennessee, killing over 1,700 people in one of the worst maritime disasters in American history.

The Sultana was a side-wheel steamboat that had been built in 1863. It was 260 feet long and 40 feet wide, and it had a capacity of over 3,000 passengers.

Disaster on the Mississippi: The Sultana Explosion, April 27, 1865

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On April 24, 1865, the Sultana was chartered by the Union Army to transport Union soldiers who had been released from Confederate prison camps at the end of the Civil War.

The Sultana was overcrowded and overloaded when it left Memphis on April 26. It was carrying over 2,400 passengers, including 1,800 soldiers, 600 civilians, and 80 crew members.

At around 2:00 a.m. on April 27, the Sultana's boilers exploded. The explosion was so powerful that it blew the boat apart and sent debris flying hundreds of feet into the air.

Over 1,700 people were killed in the explosion. The majority of the victims were soldiers who had been released from Confederate prison camps.

The Sultana explosion was one of the worst maritime disasters in American history. It is a reminder of the dangers that were faced by those who served in the Civil War.