Nightmarish Negligence: The Tragedy of The Steamboat Sultana

In 1865, when the The Steamboat Sultana departed Vicksburg on its journey North along the Mississipi River... the unsuspecting 2,300 souls aboard, would soon be caught in a nightmare of events the likes of which, to this day, remain the deadliest Maritime disaster in United States history.
Here's The Hyatt Regency Walkway from The COLLAPSE Series: • Fast-Tracked Failure: ...
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[@BrickImmortar]

Had to re-upload this one... and not by choice. Suffice to say, KZbin's Copyright system is extremely broken, and NOT in the way that favors the creator. The last 2 months, behind the scenes, have been my most stressful as a creator, to date. Support My Work Here: www.patreon.com/BrickImmortar

[@FranNyan]

Ug, friggin KZbin... Have you looked into Nebula for hosting your videos?

[@dk-fk4xm]

Knew it. But had to watch still to support my boi lets goo

[@Aetucre]

I was wondering why this seemed so familiar. How did the previous video get copyright struck? Just curious.

[@JasonFlorida]

I thought that I saw this before but still very interesting and a great video. I am sure glad I don't live in those times. They really had it rough

[@nobodynoone2500]

Don't live and die by any one company. Find other avenues to start hosting additionally, even if they are small now and lack discoverability.

[@lauriepenner350]

Now, every major air crash is followed by a massive investigation and complete overhaul of pilot training and construction/repair procedures. It's unfathomable to me that a bunch of boats could just up and explode and the only reaction would be "Oh yeah, they do that sometimes🤷."

[@jaybee9269]

You should read Mark Twain’s “Life On the Mississippi.”

[@johndoe-so2ef]

With forty years in American industry, I don't find it surprising at all. I'm old enough to have worked with guys who believed asbestos is good for you. They're all dead, of course.

[@filanfyretracker]

we used to have the same attitude about airplanes too, that flying was just a risky activity. Modern jet aircraft are as safe as they are thanks to investigations of accidents.

[@b-chroniumproductions3177]

To be fair, they really had no idea why it happened until years later

[@DanielBrotherston]

And yet, this is exactly how we treat car crashes.

[@The_ZeroLine]

2,300 men + livestock vs a capacity of 386 is just utterly insane.

[@jf6466work]

Boiler operator here. Having turbid water and solid fuel will cause any boiler no matter how well designed to inevitably fail. Boiler water treatment is super crucial for safe operation. This doesn't include the lack of understanding with pressure servicing from back in the day.

[@marhawkman303]

yeah, this boiler design just vented steam and had to intake constantly to replace it. It was impossible to carry that much water, and they didn't have any filtration.

[@justinbetland9792]

Imagine experiencing the horrors of war, being captured by the enemy, rotting away in a p.o.w camp for years and miraculously surviving all that. Then, just as you slowly make your way back toward home at last you find yourself mortally wounded and drowning in a river.

[@christianburrzGR3Y]

Life's a bitch. Sadly this generation has no idea..

[@qtheplatypus]

@@christianburrzGR3YI am glad that this generation is free of such privations.

[@helenafarkas4534]

I knew about the Sultana before this, but I didn't know that the majority of the soldiers onboard were POW's. just magnifies the tragedy 10 fold, when you think about what these men had endured before even embarking on the doomed vessel. these men had already survived hell on earth, only to perish via hell on the water.

[@TracyA123]

Very classy ending the video with the list of the victims and having no commentary while it was on screen. Great video. Beautifully presented!

[@alexanderwiand6997]

Agreed

[@TracyA123]

@@NOBODY-fz3im Wow! I enjoyed the video. I'm terribly sorry you were so triggered by it that you seem to have had a complete nervous breakdown. To address what I think was your point... I don't know a single person today who fought for the Confederacy in the civil war nor do I know anyone who owned slaves. To my knowledge, the civil war occurred over 150 years ago and isn't still being fought on the battlefield. I can completely understand that you want to participate in this comment section but, please, don't drink the bong water before doing so. Thanks a bunch! ☺🇺🇸

[@jzero90921]

@@NOBODY-fz3im Every culture has done fucked up shit like this, don't act like its only Americans. its fucked up people who do this. Just like its fucked up for you to be making so many assumptions.

[@anderaud]

I found out doing some genealogy research that I have an ancestor that died on the Sultana a few years ago but didn’t know much else. Really great to see the whole story, thanks for sharing.

[@lonniedecker4958]

I have as well. Found his gravesite in Adrian Michigan with stone that reads (well worn): Decker Jasper P, son Marinda, d. Mar. 1865, age 18y 4m, Sultana Victim, Civil War

[@coledaynhell3069]

Literally live here on the banks where it happened! Just off the West Bank of the Mississippi River in crittenden county

[@deecody5427]

Audrey, I also have an ancestor who was on board, but he was lucky enough to survive. do you know about The Sultana Association? there's a website, facebook page and youtube channel for it. we are a group of descendants and friends. we have annual reunions where people have even found "new" family members they didn't know they had. my parents and I have been to several of the reunions and they're so much fun. on the website for the association, you can even fill out a contact for and get on the email list to receive emails about upcoming reunions and about the Sultana Disaster Museum that should be open next year

[@deecody5427]

@@lonniedecker4958 I'll pose to you the same question I did to Audrey...do you know about The Sultana Association? we're a descendants and friends group who hold annual reunions

[@grimreefer213]

Damn interesting, I am a direct descendant from a man named Robert Parke who was an initial settler of America, coming off the fleet of ships with the mayflower. It’s crazy to think that just a few short lifetimes ago life was filled with incredible suffering and hardship, if I was born two or more generations ago I likely would’ve been sent off to war with a good chance of not returning. So people need to be grateful for the sacrifices that men make to keep society running and protect us, I am still performing dangerous and risky work today.

[@TaterChip91]

Also, to expand a little on how bad Andersonville prison was, the compound was built to house at most 10,000 at any one time. And at its peak, the rebels crammed more than 30,000 men inside the walls. They were former union soldiers who turned on their fellows and formed a gang they called The Raiders and literally took over the prison. Any new group of captured soldiers first entering were lured to a spot then the unsuspecting men were jumped, beaten and robbed of whatever they had by the Raiders. Many of these men were murdered. Till finally the rest of the weak and dying men had enough a man they called Limber Jim led a revolt they called The Regulators and attacked the Raiders. Once they arrested every Raider, a few men went to the Warden (Wirz) and asked if they could hold a trial. He consented, and he took the Raiders outside the prison for their own safety. Once a new group of soldiers arrived, who had no knowledge of what was happening, they began the trial, the new men acting as the jury. They found the Raiders guilty of every charge presented. They handed down the sentencing and several dozen Raiders were to run the gauntlet. Basically every man was aloud to beat these men with anything they could find...needless to say a lot were beaten to death. They charged 6 men they determined were the leaders, and were promptly hung on a gallows built within the prison. Incredible history, and you can find several books written by survivors who saw it all. Some of which are written in the form of a journal, and tell the story literally what happened day by day. Its unreal. Recommend x10!

[@t700e]

This should be made into a novel or movie

[@Brecconable]

@@t700e Funny enough there are two movies about Andersonville. The Andersonville Trial (1970) and Andersonville (1996).

[@Sheikh_Speare]

​@@Brecconable Andersonville (1996) was an amazing movie.

[@jenniferbrewer5370]

Wirz is to this day the only American ever put to death for war crimes.

[@tommeliusbthaprofit6157]

Thank you for this info. Holy fuck My great great w/e granddad was there and it makes me wonder how he figured in. What dates were these events?

[@pitsnipe5559]

Retired from Hartford Steam Boiler two years ago after a 35 year career. The story of the sultana was always part of our imagery. A few years ago one of our engineers did some extensive research into this disaster.

[@fluffysaffron5719]

My father worked at HSB for almost two decades. I remember when I was a kid, he told me that the company was founded because steam boilers used to explode a lot in the 19th century, but he never told me the story of the Sultana, despite being a Civil War history buff, and I only found out about it through Internet reading. Maybe he thought it was too grim for me to hear at that age? I guess he didn't notice me reading through newspapers and magazines looking for stories about accidents and disasters... As a side note, because of his job there, that train engine logo is permanently etched in my brain. It was all over our house when I was a kid: pens, refrigerator magnets, notepads, tote bags, etc.

[@JoeJ94611]

I worked for HSB in the 1970s and I recall a poster of the Sultana explosion. According to HSB’s history, because of this and other boiler disasters ,a group met to try to prevent them and thus the Hartford Inspection& Insurance Co was founded.

[@perfumegoose]

When I was about 7, we used to got to a laundry mat behind the veterans cemetary in Memphis. We jumped the fence on day(this was about 1966) and wandered through the cemetery and ran into a worker who asked what we were doing. He then pointed out the section we were next to was the burial site for quite a few union civil war soldiers who died in the Sultana tragedy, who had been re-buried in that spot

[@PanduPoluan]

"Those who ran industrial concerns simply assume that their boilers would explode, and they would lose one or two workers." Wow. Workers were truly treated like livestock.

[@johndoe-so2ef]

It's not all that much different today, it's just not put out there as freely these days.

[@PanduPoluan]

@@johndoe-so2ef The difference is today, _companies_ want -- and in some cases, do -- treat their employees as livestock, but the expectation of the society is that workers are valid human beings. Not so in those ages; companies _and_ society treat blue-collar workers as livestock.

[@nobodysfavourite6953]

@@PanduPoluan would be true, if "society" consisted of workers only. "were" in the original comment makes it inaccurate

[@jamesstutts1681]

@@PanduPoluan there’s no difference today. US companies would have slaves if it were legal. In Europe, there’s a much more progressive view of workers’ rights.

[@Itraininthebogs]

@@jamesstutts1681 true corruption still exists but this was a different time, far less safety protocol and more desperate times in general.

[@leeblack6139]

Being a maritime history buff I appreciate the content of this video a great deal. Thank you. Though at over 2,300 passengers aboard, I would venture it is MORE tragic than Titanic. It is Titanic on fire and with a far more heart wrenching loss of life. Especially with the factors of these being POW's trying to get home. As well as the greedy corruption leading to them being crammed aboard the ship as they were.

[@VideoDotGoogleDotCom]

Well, there's always the MV Wilhelm Gustloff, with an estimated 9000+ killed. However, I don't think these catastrophies should be compared in that way. It's always a great tragedy, no matter if it's three fisherman on a small boat, or one thousand people enjoying a cruise in the Caribbean.

[@Arterexius]

Idk if I'd say its more tragic than the Titanic. Most of those who drowned on the Titanic, was 3rd class passengers who was locked away by the ships crew, in an effort to stop them from reaching 2nd and 1st class areas of the ship, where they weren't allowed. They were literally killed by the crew and the crew knew it and locked them inside anyways. Furthermore, a lot of those killed were kids as only a single, 1st class child died on the Titanic. Titanic's lifeboats also left mostly empty and they already had too few on board. They could have had enough, but the owner of Harland & Wolfe decided, together with Joseph Bruce Ismay, the owner and managing director of White Star Line, that it would obscure the view which their 1st and 2nd class passengers had paid for and thus opted not to install enough lifeboats, leading to the lead architect at Harland & Wolfe quitting his job on the spot. The Titanic is, like the Sultana, a perfect example of how greed always takes lives.

[@latetotheparty184]

@@VideoDotGoogleDotCom Great comment. Tragedies are not comparable, and best not to try. Honor it for what it is.

[@FRLN500]

@@Arterexius Much of your information is false. These myths have been proven false by many sources but they keep persisting because people keep repeating them. There is a small basis of truth in some of your statements but mostly it is just hate rhetoric promoted by class hatred.

[@ajaxengineco]

Railway engines equipped with Salter safety valves were constantly blowing up also. Enginemen would screw when down tight so they could not open, as to get more pressure & thus power from underpowered & generally overloaded locomotives. Boilers went up for other reasons, too, such as shoddy repair work (often patched as one would repair a leaky barrel as opposed to a high-pressure vessel) & faulty construction. It didn't help that the boiler of locomotives at the time was the main structural element, bearing far greater stresses then they otherwise would. In the 1830s, on the Liverpool & Manchester Railway, the back of the firebox of 'Patentee', was literally ripped off, & she exploded with some violence. The coupling which bore the entire weight of the train was riveted to the firebox backplate, which itself had been forged on to the boiler faultily, in such a way as to weaken it.

[@jasonhammond4640]

Steamboat engineers were known to, during races, jamb a plank against the ceiling and the safety valve to keep it closed to keep the pressure up and more speed. Very risky.

[@sunbeam8866]

The three worst American marine disasters have all happened on rivers. The Eastland took more than 800 when she capsized on the Chicago river in 1915, The General Slocum burned on the Hudson river taking over 1000 in 1904, and of course, the Sultana. While there was not much left to salvage from the Sultana, ironically, the hull of the General Slocum was raised and converted to the coal barge Maryland. Eventually, she sank off New Jersey in a storm on December 4, 1911. The Eastland was raised, her superstructure cut down and converted to a US coast-guard cutter, the Wilmette, operating on the Great Lakes until being scrapped just after WWII.

[@jonathanstrong4812]

GODAWFUL

[@petuniasevan]

Minor quibble: at 4:55 you mention Cairo, Illinois. This town's name is pronounced "Kay-row" instead of "Ky-row" for whatever reason. This is by the way a fantastic documentary. Thank you for taking the time and trouble to get this uploaded. Boo on youtube for its poor copyright system.

[@stevefriedl3983]

How do we know that Cairo IL was first, and Egypt got the name wrong? :-)

[@dragonclaws9367]

The ads for ocean cruise vacations popping up are giving me a chuckle.

[@wackyvorlon]

One small error: they would rig the safety valve to stay closed, not open.

[@samdavis1958]

I wondered how many would catch that. All in all a good presentation.

[@OhmMyGod1]

@@samdavis1958 I was looking at the comments just to see who noticed. Otherwise excellent video.

[@dougchance8891]

Alyssa Exactly OPEN safety valve equals NO STEAM

[@melodymakermark]

Kind of like me putting a jumper in my clothes dryer due to it constantly blowing thermal fuses. 😳

[@ellisinman2712]

One other. Cairo, Il is pronounced Kay-Ro. Not like Cairo Egypt.

[@CarolineBearoline]

Lessons I learned today: 1. Avoid civil war with diplomacy and education 2. If you're going to build a large wooden boat and power it with coal, use high quality build materials 3. Brick Immortar's rising star is blindingly bright. Mad lad is mixing in-depth analysis of historical events and engineering failures 😍

[@piccalillipit9211]

Very good sumary

[@johndoe-so2ef]

Number one is often impossible, number two is often unprofitable. You are pretty accurate on number three tho....

[@kenmill12]

Just wanted to say thank you so much for covering the tragedy of the Sultana. My grandmother (and therefore myself) is a decent of one of the survivors of the sinking and actually has a book with the list of names of survivors covering the entire tragedy. Something so significant to my family, yet not many know about this awful tragedy...thank you so much for covering it and allowing others to learn about something that has been a part of my family’s history.

[@deecody5427]

Ken, do you know about The Sultana Association? it's a descendants and friends group dedicated to keeping the memory of the Sultana alive. we hold annual reunions

[@HobbyOrganist]

@@deecody5427 My adoptive family includes the Dana family on mother's side, and Maj. Gen. Napoleon J.T. Dana who was involved with the ship was her great grandfather, I have a hand written letter he wrote to his grand son Alfred who was a roads superintendent on Long Island shortly before he died, Alfred's father was a much loved physician who was killed when his horse and buggy driven by his driver was hit by a train!

[@tamarahenderson521]

My GG Grandfather was aboard this ship. There is a book all about it. My grandfather suffered from injury and illness. He was a a survived of Andersons Prisioner of War camp.

[@carlam6669]

Suggestion for a future video: The collapse of the Oakland I880/Cypress Viaduct that occurred during the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. 42 people died as a result of its collapse including a cousin of mine. I can remember how badly the roadway was warped in the years leading up to the collapse that it felt as if you were on a roller coaster as you drove across the upper deck.

[@BrickImmortar]

Thanks Carlam, will put it on the list!

[@starlingLee]

I was 8 when it happened, on the bridge about 5 cars back from the collapse. I still hold my breath and stomach ties into knots every time i cross any type of bridge. I moved to Missouri, so I don't have many to cross anymore.

[@densondirosa4497]

The safety valves, In order to produce excessive steam were not wedged OPEN, which would quickly empty the boilers steam supply, rather they were closed, as to allow an unchecked & extremely dangerous buildup of pressure, Commonly referred to as’Gagging the safety’ they would tie rope, rags, wire, or Sven someones belt around the safety trip lever. More pressure was produced than the subpar iron, often cast or mailable cast iron could contain or that the engines or other steam anselaries could use at any one given time....

[@poutinedream5066]

I can't imagine having a lived one survive the war, the horrors of Andersonville, and more then to lose them on the trip home. What a nightmare.

[@AromaBlue]

My great grandfather survived WW 1, but died of cholera on the train ride home. My great grandma never recovered. They were the same age, 22, and had 2 children. She never remarried and always spoke of him. It was devastating for her. Even though I didn't meet him I feel I knew him just from how lovely my great grandma spoke of him.

[@mr.sir.]

C-Anderson was our own concentration camp. I've seen what's left of it, and it's so bad that you could compare it to the cannibal island camp in Russia.

[@jfkastner]

A surprising number of folks back then did not even learn how to swim ... I know many in NYC today that cross rivers daily and don't know either! Great documentary, as always!

[@basstrammel1322]

Truth be told, the only reason I know how to swim is my nations education program. I see no real reason to be in more than 2 ft deep waters at any time.

[@573semobulls3]

Bruh no way you could swim in the Mississippi river don't care how good of a swimmer you are you get in that water you are certainly dead

[@j.d.snyder4466]

​@@573semobulls3 I didn't know that about the Mississippi but the same is true about the Detroit River that runs between the city of Detroit and Windsor, Ontario. I should add that it's not actually a river but a connecting channel between Lake Huron and Lake Erie, two of the five Great Lakes.

[@jewellchastain4244]

I’m from Memphis and down by the Mississippi there’s a memorial marker that talks about the disaster, that’s where I first read about it.

[@ShiftingDrifter]

I've read a lot of Civil War History and while historians do mention the Sultana to varying degrees, they rarely go into much detail. This is exceptionally well done!

[@deecody5427]

I probably haven't done as much reading of civil war history as you have, but I see the Sultana mentioned very rarely. There's a new book out about the Sultana by Gene Salecker that just came out a few weeks ago that I'm looking forward to reading

[@joelshajan8706]

I'm surprised this channel hasn't blown up already,you make good content on forgotten events.

[@Peakfreud]

Yes his production is excellent

[@ll1881ll]

These depressing videos are a good way to appreciate a boring day

[@theravenseye9443]

I am reading a book called "Final Voyage" at the moment, and by chance the chapter I am on is all about this disaster.... It's hard to believe the actions of that captain - what a mess.

[@jonathanstrong4812]

YEAH!

[@jaredblanke2168]

The fight over the raft, between the mule and the man, really painted a picture.

[@kennyw871]

Excellent research and presentation. Historically speaking, this is timeless, and begs to serve as a reminder that the war you want might not turn out the way you envisioned; wars never do. Thank you.

[@ThePainTrain765]

I love these videos! I must however point out a slight error at 20:19 When a safety valve opens it vents pressure to the atmosphere to prevent the boiler from over pressurizing. Some early boiler engineers found this to be a nuisance as steam pressure, and potential power, would drop. Therefore, unaware of the danger, they would tighten the valves down so they would release at a higher pressure, if at all. TL:DR They wouldn't force the valve open as that would be wasting steam. It's a understandable error, still a great video!

[@jonburgundy1]

I worked on both the American Dutchess and the American Queen before the demise of the company just a month ago. Kudos for the shout-out while explaining side and stern wheels! I love this channel!!

[@philvanderlaan5942]

When people say the titanic was the worst maritime disaster I always remind them that it wasn’t , it doesn’t even make the top three in North America after Empress of Ireland, General Slocum and Sultana

[@colleenross8752]

Wilhelm Gustloff was the worst, over 9,000 dead

[@jamestessman1433]

The Halifax explosion was also quite bad

[@philvanderlaan5942]

@@jamestessman1433 true

[@luisa.7021]

Thanks to this video I've added phrase "damn the consequences" to my common talk lol

[@doug29661]

Cairo, Illinois is pronounced KAY-ro ... but otherwise the best Sultana documentary I have seen

[@deecody5427]

i agree. have you seen the full length documentary that came out a few years ago narrated by Sean Astin called Remember the Sultana? it's really great

[@clarissa-marie]

I love your videos, they are so interesting and captivating! I also love your soothing voice, I just want to nap to it but I'm too interested in the content to allow myself lol

[@iainmalcolm9583]

Thought I had seen this before. Happy to watch again as a (small) way to support your channel.

[@David0lyle]

The very last picture shows smoke from only one stack. It’s hard not to wonder if there might have been some additional repairs being attempted.

[@daniellewis1789]

@@rosiehawtrey Cooling down a boiler enough to work on it takes time. For example, a locomotive boiler might take several hours to bring up from a cold start even in a hurry, and can hold some steam pressure for multiple days. More likely that boiler and firebox weren't being stoked or drawn from to save fuel.

[@mewhor]

My fourth great grandfather died in this explosion after his release from Andersonville.

[@Playsinvain]

Enjoying mark twains “life on the Mississippi “ and haven’t the heart to watch this. Someday. Really well done…I could tell from the first five minutes

[@gravesclayton3604]

The early part of the 1860's was notoriously referred to by many at the time as "the age of shoddy". Demand for weapons, goods, materials, and transportation led to an inundation of quickly manufactured "garbage", essentially. Quality control and accountability were nonexistent. This applied to all items mentioned above, and more. The newly emerging manufacturing processes were often misunderstood, rushed in production, and in some cases just outright frauds. I would not be surprised if industrial casualties were under reported and that true figures were higher than what was recorded.

[@jeremy28135]

RIP boys. There's a world without war.

[@aztec0112]

I just discovered your corner of KZbin. I am so impressed with the quality of your presentations. They are informative, vividly descriptive, reflective and always honoring those who paid the price for other's corruption and greed. I gather this is not just an interest, but that you are professionally knowledgeable about the subject matter. You've done a great job bringing these disasters back to life. Kudos to you!

[@Jadegreif]

Great video. And the visual quality and editing is dialed up to 11. Extremely well done, in parcticular the comparison between how the rivers look back then and now was great.

[@luz1959]

An excellent work of research. Thank you for the information on the historical background and the description of the events that led to such a tragic end. Please, keep up the good work. 👍

[@BALOYBEACHBUM]

I flex tested boilers #1200 Psi at 975 degrees, and now I stand back and am amazed at how many times I could have died doing just that, a Salute to those that suffered from this tragity, if it was not for their sacrifice, I would not be here today, RIP

[@perfumegoose]

Level 1 flex achieved I am sure. The Dewey had 1200psi superheater outlet. The abc system had major flaws on Air-flow side and the Hagan abc controls were re-configured, you might say

[@auntbarbara5576]

Thank you for this Sam. Tremendous respect, professional and talent.

[@ChanManStan]

Glad you reuploaded. This is your first video I watched that led me to your channel. I was wanting to rewatch this but couldn't find it for the longest

[@jfdesignsinc.innovationsid1583]

Very impressive sir! Thank you for sharing! It’s almost staggering to think ,just how many of these very important critical events in our history are just pushed out o the way and left behind as the new path is created for us to make our way into the future. Efforts like what your doing here are important and I hope you continue to do so with all the support required!

[@m118lr]

Your ability to research and present past events, comprehensive in form..is well noted and greatly appreciated. Thanks..

[@yilvoxe4017]

Giving this lovely video a watch again! It's that good.

[@straswa]

Great vid Brick Immortar, fascinating stuff. I really appreciated your in-depth info on steam engines.

[@eddyb1596]

This is fantastic information! A period in time and an industry long forgotten in fascinated by the early Mississippi River boats. Thank you.

[@marilynmurray3519]

Excellent documentary as usual. You are very good at telling the story, finding more details and containing them in a short time. I wish it weren’t stressful for you to deal with KZbin.

[@Liddledriver]

Great explanation of not only the incident but the science/technology involved. None of these events have a simple explanation. Keep up the good work and I look forward to new postings..

[@bainctronicz]

These videos are extremely interesting . Your narration, extensive details and illustration are beyond. Excellent job!

[@scofab]

Another great story and summary, well done and thank you.

[@deecody5427]

thank you very much for this video! I am a descendant of a survivor and you actually featured his picture when showing the Chester Berry book. and thank you for briefly mentioning us descendants at the end. I don't think many realize though that there is a descendants and friends group called The Sultana Association that has been holding annual reunions since the late 1980s. and a permanent Sultana Disaster museum is set to open in Marion, Arkansas sometime in 2023.

[@cyan1616]

I just discovered your channel.. and absolutely love it 💕 There are 4 engineers in my family, so I can't help but be totally engrossed in your videos. Well done!

[@lanceleavitt7472]

Amazing amount of research, thanks for the great upload.

[@vapoholics]

I’m from Muncie, saw the plaque, and decided to do a little research. Thank you for the video, you’ve done a amazing job. Also very familiar with steamboat racing on the Ohio. What a task, it isn’t as spectacular due to the technology these days but 30 years ago it wasn’t a whole lot different than in the early 1900s. These are awesome boats and deserve a study. Again thank you and keep up the good work

[@sunsetrecords2548]

Really loved this documentary. Really well done!

[@jamieryall8341]

Excellent presentation. Thank you.

[@jeremy28135]

Excellent video. Fantastically researched

[@heidisalaka6938]

Great documentary as usual. !

[@jesterr7133]

I live close to the location of the Sultana disaster, and it is a well known part of history where I live. The flow of the river has changed over the centuries, and the location of the ship is now on dry land today. I have actually stood at the site of the wreck. It is an eerie feeling to think that so many people drowned in a spot that is no longer under water. It lets you know how powerful nature can actually be.

[@sickoftheshit]

It makes me sick how expendable human lives are when it comes to war and greed.

[@Packless1]

...the 'Wilhelm Gustlof' comes to mind...! ☹

[@zniloserkrf5790]

I'd known of this event, but not in this detail, good work!

[@steveclapper5424]

Wonderful story telling.

[@FloozieOne]

I knew about this because I moved to New Orleans immediately after Hurricane Katrina. When I because a tour guide here I learned far more about this an other river stories, and often mentioned this incident reminding people that the famous Titanic only saw some 1,500 deaths while this forgotten tragedy killed 1,200 although the true number will never be known since when a bribe was paid the man was just told to get on board but no record of his passage was made. As usual your presentations are so complete and technically superior that I doubled my knowledge in under 25 minutes.

[@planetdisco4821]

This video actually reminded me that in the mid 80’s as an apprentice boilermaker I assisted on the fabrication of an actual working paddle steamer in Albury/Wodonga on the Murray river here in Australia. The PS Cumberoona. Huh. Amazing. I’d almost completely forgotten about it, but yeah, I also had to make an actual working boiler as my journeyman piece before I graduated from trade school. They run under seriously high pressures. You don’t want to be near one if it fails…

[@julien8629]

This is a wonderful channel. Keep up the great content

[@johnwedow2117]

Thank you for your work

[@bozodog428]

Excellent as always!

[@dukem991]

Thanks for telling this story

[@tgfabthunderbird1]

Son Volt did a beautifully haunting song in honor of the vessel and those who perished on her.

[@deecody5427]

there song is really beautiful. there are also good songs about the Sultana by Dulahan (a band from Dayton, Ohio) and Jennie Avila.

[@michaeltutty1540]

A very fascinating and informative video. Well done indeed!

[@williewonka6694]

Thanks for this fine video on the Sultana, one of the last great tragedies of the Civil War.

[@davidpinegar6143]

Thank You ! Great content !!

[@christophermerlot3366]

Thanks for this. I'd never heard of the Sultana wreck. As someone with no training in engineering or design I really appreciate how you show the design (and human) flaws that often factor into these disasters. ps have you ever heard of the destruction of the Morro Castle? The fire on board may have been deliberate but the design of the ship pretty much insured the fire would spread very quickly.

[@bookapillar]

Hey that case sounds very interesting yet probably tragic, I hope there is a video this well produced and narrated about it someday!

[@theravenseye9443]

If anyone is interested I did a video on the Morro Castle. A real bizarre case to say the least.

[@ibamINV]

@@theravenseye9443 -- I just discovered this impressive channel tonight and subscribed because of the superior presentation and quality of this video. Now I shall search for yours as well. Thanks for posting.

[@shfity5]

Glad I stumbled on the video. I’ll be sure to check out your other work, and look forward to future content.

[@jonasjacobsen9702]

Your videos are really good! This channel is gold

[@OrbitFallenAngel]

Wow! I have read a little bit about the Sultana Disaster. But, wow! You went into some serious depth about it! Thank you so much! ❤ I've always believed that it was overloaded and it definitely was in need of repairs!! That dang Captain and the Camp Cohorts should have been charged with MURDER!! Because that's what it was, plain and simple!! I know, the Captain most likely didn't survive. But it hurts me to know that all of those Union Soldiers who simply wanted to go home instead were callously murdered by the GREED of others who didn't care or were too ignorant to the fact!! Your videos are all so well thought out and very well put together and you explain everything in great detail!! I believe I have found my new favorite KZbin channel!! ❤❤

[@hurricanebee1140]

Those poor lost souls; They left one hell and then because of greed ended up in another. May the Lord watch over you all

[@catfishbilly7425]

Just discovered your channel & subscribed. Watched a number of vids now, I really like your presentation... clear, informative and humbling, not overly dramatic. You preserve a sense of humanity that's not found elsewhere. May I ask, where can I find the background music used in your opening at 0:20 and heard again at 3:50? Thanks

[@jonlamontagne]

I think we can all say that A.C. Brown heard what the gates of hell sounds like! One of the unlucky few that survived one of these chaotic blanket of death all around you moments. The only thing you can see, hear, feel, smell, and even taste is death. Has to be terrifying in the moment and haunting for the rest of your days!

[@kathmandu1575]

Excellent video - thanks!

[@kenkahre9262]

I always knew that the early steam boilers were not good and that steamboats had a very short lifespan on the river, but this was the first time I've had anybody explain exactly why. Thank you.

[@bassmechanic237]

You have a great channel here. You will catch on and make it. Just hang in there. You rock sir!

[@80sMetalHead]

Another GREAT upload. Thanks! A+A+

[@Guitar4life99]

I'm glad I stumbled on this, after all these years I'd never heard about it. Even if it wasn't the mechanics patch up job which they sound to have been forced into doing, I can't help but wonder how they dealt with the tragedy, I can't begin to imagine the amount of guilt they'd have felt.

[@robinchristmas6448]

The story of the Sultana is tragic on so many levels. You have done a worthy job of presenting the circumstances and facts. Thank you for your hard work and for sharing this video. I, too, have family lost in those dark, cold waters and fire. To survive the civil war, be imprisoned and suffer a horrible death getting home and be a victim of corruption. God bless their souls, rest in peace and know that you are remembered.

[@jonathanstrong4812]

RIP INDEED

[@StephenC.Tucker]

My Great Great Great Grandfather was aboard the Sultana at the time of explosion. He survived. Quartermaster Sergeant H.T. Linginfelter, 3rd Tennessee Cavalry (Union). Imprisoned at Cahaba, Al.

[@martinkennard1669]

My 4th great grandfather was also a survivor. Imprisoned at Cahab camp. PVT Leon Charles Sulier was a member of Company K, 18th Michigan Infantry.

[@bwktlcn]

In my mind, the Sultana and the USS Indianapolis share many of the same issues. End of a war, and people wanted the feel-good “Johnny made it home to the girl who waited for him,” not “the Union refused to perform any more prisoner swaps, despite reports of terrible conditions in the better provisioned prisoner of war camps in Chicago much less what the conditions had to have been in Andersonville (to try to force Confederate concessions or take soldiers away from the front lines to guard the prisoners); after the war, the Union quartermasters shoved soldiers on every inch of the ship (even though there were empty steamers along side), the ship’s owners didn’t care they had a dicey boiler because they got money for every body they could carry,” and “nobody looked for Indianapolis for a week, and when it was reported, it was on the back pages because the war was over and nobody wanted to hear about dead sailors.” Both groups of men just abandoned by their own military. But the court martialed the Captain of the Indianapolis, and from what I’ve been able to find, nobody was really punished for sending sick and injured men north on a broken ship…because, hey we won, let’s celebrate.😢

[@jonathanstrong4812]

DAMN ' IDIOTS!

[@livescript4462]

Thank you for your work. Just subscribed

[@Iconoplastt]

Great channel, tragic disaster. Cheers!

[@hankhammer1689]

Excellent content and Narration...