Explosion of the A.N. Johnson

Date: Dec 1847 [unknown]
Location: Ohio River, 11 miles above Maysville, Mason, Kentucky, United States
Surnames/tags: Kentucky West_Virginia Ohio

Explosion of the steamer boat A.N. Johnson, a new boat built in Wheeling, WV, which exploded on the return trip on its maiden voyage to Cincinnati, OH.

This profile is a WIP- I hope to compile accounts of the Explosion, & link all those listed has having been on the boat to this page. My third-great-grandfather, John M. Koehnlein, listed as John Kenline at the time, is believed to have been one of the survivors.

Known passengers (from Lloyd's Steamboat Directory, & the Pittsburgh Daily Press, adapted & alphabetized)

Mr. [given name unknown] All, of Parkersburg, VA

William Allen, of Wheeling, VA

A. Bacon, of Warren, OH

Alexander Bailey, of Ohio. badly scalded

Hamilton Barebout, of Warren, OH

J. Barnett, of Dayton, OH, saved

William Beard, of St. Louis, saved

[gnu] Bennet, son of the Captain

H. J. Bonner, of Hanover, IN, saved

Anderson Bonum, of Cincinnati

Benjamin Bonum, of Cincinnati

John Borum, of Clarington, OH

John Boyd, of Warren, OH, saved

James Bromdon, of Bellaire, OH

[gnu] Captain, of Parkersburg, VA

John Clancy, of Cincinnati, saved

[gnu] Conway, of Graham's Station (?), saved

S. Cunningham, of Cumberland, MD, saved

A. Davis, of Parkersburg, VA

J. R. Deary, of Athens County, OH

William Everhart & son, of PA, scalded

Samuel Fisher, of Warren, OH, scalded

P. Flesher, of Doddridge County, VA

Arthur Foal, of Pittsburgh, saved

John Fowler, of Ohio, saved

John Gilbreath, of Pittsburgh, badly scalded

Doctor [gnu] Gillespie, of New Orleans, killed; refused medical help when it came

C. Hardin, of Guyandotte, VA, saved

John Hardy, of Cincinnati, saved

M. R. Hayden, of Pittsburgh, saved

James Henderson, of Belmont County, OH

R. Hickson, of Ohio

F. A. Horne (T. A. Horn?), of Ohio, saved

A. N. Johnson (owner & namesake of boat), w/ wife & son, of Wheeling, VA; husband & wife survived, the son did not.

John Kenline, of Ohio, saved

J. Kirkpatrick, of Massilon, OH, scalded

William Knight, of Virginia, saved

Henry Ladd, of Randolph, OH

William Ladd, of Randolph, OH

Mr. [gnu] Lands, of Parkersburg, VA

James M. Lissorn, of Ohio

Augustus Marsh, slightly scalded

Mr. [gnu] McCullough, of Parkersburg, VA

F. McDonald, of Pittsburgh, saved

O. McTygart, of Parkersburg, VA

William Miller, of Cincinnati, saved

G. Parker, of Pittsburgh

William Parker, of Dilley's Bottom, OH

Samuel Philson, of Baltimore, scalded

F. Platter, of Ohio, saved

E. J. Pole, of Athens County, OH

[gnu] Redman, a flat-boat hand, killed

Cyrus Rollin, of Letart Falls, OH, saved

Robert Russell, of Ohio, saved

D. Rutledge, of OH, scalded

S. S. Saunders, of Cincinnati, badly scalded

Jacob Schafer, of Ohio, scalded

Henry Shade, of Cincinnati, saved

Jacob Shoewalter, of Warren County, OH

James Sprouts, of Warren, OH

J. Swagert, of Bellaire, OH, saved

Edmund Swaggart, of Bellaire, OH

C. Walker, of New York, badly injured but not dead as of 5 Jan

G. S. Weatherby, of Philadelphia

C. Weaver, of Wheeling, VA

N. Wheat, of Baltimore, scalded

James Wickersham, of Pittsburgh, saved

John Williams, of Warren, OH

Known Crew:

Captain Abram Bennet, co-owner w/ Johnson

A. Fairchild, first clerk, of Wheeling, killed.

Jacob Johnson, second clerk, missing

James Bellsville, carpenter, missing

John Lyle, second engineer, killed.

Matthew Wilson, first mate, of Pennsylvania, leg broken.

James Fennell, barkeeper, of Cincinnati, slightly scalded

John Fennell, first steward, of Cincinnati, badly scalded

Alfred Burrows, second steward, of Cincinnati, badly scalded

William Dorsey, second pilot, of Wheeling, badly bruised

Samuel P. Hardin, first cook, missing

A porter & a barber, names unknown at this time, both badly scalded.

Two men's bodies were located in the aftermath that were never identified.