Shows, in the distance, clouds of smoke rising from the Philadelphia and Camden Ferry Co. steamboat under the winter night sky as rowboats race to and from the wreck. In the foreground, two survivors sit and cling to cakes of ice near floating debris. In the right of the image, her sister ferry "Dido" travels to the rescue, the ship's reflection visible in the water. Captained by Ebenezer Corson, the "New Jersey," on mid-voyage to Camden from Philadelphia via an alternate elongated route due to heavy ice, caught fire as the result of defective boilers. With the fire spreading rapidly, Corson retreated to Arch Street Wharf in Philadelphia, and came within thirty feet of the pier when the pilot house collapsed leaving the boat unmanned and out of control. Corson survived by leaping ashore before the uncontrolled ship drifted back out on the river., Philadelphia on Stone, POS 154, Historical Society of Pennsylvania: Bc 83 N 548, See reduced variant "Conflagration of the steam boat New Jersey on the Delaware River opposite Philada. March 15th 1856 in which 50 persons lost their lives" [LCP Wainwirght 82, P.2026]
Creator
Heiss, George G.
Date
[1856]
Location
Historical Society of Pennsylvania HSP Bc 83 N 548
Copyrighted by A. Pharazin., Date of publication supplied by Wainwright., Dramatic view of the steamboat engulfed in flames and smoke, the captain still at the helm as the passengers, including African Americans, escape for their lives into the icy river. Panicked passengers jump into the water already teeming with disaster victims who thrash, swim, and attempt to stay upon and assist others onto cakes of ice, debris, and a single rowboat. Rescuers from the nearby wharf, including firemen, work frantically and desperately throw a rope to a woman standing afloat a cake of ice. Contains the names of the 107 white and "colored" dead, missing, and saved passengers in three columns below the image. Captained by Ebenezer Corson, the "New Jersey," on mid-voyage to Camden from Philadelphia via an alternate elongated route due to heavy ice, caught fire as the result of defective boilers. With the fire spreading rapidly, Corson retreated to Arch Street Wharf in Philadelphia, and came within thirty feet of the pier when the pilot house collapsed leaving the boat unmanned and out of control. Corson survived by leaping ashore before the uncontrolled ship drifted back out on the river.
Date
[[1856]
Location
http://www.lcpgraphics.org/wainwright/W478.htm, Library Company of Philadelphia Print Dept. *W478 [P.2252]