Emergencies and World Disasters
Buried Under a Field: The Forgotten Sultana Massacre
25 min•31 juli 2026
Om avsnittet
Buried Under a Field: The Forgotten Sultana Massacre
A plow struck timber thirty-two feet below a soybean field and revealed the deadliest maritime disaster in American history buried four miles from downtown Memphis. The steamboat Sultana was carrying 2,127 people on a vessel built for 461, and 1,164 died after three boilers exploded-so how did this catastrophe happen, and why did the nation forget it so quickly?
In this episode, we follow the chain of decisions, economic pressures, and failed repairs that led the Sultana to be overloaded and to sail with compromised boilers, and we ask whether corruption and haste turned a working boat into a floating coffin.
Person: Captain James Cass Mason
Date: April 27, 1865
Location: Four miles from downtown Memphis
Event: Boiler explosions on the steamboat Sultana
Death toll: 1,164
- The Sultana carried 2,127 people on a vessel legally rated for 376 passengers plus 85 crew (total 461).
- Three boilers exploded before 2:00 a.m., causing 1,164 deaths.
- The Sultana was launched January 3, 1863, measured 260 feet long, 42 feet wide, and had four fire-tube boilers each 18 feet long and 46 inches in diameter.
- The Union Army paid between $2.50 and $5.00 per enlisted man transported, making an overfilled run worth "close to a fortune."
- A mechanic at Vicksburg recommended a two-to-three day repair to replace a bulged boiler seam, but Chief Engineer Nathan Wintringer ordered a one-day patch of thinner metal instead.
To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.
© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
A plow struck timber thirty-two feet below a soybean field and revealed the deadliest maritime disaster in American history buried four miles from downtown Memphis. The steamboat Sultana was carrying 2,127 people on a vessel built for 461, and 1,164 died after three boilers exploded-so how did this catastrophe happen, and why did the nation forget it so quickly?
In this episode, we follow the chain of decisions, economic pressures, and failed repairs that led the Sultana to be overloaded and to sail with compromised boilers, and we ask whether corruption and haste turned a working boat into a floating coffin.
Person: Captain James Cass Mason
Date: April 27, 1865
Location: Four miles from downtown Memphis
Event: Boiler explosions on the steamboat Sultana
Death toll: 1,164
- The Sultana carried 2,127 people on a vessel legally rated for 376 passengers plus 85 crew (total 461).
- Three boilers exploded before 2:00 a.m., causing 1,164 deaths.
- The Sultana was launched January 3, 1863, measured 260 feet long, 42 feet wide, and had four fire-tube boilers each 18 feet long and 46 inches in diameter.
- The Union Army paid between $2.50 and $5.00 per enlisted man transported, making an overfilled run worth "close to a fortune."
- A mechanic at Vicksburg recommended a two-to-three day repair to replace a bulged boiler seam, but Chief Engineer Nathan Wintringer ordered a one-day patch of thinner metal instead.
To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.
© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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