Скачать или смотреть The Forgotten Tragedy pf SS Sultana

In the spring of 1865, the SS Sultana, a Mississippi River steamboat, was packed with over 2,000 recently freed Union soldiers heading home from the Civil War. Designed to carry just 376 passengers, the overcrowded vessel faced a dire fate.

On the night of April 27, 1865, near Memphis, Tennessee, one of the Sultana's boilers exploded. The blast tore through the wooden boat, igniting a fierce fire. Chaos ensued as passengers scrambled for their lives, many jumping into the cold, fast-moving river.

In the end, more than 1,800 souls perished in the disaster, making it the deadliest maritime tragedy in U.S. history. The SS Sultana's story remains a somber reminder of the perils faced during a nation’s recovery from war.

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