Episode 16: Sultana Disaster
From Wreckage & Ruins by CC and Kitty
April 15, 2026 · 45 min · Episode 17
About this episode
CC and Kitty explore the deadliest maritime disaster in U.S. history, the Sultana disaster, detailing its causes, the explosion, and the aftermath.
CC and Kitty explore the Sultana disaster, the deadliest maritime disaster in U.S. history. In April 1865, an overloaded Mississippi River steamboat carrying paroled Union soldiers exploded north of Memphis after a rushed boiler repair and an impossible passenger load. This episode follows the Sultana from Vicksburg to the explosion, the rescue effort, and the long trail of disputed casualty counts, weak accountability, and near-forgotten memory. SOURCES: https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/sultana-disaster https://www.thesultanaassociation.com/the-disaster https://www.sultanadisastermuseum.com/hannah-and-seth-hardin https://www.sultanadisastermuseum.com/new-artifacts Alligator information: https://emergingcivilwar.com/2025/04/27/tragic-end-of-sultanas-mascot-alligator/
People in this episode
Host: Kitty
Topics covered
- Sultana disaster
- maritime disaster
- U.S. history
- Civil War
Keywords
- Mississippi River
- Union soldiers
- boiler repair
- casualty counts
Mentioned in this episode
Products: Sultana
Places: Sultana, U.S., Mississippi River, Memphis, Vicksburg
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