Steamboat Princess explodes and sinks on the lower Mississippi with heavy loss of life

The Mississippi steamboat Princess had just left Baton Rouge headed downstream to New Orleans when its boilers blew up and the vessel sank. The Princess was fully loaded at the time since the legislative session had just ended in Baton Rouge and many others were making their way to New Orleans for the Mardi Gras celebrations. Nearby steamboats and other craft picked up survivors but up to seventy passengers were killed, drowned, or later died of their injuries. (By John Osborne)