Latest / Emergencies and Natural Disasters
Burned to Bone, Shoes Intact: The Sarah Dixon Midnight Blast
Burned to Bone, Shoes Intact: The Sarah Dixon Midnight Blast
The Columbia River returned a body five days after a boiler tore apart the sternwheeler Sarah Dixon on the night of January 18, 1912, with every stitch burned away except the victim’s leather shoes-buckled in place. Three men died, the company paid $3,000 total, and the boat was back in service within eighteen months; what force could strip clothing and spare shoes in the same instant?
In this episode, we lay out the facts of the disaster and the vessel’s life before and after that night, from construction and electric lighting to…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.