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Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 270, 20 August 1872, Page 3

Another appalling steamboat disaster on the Mississippi has startled the country. The steamboat Oceauus, one of a line which plies between St. Louis aud ports on the Red River, in Arkansas, was steaming up the Mississippi yesterday morning, April 11th, and at about 4 a.m., when some thirty miles above the mouth of the Ohio river, her boilers exploded. The shock was tremendous, blowing the upper work to pieces, aud scattering fire in all directions, so that the wreck was in a very short time burnt to the water's edge. The calamity was so sudden and so complete, that the survivors, who were awakened from -a sound sleep by tlic explosion, can give no reason for it and but little account of it. All they know is that the boat was blown to pieces ; that the wreck took fire, and that very little time was given to save their lives. There were, all told, about 100 persons on board, aud of these 40 survive, the most of them injured. Many were burnt to death, this being the fate of the captain, some of the pilots and officers, aud of several women who were on board, the falling timber crushing them and preventing their escape. Other* were drowned, several • being found iu the river with lift preservers oii 5 evidently frozen to death. Ten or twelve persons died after having been rescued. From various points on the Mssissippi reports are being received of the fin cling of corpses, and four or five steamboats iu different parts of the river picked up the survivors iloatiug ou fragments of the wreck, , the largest party being rescued by the steamboat Relic St. Louis. The Oceanus was a boat of average size, valued at 38,000 dols.

We l Australasian ) bear that the formal opening of the great Melbourne organ has been fixed for some time about the middle of August. The "organic mind,” if such a term be admissible, is greatly exercised upon the subject, and tins is not to be wondered at when the control of such a n ble instrument is looked upon amongst organists iu much the same light as the command of a ship by naval mou. Excellent tilings, both of them, in their way, and at the right time ; tin-re may be occasions when a voluntary oti the Cerberus by Professor Pantcr would be more grateful to the general year than the most complex fugue that was ever played in the Town Hall by Commodore Lee or Captain Plaisted. There is one thing already certain iu connection with the organ, namely, that its exceptional powers have already attracted the attention of players of repute in the old country, aud that applications for appointment as chief organist from that distant part of the world have already reached here ; and besides + his. has not Air G. B Allen wiitteu to the Argus , and been replied to by Aliquis ? M aud is there not to be a grand organ recital at St. Stephen’s Church on Mouday night next ? These are all symptoms that we are shortly to have rather a lively time « f it in connection with organ music in gon< ral, and this instrument in particular. Be have an impression that it will be long ere a permanent appointment be made in favour of any one player. As a preliminary step the City Council will have to make up their minds on the subject of the salary to be attached to Jlie office ; and they may'be sure of this, that if they intend to secure the undivided services of a good man they will have to pay him handsomely. When are washerwomen the silliest of people ?—When they put out their tubs to catch soft water while it rains hard,