Episode 9: The Sultana Part 1

Join us as we step back in history to the close of the US Civil War when one of the largest maritime disasters in US history claimed the lives of 1,800 people on the Mississippi River. The tragic explosion and subsequent fire on the Steamboat Sultana was so greatly overshadowed by other events at the time, that less than 2% of Americans surveyed knew about the disaster. However, this story includes criminal negligence, bribery, and corruption that leads all the way to the front door of the White House. In addition, there are even allegations of sabotage. How did such a massive tragedy become just a footnote in American History? We'll explain. 

 

Book Sources:

Sultana, A Case for Sabotage by D. H. Rule

The Sultana Tragedy by Jerry O. Potter

Loss of the Sultana and Reminiscences of Survivors compiled by Rev. Chester D. Berry. 

Documentary Sources:

History Detectives Special Investigations: Civil War Sabotage (PBS)

In Search of History - Sultana: Mississippi's Titanic (The History Channel)