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Podcast: Reelfoot Forward
Episode: Ep. 196: Jerry Potter: The Sultana Tragedy: America’s Greatest Maritime Disaster
Description: This spring marked the 160th anniversary of the worst maritime disaster in United States history. The Sultana left Memphis on April 27, 1865, carrying three times the number of passengers for which it was designed. Tragedy struck later that evening when the boilers ruptured, causing the steamer to explode. Many were killed immediately in the blast, while others were crushed or died from burns, hypothermia or drowning. Of the approximately 2,400 people on board, about 1,800 died.
Retired Memphis lawyer and author Jerry Potter, who literally wrote the book on the Sultana, joins us to share the story of the disaster and its aftermath...