Just for discussion's sake, here is what the entry in WAY'S PACKET DIRECTORY by Frederick Way (Ohio University Press, 1994) says about the MARIA (entry #3742):
A side-wheel, wooden hull packet built at Cincinnati, Ohio, 1864; rated at 254 tons; Owned by H.A. Jones, Thomas Sherlock, and Charles G. Pearce of Cincinnati. There was note in Cincinnati dispatches Nov. 14, 1864, that MARIA would bring to Pittsburgh the immense siege gun "Lady Davis" captured at Vicksburg. She made the trip but no mention in contemporary Pittsburgh papers that this came about. She loaded for St. Louis, (commanded by) Capt. William Dravo. On Dec. 11, 1864, she exploded boilers at Carondelet, Mo., with the THIRD IOWA and FOURTH MISSOURI Cavalry aboard, Capt. Alex Montgomery in command. The life loss was "immense", giving rise to the expression "hell and maria." Will Dravo, acting clerk, was badly scalded.
So, Way's information is contradictory to other sources...anybody have a casualty list? I have no idea what sources Way used for the information in his listing! (Reminds me of a Bruce Nichols quote about historical research being tedious--see msg#15836, posted 10 Oct 2010)
The newspaper account I cited seemed to indicate that most of the men made it ashore...except the ones killed outright by the explosion.
Maggie
"steamboat granny"