Ben Sherod

The Ben Sherod was an American steamboat that caught fire and then exploded on May 8, 1837, about 30 mi south of Natchez, Mississippi. The fire ignited explosions of barrels of whiskey and brandy, and 39 barrels of gunpowder. The ship's boilers ultimately blew up as well. An estimated 175 people died of roughly 225 aboard. She had been steaming from New Orleans to Louisville.