IOWA TERRITORY FORMED.
In 1840, the General Assembly located the seat of government on the river that gives name to the State, and called it the " City of Iowa." Immigration continued to increase ; and the census of 1840 presented a population of forty-three thousand and seventeen, while that of the Wisconsin territory was thirty thousand nine hundred and forty-five persons. In 1843, the territorial legislature of Iowa petitioned Congress for authority to adopt a State constitution, which was granted at the next session, and on the 7th of October, 1844, the Convention assembled and adopted a constitution, which was not approved by Congress.
Another Convention was held 1846, the limits restricted, and the amended constitution adopted, which was submitted to Congress in June, and the State received into the Union simultaneously with Florida.
Steamboat explosions and other disasters have of late years become 1838.] so numerous, that the limits of this work will not admit of a particular account of them. Yet the explosion of the steamer Moselle, in 1838, to the horrible exhibition consequent upon which the publisher was an eye-witness, and which, in "Lloyd's Steamboat LHsasters," is justly called " an event that is still believed to be almost without a parallel in the annals of steamboat calamities," was so remarkable, that an account of it will, no doubt, be acceptable. The following is chiefly taken from the work referred to:
The Moselle was regarded as the very paragon of western steamboats ; she was perfect in form and construction, elegant and superb in all her equipments, and enjoyed a reputation for speed which admitted of no rivalship. As an evidence that the latter was not undeserved, it need only be mentioned that her last trip from St. Louis to Cincinnati, seven hundred aud fifty miles, was performed in two days and sixteen hours, the quickest trip, by several hours, that had ever been made between the two places.
On the afternoon of April 25th, 1838, between four and five o'clock, the Moselle left the landing at Cincinnati, bound for St. Louis, with an unusually large number of passengers, supposed to be not less than two hundred and eighty, or according to some accounts, three hundred. It was a pleasant afternoon, and all on board probably anticipated a delightful voyage. The Moselle proceeded about a mile up the river to take on some German emigrants. At this time, it was observed by an experienced engineer on board, that the steam had been raised to an unusual height, and when the boat stopped for the purpose just mentioned, it was