Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1841-09-24
BUR.vZvG or TINE ERE.
BY 4 SURVIVE

BURNLvG or TINE ERIE.
BY SURVIVOR.
About o'clock was sitting in the saloon
raFmerlee. the barkeeper, had just made me
Pnnch' and we were playing rubber Of whis,
when all at once we heard slight explosion
and Kissing sound, and cry of FIRE. So man,
accidents have occurred, and had 50 school
ca myself to the thought Of such an accident
mat feIt comparatively cool and self possess
ed. isprung to the floor, followed by Pa
merlee, and we were met by mass OF scorcb
ing flame. rushed forward. He followed
: but no more. OF the dozen or fifteen IN the
saloon at that moment, not another survives
In second all that part of the boat neares,
10 where the flames burst out, the boiler deck.
was all in flames. and they must have perish.
% horribly in the saloon, from which there was
no escape.
On going forward saw in moment the
whole terror Of the scene. The flames burst
ou' 10 immense masses, and were driven back
oy me wind, enveloping. in one minute, the
whole body Of the boat. Titus sprung to the
| vince, and headed her TO the shore, and the
wind now drove the flames Into every part Of
her, and she rolled over the seas mass of FIRE
for she had been lately painted, and her PAN
mel work vanished, so that she caught as if
| dipped in spirits Of turpentine.
I'hen the air was filled with shrieks of ago
| ny and despair. The boldest turned pale at
that awful moment. shall never forget the
wa'' OF terror shat went up from the poo, Ger
man emigranss, who were huddled together on
the forward deck. Wives chung to their hus.
bands. mothers fran,icaIIy pressed their babes
| TO their bosoms, lovers chung madly 10 each
other. One venerable old man, his gray hairs
streaming in the wind, stood on tho bows, and
stretching out his bony hands, prayed TO God
IN the language Of his father-land.
Bot II the scene forward was terrible, that
aft was appalling, for there the flames were ra-
ging In their greatest fury. Some mady rush
cd Into the hse: Others, with yell like de-
mon nad.lsned ssi't Ii a~-------ts.-
waves. The officers Of the boa, and its crew.
were generally cool, and sprung to lower the
boats, but these were every ono successively
swamped by those who threw themselves into
them, regardless Of the execrations Of the sail |
ors, and Of every thing but their own safety.
tried to act coolly-I kept near the captain,
who seemed TO take courage from despair, and
whose bearing vas above all praise. The boat
was veeriog towards the shore, but the mad
deucd flames now developed the wheel-house,
aud in moment the machinery stopped. The
last hope had left us-and wilder shrek rose |
upon the air <: at this moment the second engi- |
neeY, the one At the time on duty, who had
stood by his machinery as long rs it would
work. was seen climbing the gallows head, a
black mass, with the flames curling around
him. On neither side he could not 90, for it |
was one mass Of IRE. He sprung upward,
came 10 the top, one moment felt madly around
iriurc Tsfrasntirng utf Doh'u, 7u' 0Ou' W."
broached round aud rolled upon tho swe!Iing
-,,e. of I eai1ed uDon A Settee
near me, and gave one spring, just as the flames
were bursting through the deck where stood
lone moment more aud should have been IN
the flames. One moment, and found myself
tossed on wave, grasping my frail support
with desperate energy. AT one moment saw
nothing but the yawning deep and the black
ching sky-at the next the flaming mass was
before me, as the wave pit he'd me up; and a
round me were my fellow passengers, strns-
ling with the waves, some supported by no.
thing but their strong arms-every moment
growing weaker, while the wild, agonlzlng
shrieks Of those who were every moment Ia
king their last look at the upper world. and
those who were still cIinging to the bulwarks,
but every moment dropping with every pitch
of the vessel, made such scene as nightly
haun,s nv dreams. and can never be oblltera-
ted while memory remains.
r l had been in the water out snort tme.
though every minute seemed an age, when
heard the voice Of Capt. Titus, who was the
last to leave the vessel, was now IN the water,
calling out with firm voice, Courage-hold
on-help is coming" One word OF hope =
how il cheered us in that hour of gloom.
| looked and saw the lights Of a steamboat. and
| in a short time, the hull Of the Clinton, which,
! upon seeing the FIRE. FASTENED to our assist
ance. Her boats were ready lowered, and gnl-
del by the light Of the vessel and the prayers
for hep. twenty-seven of US were saved from
a watery grave Some were terribly burned,
and some in the last stage OF exhaustion' out
all thankful for their preservation.
OF the poor German emlgranis, 40 not
know that one vas saved. Parents and chill,
dren seem to have found one common grave,
and Law at the bottom Of the lake all locked
together. There was but one female OF the
whole number saved, and among the Passen-
gers were some of superior elegance and rare
Beauty. The number burned and drowned can
not be less thanatwo hundred. ltmay be more.
Oh never again may witness such a scene
Of horror. Il seems like frightful sdream-
only too real. That pale old man haunts me.
The agony of some of those beautiful young
Girls will be impressed upon my mind forever,
and would that could forget the horrlcle
sicht Of that poor fellow, calling IN the air Tor
some escape from the flames which were ra-
oinc all around him. It was all terrible =
dreadful horrible! can find no language
which will portray nv feelings. Adleu.