The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1850-05-09

BURNING OF THE bEl1LE of in1' /" -
telegrsphic dispatch announced 10 our
readers las, week tho burning Of the above
steamer on the Ohio river and tho loss q
nearly ono hundred lives. Later inse'l',
renee authenticates the first report. 81
soon a. the FIRE was discovered The captain
ran the boat ashore, threw ont the staging
and aroused tho passengers from their
slumbcrs.
The following extract is from the LOUIS
vile JoMnal:-
1.-THE progress Of the fire was tremendous
Within FIVE minutes Of its discovery, the entire
boa, seemed wrapped in flames. A large pro-
portion Of the passengers were still on board ana
the scene was now terrible beyond description
Men, women and children were running and
shriekng over cabin and deck, some IN their con-
fusion mis,ook their way and rushed INTO INC
midst Of the flames, and others plunged into the
river on the side of the boat fathcst from the
shore, and persisted in the waters. 10 add 70
the horrors Of the occasion, the steam pipe ours',
or one Of the flues collapsed in the midst OF the
raging Of the FIRE, and three or four passengers
were dangerously ecalded.
aThe sights and sounds upon the shore were
indeed awful. The mu titude were rushing ~
all directions in search Of husbands, wlves' IA
,hcrs, mothers, brothers, sisters and children,
and the shrek Of doubt and anxiety, the wild
scream Of apprehensions realized, and the cry Of
ioy at the meeting Of relatives and friends filled
the air."
A painful rumor is af1oat that the boat
was set on fire BY the relatives Of a family
which was put ashore at Cincinnati with
the small pox.
The following additional particulars are
from the Louisville Courier
.The loss of life by the burning Of the Belle
Of the West, near Warsaw, is believed to exceed
Is persons. At the frs, alarm OF the lire, the
Captain threw overheard lot Of powder that
was slowed in the forecas,le.
"A Mr.. Wing, Of Portsmouth, Ohio, took cab
In passage at Cincinnati for himself and family,
consisting Of wife and four children. He is
the only survivor of the family.
GA Mr.. Andrews, of Marietta, lost both his
parents, who were cabin passengers on the boat.
A poor emgrans from Virginia, by the name of
Wagner, with a wife and eight children, lost
three of his children by the disaster. AT the
first alarm he seized three of them, and telling
the others to follow, succeeded in reaching the
shore. His wife was saved by being thrown
headlong into the yawl alongside OF the boat.
"a German family of the name of Brett, to-
gether with two other families, whose names we
did not learn, were oil lost. They were emigra-
ting to Iowa"
It is stated, in the same paper, that il
will be almost impossible to ascertain GER
tainly the number ofki,led, as the accounts
are very contradictory. The Cincinnati
Commercial has the following:-
"We saw Mr. John W. Young, first mate Of
the unfortunate Belle of the West, last evening.
He is last up from the scene Of disaster. He
saws il was the most awful scene imaginable.
When he left the wreck yesterday morning, at
II O'Clock, there had been twen,y-six dead bod
les recovered, besides tho remains, in charcoal,
of five bodies on the boilers, and other places,
principally in charcoal. An old gentleman and
lady from Marietta were burned together on the
boilers. Mr.. Young thinks there may have
been one hundred lost The scene is described
as awful. Mr. Y. is entitled to grea, praise for
saving life and property. A friend assures US
that he has saved four lives. He holds receipts
for property restored to the owners. The Off
GERS all deserve well.''
The Evansville Journal says
ga committee to receive contributions for
the relief Of the sufferers, was appointed by the
citizens Of Louisville, and during Wednesday
collected S6i82 5. This amount was distributed
among the unfortunate passengers, and enabled
many ofthem 10 continue their journeys"
CALIFORNIA EMIGRANrs.-The Iowa Re
publican says, s'Iowa has furnished a, a
moderate calculation, Ten thousand emf
c.cnt. e., H. ca1J .ox.a.. Ill, -