The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1850-05-06
Ml miscellaneous.
Further Particulars of the Burning Of the
steamboart Belle of the West
From the Cincinnati Enquirer.

OF LIVES Lost, There was q most painful
rumor put in circulation yesterday about
noon, that the steamer Belle of The West
caught on fire and was burneds badly that
she blew up. Of course such n rumor
caused no little excitement, ,nnd oil thesour-
cesthat could be suggested were hurrledly
visited by large numb sfinterestedper-
son. The Belle left here OH Monday yeyen-
ing for st. Louis, with from 200 to 22S pas
sengers, in the cabin and on deck. The
Visitor arrived about one o'clock yester-
day, and confirmed the rumor. We saw
Mr.. Slocum, The second Clerk of the ViSi-
tor, who informed us that the Belle cahght
fire in the hold, near the hour OF IL O'Clock
Monday night, at the foot of Warsaw
Bar.
As soon as it was discovered, one of the
pilots ran up on deck and communicated
the fact to his partner at the wheel, who
instantly headed her in shore but SO conf
bustible were her materials and the freight
she contained, she burned like finder, and
before she could reach the shore the whole
boat from bow to stern, was in Hight blaze.
When the flames bursted from the hatches,
scene commenced which was OF the
most distressing kind men and women,
says passenger, VIM. Daniels, who
came down on deck from Marietta, in
struggling to gain the guards Of the
boat to jump over, were driven back
| by the flames and burnedto death. After
he gained the shore, which he did by run
ming down aplank the mate had order.
ed to be put out On the beach, he looked
back and saw many, both male and female
clinging to the guards, uttering the most
! piteous shrieks, and when exhausted with
the pain ofburning, they relinquished their
hold, fell into the river, and were drown
ed.
! One younglady had guinedthe hurricane
deck and was seen holding on to the
casing of one of the chimnies until she
was perfectly overcome with fear, when
she sank down. in the flames and was seen no
more. Mr.. Daniels says it was the most
heart.sickenng sight that could possibly be
imugiued-to see SO many human beings
wrestling with the consuming element with
no possibility Of saving them.
| In about thirty minutes after the fire
wos first discovered, an explosion Of the
connection pipe took place, which rendered
the boat a complete wreck, and then nUt
living thing was seen on board.
| A young man, having in charge his faith
er and mother, when the fire made its ap-
pcarance, caught hold OF their trunk con-
tanning valuables, and carried it ashore !;
attempting 10 return, in less than min
ute he was prevented by the instantsrread
Of the flames, and he could only look on and
see hisparents consumed by the raging
element.
| 1t is supposed that not far from two hun
dred passengers on board, and when the
call was made from the register, only six
ty-nine answered to their names, which,
allowing for some who may have strnyed
away from the horrid scene, would make
upwards of one hundred human beings that
persisted.
Amongthe sufferers were great many
Indies and children. and the soyerest loss
was among the cabin passengers.
II is believed by all that the fire caught
in the hold, and the carpenter gives it as
his opinion that it must have been burning
for an hour or two before It was discover
ed, when it was seen in the after hatch ;
he, in company with some Of the crew,
secured the hose for the purpose Of check
ing the flames, when, they missed two
ofits sections, rendering their attempt
fruitless. His next thought was TO scuttIe
the boat, in order to save her, but when he
sought for his axe, which was in his tool
chest, the crowd was too dense for him to
reach II. He saw on moving about that the
forward hatch was up, allowing circula-
ton of air through the hold, thus increasing
the flames and while in the uct Of closing
it man ran against him, fell into the hold
and he had hardly time to notice him when
the heat forced him off.
One gentleman on board, bound for To-
wa, portion of his baggage being gun
threw his trunk ashore then started back
for his gun on bis way through the cabin
he saw group Of six or seven children
"never mind the gun" thought he, and he
gathered up three Of them and carried them
to safe place, before he could return for
the others il was to late 10 rescue them.
Some one had cut the yawl loose, and
hoated off in it.
One of our citizens, Thomas M. Ruth
erford, who was on boards passenger to
Louisville, describes the affair as being
truly awful. When the alarm was given
he rushed out Of his state-room, caught up
q lady who was in his why, and succeeded
in reaching the shore with her in his arms
Mr.. r. confirms the statement as to the
probable number lost.
We shall probably obtain farther purtic.
ulnrs tomorrow, and we hope they will
prove that The details are exaggerated.
Robbery at cynthiann, Kentucky,
The Louisville Courier of the 25ih
lenrns from a nrivnte letter that Cynthia m