The Plymouth pilot. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1851-1852, 1851-10-29
Plymouth Marshall County, Indiana, Wednesday, Oct 29 1851

number. ordered onr baggage ashore. and
left the boat. fearing the consequences Of
remaining. We had hardl II time 10 leave,
ere the plank was drawn aboard.
Majestically she swings around her
breast TO the current; proudly the captain
stands on the dizzy edge of the hurricane
deck. enjoying The admiration Of the
spectators; one rev olttion or her paddles,
and then, o horrors! an explosion of
sound. as if The whole ARTILLERY of heav-
EN-. shook the air. mingled with the noise
OF THOUSAND crushing oaks. A breath
less moment of silence, aud then shrieks
upon shrieks. groans upon groans. wall
ings and yells OF despair, pierced the hor-
ror- struck ear Rivited with terror TO
tbs spot, around us fell in fearful aud
sickening shower, fragments OF human
flesh, parts of arms, headless trunks. and
CHASTITY trunkless heads; blood splashed
: IN our fees; bis of furniture and pieces
OF the wreck covered the shore
All about the illfated boat, living and
dead, dotted the surface of the river,
n,osl Of them to sink forever.
The shattered hull foated down
stream few rods and sank close to the
city waterworks. Terrible was the scene
And o! what thoughts must have fired
the brains Of more than hundred be-
ings, blinded by steam still crowded in
the crazy hull, as the rushing waters
through her shattered sides reached high
er and higher. till their gurgling throats
were sfeaced i'll The deep.
She sank 10 the depth Of her cabin
floor Boats, planks, and every other
available means were put in requisition
10 reacn the wreck and save the life
that yet might be. Few were saved:
some In the cabin were rescued, also some
who were thrown. into the river by the
conclusion, but none of the multitude
that crowded the steerage ever looked on
the scene of disaster again. All that
afternoon and for several succeeding
days, men lished for the dead, through
holes cut in the cabin hoor. Hardly a
soal of that unfortunate band Of emf
grants was left to mourn the said catas-
trorhe, or weep over the Rangled dead.
A little boy, belonging to them, stood
wet and trembling on the rivers brink
from which he had just been rescued
spoke to him kindly, but he only an
swered with wild and vacant stare,
and pointing 10 tile wreck upon which
he was gazing. gave an unearthly shrek,
and threw his arms aloft, and sprung
into the boiling flood beyond the reach
of human Lelp.
| The lll-fated commander was foupl
shockingly disfigured, few days after,
on the Kentucky shore. Engineer, fire.
men. pilo; and clerk ended their life's
voyage here.
More than Ole hundred ami seventy
five human beings were thus sacrificed
on the altar of PRIDE.
Unhappy man! thou didst keep thine
oath but 100 faith fully. The force of
the explosion was terrible-the six boil
ers of the boat were burst into a thou
sand fragments, and cast great distance,
wounding several of the spectators on
! !he landing. and in the street above.
The body of "a man was blown high
into the air and coming down head fore
most burst through the roof of brick
house, and there hung, part OF the body
on the roof, and part OH the inside
A small, hatchet, too, was cast with such
violence as to enter the window of
house, penetrate the partition, and pass
through another window on the oppo-
site side of the house, into a back yard,
| where it was found
o. how wrctched the scene in that lit
tie village of Fulton scarcely a house
! but contained the wounded and diving;
crowds of eager eyes were about every
door, and peering it at every window;
some from Idle curiosity, others, per-
chance, seeking some friend or relative
who had been on the wreck.
The noise of the city; and as soon as
the awful explanation was given, thou
sands rushed to the spot. Many Of the
beautiful and brave, the dearest orDa-
ment OF their happy homes in the
Queen City, were numbered among the
victims. Wildly throbbed the hearts of
/ fathers. mothers, brothers, sisters, hus-
bonds and wives. as they approached
with swif, and trembling steps, the
wretched scene, eager 10 learn the fate
of those they loved. But who shall
paint the agony of those doomed to be.
hold the multitude and scarcely recog-
nizable dead or living remains of those
they sought, or the despair of those who
never found them? But let us draw the
evil.
'Tis the Sabbat th pail OF mourning
hangs over the afflicted city; Grape rus
ties at the entrance OF many a pleasant
| home whose doors and windows, notwith-
standing the summers heat, are solerinly
| closed the pictures of desolation.
Subdued and plaintive music notes
trem Bile on the air, and the silent streets
| echo TO the tread of solemn leat tn train.