The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1854-03-16
Another AwTui steam boat Disaster!
THE CAROLINE BURxED-rIrrY LIVES LOST

Another AySGul steam boat Disaster!
THE CAROLINE BURyED-rIFTY LIVES LOST !! !!
The steamer Caroline, that left Memphis
on Saturday evening, March 4th, for White
river, was burned the succeeding afternoon,
between the hours of 2 and O'clock. From
our Memphis exchanges We condense the fol-
lowing account of the awful disaster:
"Capt. Folger was in the office preparing
to lie down for a while, when his attention
was arrested by the kicking of horses and the
fall ng of the wood pile on the lower deck
He then heard the passengers running for
ward, but they were attracted by the kicking
of the horses, paid no further attention To it.
! About one minute alter the rush became
so general, accompanied by cries, that he
looked out to see what was the matter. At
this moment the steward came running for
ward and told him to save himself. He went
out forward and dscos cred that the whole
boat was in flames. John Trice, who was
OH watch at the wheel, Immediately ran her
for the only place not covered by water, that
was visible, and run her out on the bank
some 90 feet.
| About fifteen persons took possession of the
yawl, and crowdng into it, sunk it, and every
one persisted. Capt. James Creighton was
seen to let himself down from the boiler deck
on to the lower guard, and deliberately draw
his boots and coat, anu let himself into the
water. He was then seen giving the Odd
Fellows signal of distress, and Immediately
sunk.
III ". 1~c, 81 II L..t 1sL-
was to run down into Texas and awaken
Capt. Taylor, afer which he resumed his
place, where he was last seen.
Capt. Taylor was saved by the steward of
the boat. MIR. Ewing, the bsr keeper, was
also saved. A lad WIN was in Mr.. Ewing's
employ ran down to the forecastle, but be-
coming bewildered rushed back into the
flames and persisted.
Out of ten deck hands that Capt. Folger
brought with him from ST. Louis, eight were
burned.
There WIS about $4,000 of money in the
safe, belonging 10 passengers, not one dollar
of which was saved. Mr.. Penn, who was a
passenger on board, lost between 5000 and
1000 dollars.
The remains of Mr.. Willbank, who died a
few days since at the Commercial Hotel,
were on board and were lost. A package
OF money belonging to Dir. Wilbank which
was being sent home to his wife, was in the
sale, and consequently lost with the balance.
Capt. FOlger informs us that those that were
saved were principally those who went for
ward on the forccaste.
Their. were many deck passengers, almost
all of whom were lost. The principal suffer-
ers were women and children, who not being
able to get about with the same alacrity, as
the men, persisted, either in the flames or in
the water. This account is necessarily gar
bled, as it is almost impossible 10 get full
and distinct account during the present ex-
element
The Caroline, after burning until the wa
ter rushed in ut her stern, slid off the bank
and sunk To the bottom. In about minute
she re-appeared and raised herself oui OF the
water, bow foremost, about twenty. five feet.
She then broke in two and settled down grad
ually until she as entirely out of sight. So
rapidly lid the whole occur that i: was scarce
ly known that she was on fire before she was
a shapeless and unsghtly mass lying in the
bottom of the stream over whose bosom she
had so often glided iii beauty.
We sui join the names of the passengers
and officers who were known to be lost.