Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1854-10-24


The Cleveland Herald publishes the statement
of Mr.. A. x. Cary, of Grand Rapids, Michigan,
who was q passenger on board the ill-fated steam
or, as follows: - 81 ~ M
Mr.. G. was sitting in the upper forward cabin,
reading, when the alarm of fire was given, be-
tween 10 and IL O'Clock. Mr.. G. was probably
broke out, and he Immediately passed down the
cabin gangway to the main deck. As he reached
that deck he saw the smoke in the cabin, below
the main deck, but it had not reached the door
leading from that cabin to the main deck. Mr..
Q. Immediately ran up through the cabin and up
the arch to the upper hurricane deck to the pilot
house, and told the wheelsman that the boat was
On lire and begged him to put her ashore. This
request was made three times, and the last time
MIR. q. begged the wheelsman for Gods sake to
put her ashore and save the lives of the passen-
gers, and to enforce his request pointed the
wheelsman to the flames then bursting out around
the smoke pipes upon the deck where they were.
The wheelsman made no reply, and the boat was
not put for the shore, or if the attempt was made,
it was after the engine had been stopped and her
Roadway about gone. Mr.. G. jumped down upon
the lower hurricane deck and then went down a
stanchion to the main deck, where he found
life passenger stool, and Selling that he got down
over the outside Of the bow as low as he could,
where the fire reached nothing but his left hand,
MIR. c. got off his coat and boots, and while do
ing so a number threw themselves overheard, one
man knocking Mr.. CPS hat off as he went over.
Mr.. G. held on as long as able, and until his
hand was so burned that he was forced to leap,
| taking his stool with him, which sustained him
until ne was picked up by boat from shore and
placed upon the propeller Fintry. When Mr.. C.
was on the main deck, before he found his stool,
he heard the order given by some one to port the
helm or the wheel, and looking up saw two per-
sons standing in front of the wheel-house, and
the smoke completely circling round the wheel
house, and he thought the wheelsman was trying
to turn the wheel, but from what the engineer af-
forwards stated, the engine at that time must have
been stopped.
Mrs. Morris was picked up by the same small
boat, having Aoated with life preserver, put on
by her husband. Mr.. NJ. was also saved. This
boat picked up at that time three four persons.
Mr.. Cary was in company with MIR. Stone and Mr..
Farr, of Brecksville of this county. Mr.. Stone
is missing, but Mr.. Farr was saved. Hopes are
yet entertained that Mr.. Stone may be at Maiden,
as Mr.. G. heard on his way down yesterday that
there were some passengers at that point some
| what burnt. The wreck was burning when Mr..
G. came down the river yesterday morning.
There is something unaccountable in the fail
ure of the officers to discover this fire, for Capt
| Atwood, Of the Bay State, had q conversation
with the captain of Il steamer who was at Maiden
officers of the Collins to put the boat On shore as
she was on fire. Mr.. Cary, on his way down yes
| terday had a conversation with the engineer OF
the Collins, and asked him why the boat was moi
put ashore as soon as the alarm was heard. The
engineer said there were so many false alarms
about fire that it was not customary, as it would
| damage the boat.
The only way Of ascertaining who were OF
board, was by the clerk of the Collins, after the
passengers got on the Fintry-enquiring of eacf
one what they knew Of the passengers. So thai
the account as to the loss of life is very uncer.
tain. The boat started from Detroit about hall
past eight, and the fire took place much earlier
than was at first stated. Every attention wa
shown the passengers on board the Fintry. Some
devil stole Mr.. Cary's money from his vest poke
while the vest was hanging to dry on the Fintry
There were no directions heard by MIR. Cary from
the Captain to the passengers as to how they
should save themselves, and each one among tn
passengers and crew seemed to look out for him
self. The feeling among the passengers is strong
against Captain Jones, and the catastrophe de-
mands searching investigation. The idea tina
the fire took from tobacco pipesis looked upon b,
| the naSspnpprS rs ridiculOuS.