The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1855-04-06
For the Pioneer.


dim by reason of distance | have been try
ing to kill meantime as well as the rest of
you-have been exploring dusty bag of old
papers, papers in manuscript and papers in
print. Found a good many things interesting
to me, but don't intend to have them publish
ell Found package of love letters-privaie
of course. Paid the postage Oh them myself,
50 they belong to me. The last wasn't Exactly
Q love letter. 1t was the last of series, that
began in the temperate zone-passed through
lar Nor wester. Founl good many scraps
of diary, and among them an account of the
burning of steamboat at Memphis. / recol-
lect the occurrence very well. 1t was in May,
1850. One evening, while uncle aud were
playing checkers, there was an alarm of fire;
but it was Of such frequent occurrence that
we took no notice of it until called to the win
dow by aunt, when single glance showed
that this time there was no false alarm. A
broad blaze flashed up in the direction of
Front Row. which is the most business
part of the city, and men We're haloOing and
engines rafting along the street. Uncle i'm
mediately started upon the run. put on my
boots and coat and ran too. Coming out up
on the Front Row, between which and the
river is an open space, part graded to the
waters edge and a part continuing level ia.
BILE to the bank making there bluff descent
of thirty feet saw that the fire was at the
steamboat land n, :, and few steps brought
me in full view OF the scene. A horrid roar
ing and believing filled the Dir, rising terribly
distinct above the crackle of the flames and
the shouts of thousands gathered around. A
glance suficed to show the whole sad spscta-
ee. The steamboat Constitution, from ST.
Louis for New Orleans, had come in to dis
charge freight and was putting out, when she
was discovered to be on fire in the hold, and
was Immediately run ashore again and made
fast by hawser. Your readers we'll know
how like pile of faggots these boats burn.
There was no time to save anything but life.
The load was composed in part Of forty head
of cattle, tied upon the main deck, in parallel
rows, each side of the boiler; aud from thence
came the horrid noise that was heard through
out the city-a noise so full of mad agony,
that We all trembled as We listened. There
was no time to unloose them, and there they
stood, writhing, moaning and believing in
their torture, US the flames darted from above
and beneath and wound in screening folds
around their shrinking bodies.
The fire quickly spread to oil parts OF the
boat-decks and cabin were one burning
mass, and the tall black chimne:s scarce ap-
peared above the sheets of fame that shot
flashing and raging around.
Struggles and means soon ceased, and life,
form, beauty, wealth, and comfort, had fed
the floating palace forever. Of the passen-
gers and crew, eight or ten were missing. AT
ter communication with the shore was cut off,
some were seen to emerge from the cabin, cast
O despairing glance about, and retreated again
from sight-never appearing afterwards. How
they met death, God only knows. Who may
wish to imagine the final struggle--the wild
wrestles and despairiny thoughts of those who
thus saw their time had come to pass through
the fiery ordeal to another existence.
i But the catastrophe was not yet over. On
account of the want of solid strata Oh the
banks of the lower Mississippi, piers cannot be
built; and the wharves are made to float so as
to rise and fall with the river, and are moOred
to the shores. These wharves or wharfb0ats
as they are called, are frequently old steam
boats, which have run their race, been disman-
tied of their tall chimnies, their engines and
their Wheels and fitted up-the cabin for q
hotel, and the main deck aud hold for stores
and freight houses Just below the burning
steamer was one of these wharfboats, worth
with its contents, some thirty thousand dollars
|. In the excitement, ferry boat near by haC
been cast loose for safety; but it foated sc
near as to take fire, and then passed on dowr
river. A great cry was raised upon the
wharfboat, but the danger was averted by the
2 aid of long poles, with which the ferry boat
was kept at distance as it passed.
In FIVE minutes after, however, the Constitu
= ton, loosed from its fastenings by the flames
commenced moving, and floating slowly along
rubbed the whole length of the wharf boat
literally embracing it in arms of fame. Sc
sudden and unexpected was this, that the per
sons on board had hardly presence of mine
sufficient to save their own lives, and shriek'
: and cries arose as they ran frantically to ant
/. fro in vain endeavor to rescue something
from the ruin. TO increase the panic, cry
: was several times raised of powder on board 7
and then pell-mell the crowd would rush from
the scene-thus almost defeating any effort t.
stop the destruction. ..- -..l-
Meanwhile the steam and ferry boats KEEP
D on down river. while the wharf boat remained
at its moorings-all three enveloped in com
> plete blaze from bow to stern. In the hold o
5 the latter large quantity of liquor was stored
,. and as the heated barrels burst with the nois
OF q pistol, jets Of fame of various color