The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1856-07-08
Destructive FIRE AT st. LOUIS.
SIX STEA MBOATS BURNED.

The telegraph acquainted our readers
several days since with the fact Of the burn.
ing Of six steamboats,. at st. Louis. The
following are The particulars, as contai ned
in the Evening hews: -
Between FIVE and six o'clock this morn.
ing a fire broke out in the cabin Of the
steamer st. Clair, lying at the Northern
end OF the wharf, near the foot of Biddle
street, which communicated to the steam.
ers Paul Anderson, lying just below, and
the J. VI. Stockweil and Grand Turk, lying
just above. In fifteen or twenty minutes
all four were burned to the waters edge
While the. were burning the Saranak No.
.. Souiherner, Pennsylvania, Monongshela
and two or three other boats lying below,
were cut loose and foated down the stream
The Southerner and Saranak hoated but a
short distance and lodged against the stern
of u boat lying about a square below the
point from which they started. Immediate
ly afterwards the burning wreck OF the st.
Clair broke loose from its moorings, and
ioated against and be tween the Southern
er and Saranuk, set them on fire, and all
three fioated down the river together envel-
oped in flames.
The FIRE was the work Of an incendiary.
IL caught in the LADIES' cabin Of the st.
Clair, where there had been no fire for four
weeks. The Waterman Of the boat and a
small boy were sleeping on the hurricane
roof, and were compelled to jump overheard
to save their lives. No lives were lest that
we could hear of.
The Grand Turk was an old boat, former
ly engaged In the ST. Louis and New Or
leans trade, and was nearly, If not altogeth-
er, worn out. She was owned by her com.
mander, Captain Newman Robirds, and was
probably worth 49, 600. The j. NJ. Stock
well was about three years old, a stranger
at this port, cost when new $50, 600, and
was insured in Ohio river towns, where she
was owned, for $4,000. The st. Clair
was II good boat, and had been running from
Cincinnati 10 keokuk, under command of
Capt. Barter. Her age was about four
years, and her value about $4,000. She
was owned by parties in Pittsburgh, and
was probably insured at home.
The Paul Anderson was a very old boat,
entirely worn out. She was owned by
Messrs. Eads e. Nelson, who had taken out
her boilers. machinery, &C., and the hull
was adv ertised for sale. Messrs. Eads a.
Nelson we're not insured, nor will their loss
amount 10 more than $1,000 in all.
The Saranak was an old boat, and very
bad stock at best. She had been condemn
ed several times, both here and in New Or
leans, and was looked upon by everybody
as the next thing to worthless. Her value
was but little, aud we did not inquire about
the insurance. II she is insured, the boat
is well sold.
The Southernef was the most valuable
boat of the six. She was only six months
old, had made three trips between here and
New Orleans, and was lying up having her
cabin extended, and getting ready to enter
the New Orleans and Mobile trade, for
which she was built. She was owned by
parties at Mobile, aud Insured there or III
New Orleans, if insured at all. She cost
when new over $4,000, and the new cabin
which was nesrly completed cost 5000 to
S., 900 more,
In addition to the si& steamboats, burnt,
there were Two Darges, lying in tie vtcinl.
~, also destroyed. They were both Old
and of little value. All the boats destroyed
were laid up, and consequently had neither
freight nor passengers on board. The en-
tire loss viii be about SIo0 ,oooand the loss
10 ST. Louis insurance companies canno' be
more than $4,000 to $4,000 IA all, nnd
| we doubt very much whether il viii amount
10 $4,000, ss the most valuable boats were
owned and insured elsewhere.
The eharred bulls al the foatng boats
lodged against the island below the city.