The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-10-01
Was the Nicaragua Set on Firea

As we have already stated in our ac-
count of the burning of the Niagara, a
rumor has been in circulation, hat the
disaster was caused by an incendiary-
some fend in human form, who for some
real or fancied wrong done him by the
officers or crew of the boat, took this
method of obtaining revenge. The foun.
datiou Of this irumor was the fact that
an anonymous letter had been received
by Mr.. NJ. j. CLARK, the Steward of the
boat, warning him Of the writer's iuten-
tion to burn the boat, and to took out
fo= his own safety. The following let
ter from Captain Miller gives q state
meat-of-the whole matter, and also
quotes the anonymous letter refeardd to,
which is now in his possession. The
readhr will have to form his own opiE-
ion, as to whether the burning Of the
Niagara was the work ofan incendiary.
or the result of accident:
" ITO THE PUBac-Sincs my s~rrival
at Chicago 1 have frequently been asked
about an anonymous letter which was
found by the Steward in his Office, after
the Niagara left Collingwood on Ter
last trip but one, and in order to give
the whole matter to the public, / now
write this communication.
The Green Bay boats running be-
tween Collingwood and Green Bay, are.
and could not be depended on, and
therefore the passengers bound to Green
Bay, we're frequently obliged ~ take
passage on the Chicago boaas, but with
the understanding that if they got of
ut Mackinac, that her would be two
dollars, and a half Refunded to them on
their d,livering up their tiokets to
Green Bay-or, they Hould be landed
At Any pJrt in the vest shore of Lake
Micbigon but no money refunded this
il appears created a great deal Of dis
! sati ia .tien vifh-ihase people wl,o did
not III d4rstapd steamboat mat ers, and
I have frequently beer asked if we
could not act as agents and forward
them to the lace which they had paid
to 60 TO-.
My answer has always been, that We
were only paid servants, aud had to go
by Instructions, &c, but as is usually
the case in such matters, there would be
a great deal of grunnbling, aid a sup
p .sitioh on the part ofsthose grumbli"g,
that Il MIS- The officers of the steamer
who were trying 20 defraud them, ard
that it was Intentional OH the part of the
who!e Use, but those who really under
s aud the matter, of course never az
tached any blame to the Chicago line
"The trip before last, on leaving Col
Gngweod, we had quite a number OF
these disaffeeted ones, and while laying
at she dock the Steward, Mr.. Clark.
found in Lis Dom, on his desk, the fol
lnAiAs Letter and banded it to me:
"'LooK OR !-Save yourself, thr-
boat will be borned tonight; every
thing is in readiness, we have made
ample preparations to take care of our-
selves. (Sigped)
A, PASSENGER.
al Immediately called the engineer,
Mr.. Leonard iu,o my room showed him
the letter, and also Capt. Dick, of the
lower lake steamer Peerless, when after
u consultation, we concluded to set q
strict watch, bat yet without showing
any signs # alarm. My wheelsmen
were constantly travelling around the
boat, bat saw nothing that would lead
them to suspect any person. Every
fear, therefore, died away, and We
thought nothing further OF the matter.
Now, 1 am confident that the boat
did not take fire from the machinery, nor
from. the boilers, az every portion of her
fire hold was fire proof. My opinion is,
that the FIRE was caused by some com
bus.ible material slowed uudef the
shafts, but the nature of which We were
unable to tell, as packages frequently
came so disguised that We can not tell
what they are; but it must have been
some thing of that kind from tho fact
that it %enVelopee the boat in flames al
most instantly, and when irst discover
cd, it was impossible to subdue il.
81 can not at present write nore, as
I am now on the eve Of leaving the city
to return to the wreck, nor do j think
more is necessary.
FIRED. MILLER,