The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1856-05-17

| steamer ANOm.-De1tr0
tioa Of the Rock Island Bridse.-Fall Part
culars.
} We are indebted to the memoranda {
Captain G. WGirdon, clerk of the Hambur.
for the particulars of the burning of tn
Effie Alton and the Rock Island Railroa
bridge.
ATTEMPTS TO GET THROUGH.
. On Monday morning there were lying be
low the bridge, bound up, the steamer
Q Hamburg, Tishemingo, Kate Paulding, Ei
fie Alton, Clara Dean, Ben Bolt, Matti
, Wayne, j. B. Carson and Metropolitan; ant
above the bridge, bound down, the ST. Loui
, and Rochester. At A. NJ. the Hambur,
} essayed to 60 through the chute. The wint
; was blowing hard from the N. E. at the
time. She struggled hard to get through
but was driven against the west pier. Hel
forward starboard guard and outbreakers
were stove in, and she nearly lost her lar.
board wheel. She dropped down to Daven-
port for repairs.
At noon the Kate Pauldng made up for
the He'll Gate of the Mississippi. She
steamed hard, but to no purpose, and was
compelled to abandon the attempt.
The Vienna also attempted the passage
but, like the others, was unsuccessful, and
with loud howl from her whistle, dropped
down and landed.
THE STRIKING OF THE EFFIE ALTON.
All the steamers got up steam on Tuesday
morning, to try the pass again. The splendid
steamer Ellie Alton, one of the neatest built
and best provided boats aaoat, from Cincin-
natl, was the first to make the effort. The
wind was not blowing 80 strong as on Sum-
day and Monday, and it was expected she
could get through safely. Steaming hard
she had just safely passed the short pier, on
her starboard side, and was endeavoring to
turn little to avoid striking the long pier,
pier, on her larbOard, upon which the draw
revolves, when the strong current caught her
and FASTENED her to destruction, for her en-
gines were unavailing. Swiftly she fanked,
and struck heavily against the east pier, on
her starboard side, about the middle. All
her upper berths, lower guards, wheels, &c.,
were smashed in, and the Effie Alton was
instantly complete wreck. The stern
caught, by some means, holding the boat
fast against the pier otherwise nine-tenths
of those ON board must have met with in
slant death.
The officers and crews of the Hamburg,
Grace Darling and Carson Immediately went
to the assistance of the unfortunate boat,
and through their exertions, and the calm
and strenuous efforts of the officers of the
Effie Alton, nearly every one ON board was
saved.
EFFIE ALTON ON FIRE.
But few minutes elapsed after she
struck, when the cry of fire rang through
the boat, adding to the horrors of the ter
rible scene. The fire spread with great ra-
pidity, enveloping the sinking steamer in
flames, and in twenty minutes the Effie AZ
ton was no more. The j. B. Carson, vi
emma and other boats, which had anchored
near the wreck, caught fire, and cutting
their cables, were compelled to leave the
scene of danger.
ESCAPE OF THE PASSENGERS.
There was abundance of time and oppor-
tunity for every one aboard to have escaped.
Steamers were anchored by the side of tie
wreck, with planks reaching to her guards !,
and there was ready means of escape by
means of the bridge, of which many availed
themselves. But the screams of the women
and children, the hurrying to and fro of the
men in bewildered state of mind, the
believing and bowling of the cattle on
board, added to the roaring of the waters and
the real dangers of the scene, caused state
Of the greatest confusion. In this confusion
it is feared that some lives were lost, though
it is not definitely to have been so. A COM
mon report says, that five men were drown
ed. 1t is certain that some men fell over
board or were knocked into the water by the
falling timbers and the most experienced
boatmen say, that it would be utterly impos-
s.ble to save them if such were the case.
RAILROAD BRIDGE ON FIRE.
The flames from the burning steamer
shooting upward, communicated fire to the
Rock Island Railroad bridge, and soon il
was one sheet of flame from pier to pier
being the span east of the draw. The tim
bers burned fiercely, and the bridge mingled
it's fires with those of its victim. When the
flames of the Effic Alton ragged the fercest
the bridge fell, and the scene was most ter
rible The burning cattle on the lower
deck of the steamer, uttering dismal cries oi
pain-horses and mules floating in the river
shrieking with fear-the dogs chained to the
hurricane deck bowling hideously-all o
the bells ringing and the whistles screaming
THE loud hurrahs of the steamboat men
and the involuntary cries of wonder from
the spectators-the women of Davenport
ringing dinner bells and waving their hand
, kerchiefs and bonnets-mingling with the
loud crash of falling timbers and overshad
owing all, the dense volumes Of smoke roll
ing up and over in black masses, illuminated
by thickly flying fire-brands and sparks-al
! this made the scene of the most exciting In
terest. ..l..F
LOSS OF THE EFFIE ALTON.
: The Efiie Alton is said to have been on
Of the best boats, and most complete in al
her arrangements ever built on the Ohi'
river. 1t was heavily laden with glass, iron
groceries from st. Louis, and live stock, II
all between $50 and 800 tons. The aggre
, gate loss is stated to be between $1,000
and $l25,O0O. The steamer was valued a
, $4,000. Undoubtedly, large quantity Q
: freight on board this ill-fated steamer wa
e destined for this port, though We have n
D particulars. ia
NEW PASSAGE.
: The burning Of the eastern span Of th
b bridge very much lessons the danger g
i crossing this |" He'll Gate" A passage {
# 800 feet is now afforded, and although grea
: care and circumspection is still necessary
S the passage is comparatively SAFE No on
: rejoices at the destruction of the property
s but all steamboatmen and others intereste
), in the free navigation of the Mississippi
q feel that great danger has been provider
tally partially removed. It is to be hope
o that the directors of the company will mo-
n ollou, their batter ;,,c,c,;.--,t to nrevail An