The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1857-11-28

THE DESTRUCTION OF THE RAINBcw was
one of the most terrible calamities that has
for long time occurred on the Western
lar painful disasters. The officers have ar
rived at Louisville and given the Courier
the particulars of the heart rencing event.
The fire, as stated, originated in tho cook
house which hal been washed out ut eight
O'clock and locked up by the cooks; the fire
did not break out till two o'clock in the
morning, and Us the kitchen was closed, 1t
was not discovered till it had got under full
headway and had become irresistible in its
ravages. 1t enveloped, in an instant, the
boat amidships and cut of all communica-
ton between the forward and after docks.
he pilot stccrcd at once for the Arkansas
shore and brought the boat up in seven feet
water, and within few feet of the bank, and
her stern swung round within about 50 feel
OF the shore. The Pilot stood to tho wheel
till the tiller ropes were burnt off, and his
house was enveloped in flames; he then es-
capped by the derrick to the bow. The engi-
nccr stood by his engines till the heat had
bursted his lamps and was no longer sup
portable; then envcloping his head in thick
overeoat to protect him, he opened the mud
valves to blow oil the steam AMI prevent an
explosion, and rushed through the flames,
and plunging overheard. swan to tho shore.
Mr.. huston, the clerk, attempted to save
the ladies but was unable to reach the after
cabin, and returning to his office, he attemp-
ted to save the papers and money, but the
flames had gotten possession OF it, and he
could rot enter. He escaped without hat
coat or boots to the lower deck and was final
ly saved. All the passengers were asleeI
when the fire broke out, and most Of them
were not awakened till the flames had invad-
ell their rooms, and all who escaped rushed
out with only such clothing us they caught
up as they run. Those who fled to the bow
of the boat were all saved; those who wer,
obliged to seek refuge in the stern, met
different fate.
Ore of The most terrible scenes ever wit
messed was the crowd of human beings tina
gathered around the after guard of the barn.
ing boat, and in the wheel house. The,
were so implicitly terror-stricken as to be ut
terly powerless, surrounded by the flames
they still clung to the burning wreck, ant
not one would jump into the river, or attenp
TO reach the shore, which was not over fort,
feet from them.
Mr.. Huston, the clerk, and others wadeC
into the water and pushed out u log to thci
reach, but not one would get upon it, bu
suffered it to drift past them, thus cuttin,
off all hope. An old man from Napoleon
with a white horse, was with this crowd o
panic stricken beings, and IN few mo
ments the guard with its weight brok
through and the whole mass, together wit
the white horse. fell into the river with
, crash, the piercing shrieks of the victims re
sounding with fearful effect upon the peopl
on the shore who had escaped, but were ut
! terly unable to save them. The horse wa
' distinctly seen in his struggles to tramp dow
several OF the people who were attemptn
to extrieate themselves from the burnn
wreck around them. Several of the pas
sengers were seen in an upright positio
Z clinging to the hog chains, and thus burn
alive.
: Before the steamer reached the shore fou1
Y teen or fifteen persons got possession OF IL
y yawl that swung at the stern and cut he
loose, when she upset and all in her wei
drowned, except two, who swan to IL
. shore. Many jumped overheard and catci
ing floating drift were afterwards picked ~
among them two ladies were found sti
i hanging to a log but lifeless. A mothc
q who leaped in with her two children, both
whom were drowned, was saved alive, br
S was a raving maniac, and when last seen b
the officers exhibited no signs of returnin
). reason. Many passengers were Californ
ans with their families and treasures
y Several whole families were lost of othe
l. there were only one or two surviving men
st bers. The boat was principally loaded wit
sugar, molasses and coffee, which had bee