The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1857-07-15

the time the vessel sank, not more than
half an hour had elapsed, and in two
minutes the whole vessel seemed to be in
flames.
Mr.. Andrew Hayes, of Montreal, who
was passenger on board, gives the fol-
lowing statement:
Mr.. Andrew Hayes, Commission Agent
of Montreal, states: The fire occurred at
SPIN. The fro broke out in the main
saloon, in midships, Immediately opposite
the boiler-room. Smoke was first seen to
issue from one of the state-rooms !; it was
verp dense-so dense, that in less than
five minutes, it was impossible to see any
thing in the saloon. In ten minutes, the
flames filed the saloon, and burst out on
both sides. was in the stern of the yes
sci when this occurred. I lowered myself
down by the side of the vessel, and while
l was doing So | saw one man trying to
get a boat off the upper deck. He called
me to his assistance; he loosed the ropes
of the boat, and held one end, and | the
other; together we let her down. l slid
down the rope. In less than five minutes
the boat was under water, with the crowd
that rushed on it. The flames soon be-
came so intense, that jumped out of the
boat into the water and swan towards
another boat which / saw coming to our
rescue, but it shot past me, and made for
the boat at the side of the Montreal"
/ swan back, and got under the boat that
came to our assistance. There were q
number Of females in the water, and seven
or eight of them chung to me, Thesewere
taken out one by one, and I was olsen
tangled. The boat took its load to the
Napoleon" and Immediately after I saw
number of small boats from the "Napo-
leon" reach the .'Montreal," and I under
stood that the boat which first reached
the Montreal did not belong to the
" Napoleon" but a passenger on board.
1t was only after violent alteration, and
the passengers insisting on its being sent
that it was sent. / saw the captain of
the +" Napoleon" cursing the owner of the
boat. In my opinion, the whole affair
was very badly managed. think fully
quarter of an hour elapsed before assist
ance came from the !" Napoleon" The
Napoleon was between 200 and 800
yards off from us when the fire broke out.
The "Montreap' was $50 yards from the
shore. The Montreal was headed for
the shore in about ten minutes after the
alarm was given, and the flames had bro
ken out in the manner l have already sta
ted; think she ought to have been head
ed for the shore sooner: she got aground
in the attempt to reach it, and stuck fast
nearly as far off the shore as she was
when the fire broke out; [ saw no one to
give directions or take command on board
the Montreal" everything was in utter
confusion; l think she might have got
nearer to the shore than she did with
proper management, and the destruction
of life have been made less; nobody saved
anything whatever except what was on
their persons. There was no time to
look back: the ''Montrear' is burnt to the
waters edge. The boiler exploded some
time after the flames broke out. I heard
the "Monareal" had been on fire twice
previously during the afternoon Of the
same day, and that in consequence they
had person to watch. I understand
the furnaces were badly protected by met
al sheeting. The scene was terrific be-
yond description on board the "Montreap
and on the .'Napoleoh" afterwards. The
scenes of distress were most heartrending.
Here and there one saw parents looking
y L. I l.
for their parents, with terror and dismay
on their faces, anxious to catch tldings of
those they loved. I saw a good many
bodies badly burned and disfigured, and
many persons in intense suffering which
those on board tried to assuage, by means
of scraped potatoes. There were from
$50 to 500 persons on board. 125 bod
les living and dead, were taken out of
the MSla0aukee Sent;rel.