Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-11-28

BURNING OF THE RAINBOW.
Tremendous Loss Of Human Life-sey-ntv.
rive Lives and 100000 Lost-Boat and
From the Louisville Journal1
On the morning of the 2ist, about 2 O'Clock
the steamer (" Rainbow, Capt 'Holcraft. on her
way from New Orleans to louisville. with fsli
cargo OF sugar and coffee, and with about $50
souls on board, whilst under way about FEN
miiea above Napoleon, and near the head OF
island "a, was discovered to be on are. and the
officer Of the deck, Mr.. CIV Inflow, at once gave
immediately executed by Mr. Lamb, the pilot at
the wheel but by that time the entire boat was
enveioped in flames. Those of the passengers
and crew that were on the forward part of the
boat ESCAPED without difficulty; those on the
stern were cut of without any meaps of escape
except by jumping into the water-aud although
II was only few yards to the shore, but few
escaped that got into the wafer and many Were
burnt as they lay in their berths-some were
overcome with fright and knew not which way
to move and thus wereIos
Inc books and papers being lost, il Is matter
the lost or saved, but after carefully comparing
the statements Of those that were saved, we cam
not make the loss less than seventy five human
pelngs, a!L ushered into the presence Of their
MAKER without moments warning.
The officers Of the boat agree that the Gre oripi-
nateo In the cook house, which being charred
they think that the fire was under full way before
bursting out, and then II was so far started that
nothing could be done to arrest its progress
Her cargo consisted Of sugar molasses and cof-
Zee, for Louisville-about 800 tons In ala total
loss -.
The passengers, or majority Of them, were re-
turned Californians, with their treasures of gold
and their families, coming back to their fadey
lana, but alas, TO meet with the cold embrace of
death In its most horrid form, instead Of that of
kindred and friends from whom they had been
so long separated.
All the passengers lost everything money,
clothes and all they had, except that which they
had on. Forty or fifty thousand dollars in gold
and twenty thousand in jewelry was undoubted-
iy lost.
The boats safe with contents was soon recoy
cred and those Of the passengers who Lad depos-
TIED their money in the office were saved from
loss in that particular.
Mr.. Wheatley, from California with wife and
child, jumped from the stern and struck boldly
out Tor the Shore but the wife. having S2,iOO in
gold on her person, soon sunk to rise no more
the father with his infant i'm his arms still brayey
battled for life, but being nunbed from cold the
child slipped and was lost the father was saved
10y those op shore who had witnessed his brave
struggle against the fates. He had So 500 in the
safe of the boat, which was recovered and placed
in his hands. He remained at the wreck to re-
cover, If possible, the remains of his lost COM
panion and child 100 -
Mr.: Whittier, the mate, picked up five persons
hanging on to one small piece Of timber; all were
saved though. In two Of them life was appar-
emily extinct. fPN
Mr.; Maddox, a travelling agent Of a Philadel.
phia house, lost 500 600 worth Of jewelry saved
nothing but his pante-no coat, no hat, nothing,