Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-04-28
- From The ST. Louis Den'ocsat IF April q
Turning of the Ocean Spray.

The Ocean Spray took fire yesterday after
noon about five O'Clock, and was burned to
the waters edge. at a distance of about five
miles above this city, in or near Sawyer,s
bend, above Magazine point. She left this
city at her regular departing hour, between
four and five O'Clock, on her way To Peoria.
on the Illinois river. About the time of her
departure, the Hannibal City, one of the
regular Keokuk packets, also dropped out,
and both boats started up the river on u race.
the Ocean Spray having about one hundred
yards the start, both boats having number
of passengers, and many on board seeming 10
anticipate, with much relish the result of shr
race TO Alton. Under such circumstances.
the officers of the boats could hardly fail Co
partake of the spirit of rivalry which 20 per-
Yaded the passengers, and under the impulscs
of the hour seemed to have become reckless
OF everything but the speed of their respective
crafts.
STATEMENT OF THE CAPTAIN
The fire commenced on the main deck, right
forward of the boilers, on the starboard
When the alarm was given, ! and the others
at the time upon the hurricane deck rush, d
forward, procuring buckets, which we filed
with water, and emptied upon the flames but
without any good result. As soon as i knew
that the fire could not be got under and that
the flames were rapidly spreading, | rushed
beaded to the shore. She reached it between
the steamers Star of the West and Keokuk.
and as the starboad wheel was kept revolving.
she slid along the bank towards the Keokuk
A number of persons jumped to the shore,
and We're soon engeged, with others still on
the boat, In throwing planks. cord wood, and
others available articles, to the assistance of
some who had leaped and dropped into the
river. 1t was then, and by this means, that
no mn Of he.
were enabl' to reach the shore.
As soon as | got off, | ran along the bank
to the stern of the boat and saw still on board,
on the lowersdeck crowd of deck hands and
deck passengers. / saw then, several persons
climbing down from the ladies' cabin.
do not know how the fire originated She
was running at the timo, not SO swiftly as she
sometimes does.
STATEMENT OF Mr.. J. H. DENIsToN-How THE
BOAT WAS SET ON FIRE.
Mr.. Deniston is from Lynchburg Ohio, and
was on his way to Florence. on the Illinois
river. He had a trunk containing money and
articles of apperal valued at $780, which was
lost. He says when the boat started out the
Hannibal City backed out just behind her,
and when under good Roadway, she was
about a hundred yards in the rear. He says
that when the Ocean Spray was within about
mile of where she took fire, she saw the
Hannibal City gaining on her, and the com
mand was given to put turpentine in the fur
naces He says he had been very much in
terested in the race, and had taken a position
i'll front, where the steps come down together,
so that he could see them firing up. They
first threw in rosin, and then the mate sug-
gested turpentine. The captain was by when
the order was given, and some of the men
went down into the hold and brought up a
barrel of turpentine, which had been con
signed to some person in Peoria The men
took an axe and split hole in the head of
the barrel, and then, under orders of the mate
dipped the fluid out and threw ii over the coal
that was lying by. This was not expeditions
enough and the head of the barrel was knock,
in, and bucket with piece of rope to it
was used to dip out the turpentine. The bar
rel at this time was standing not more than
six feet from the furnace doors. after dipping
Udh The bucket and spriikLRg the COAL sticks of
rood ceTe taken up and their ends plunged into the
barrel, and then lad dorm bettceaa the barrel and
furnace. While lying there, one of the fire
man in pulling out his rake jerked live coal
as is surpassed on the wood, when it was i'm
mediately lgnited, and blaZed up furiously.
The mate swore at the men and ordered
them to throw water on the fire. The water
seemed to drive the flames to the barrel
which was soon all ablaZe. The mate grew
furious, and Cur ing the hands, ordered them to
cast the barrel overheard. In attempting to
do this the the barrel aoas upset, and the burning
fluid in an instant spread all over the deck
and poured in fiery tOrrets down into the hold.
At this the cry of fire was shouted aud the
alarm become general.
DR.. DenistOn says he Immediately ran up
stairs for his baggage, which was in state
room no. 26.-He dragged his trunk and
carpet-sack as far the clerks Office when
he the flames coming in at tho door in
front of them. He dropped the trunk and
umbrella, and made dash for the stairway
through the flames. Somehow he SAYS he
reached the bottom of the stairs, but not
without having his hair and eyebrows pretty
badly singed. Here. at the forward deck he
found crowd of men all waiting for the boat
to strike shore He jumped when the rest did
and landing safely he began to throw in the
river all the pieces of wood or logs he could
gather on the shore. While on the shore he
saw the women rushing over the top of the
boat, some on the hurricane roof aud some,
even, with their children up on the texas, all
imploring for help and screaming from the
fright of the moment. He saw one mother
bring three children to the edge of the hurri-
cane roof, the oldest being probably about
ten years old. She first caught her Youngest
in her arms, and gave it a desperate fling.
Ii struck the shore with great violence, and
must have been seriously injured. The second
cnllu sue COulu not throw so lar. ana lt FELL IN
the water, where its little hauds, padding
above the surface, arrested the attention of
some gentleman who reached in and saved it,
The third child, being so heavy, fell farther
from shore, and would probably have drown
ed but for some noble-hearted man, who
having witnessed the efforts of the heroic
mother, plunged III head foremost, and
brought the child to the surface and to the
shore. The mother afterwards leaped in the
water, and was rescued.
Mr.. Deniston says some four or five women
were found clnging to one woman who was
holding on to the ruddcr of the Star of the
West.
The captain. clerk, pilots and mate were
saved All the cabin boys but one called
Hank, were saved. Mr.. Deniston says that
one of them saved all his clothing. and the
others having lost all, he generously offered
his entire wardrobe, and took them out behind
the trees to change their clothing.
He saw some poor Irisfman sitting on u
log crying over the loss of his brother.
Dr. Denston relates that while the flames
were raging, he saw some poor woman at the
railing just in front Of the wheel house. Those
on shore shouted To her To jump, which she
attempted TO do, but was caught by her
clothing, and swung IN under the railing,
down into the engne-room, where all was one
blaze of fire.
Mr.. Deniston thinks there cannot have been
less than twenty lives lost. He thinks there
were some sixty or seventy passengers in all,
and Ii good many of these deck passengers.