Litchfield enquirer., 1858-04-29
-. DREADFUL ACCIDENT.
BURNING, OF THE STEAMER OCEAN
SPRAY

.s.ss. DREADFUL ACCIDENT.
BURNING OF THE STEAMER OCEAN
. - SPRAY.
y s,.,t From the st. Louis Democrat, April 2S
knotker horrible disaster.is added this morning
10 that dreadful list of accidents which, during
the past six months. has mads the annals Of
stcamboating on the Western rivers record un-
parallsled in the history Of the country, for the
loss Of life and property. and all that is terrible
and heart-fending in the detail of such calami-
sies.
fhe Ocean Spray took fire Yesterday afternoon
about o'clock, and was burned to the waters
: edge, at a distance of about miles above this
city,in or near Sawyef's Bend, above Magazine
Point. She left this city at her regular departing
/. hour, between and o'clock, on her way TO Pc
,oria, on ths Illinois River, About the time of
!. her departure, the Hannibal City also dropped
cut, and both boats started up the river race,
the Ocean Spray having about 100 yards the start,
both boats having number Of passengers, and
many on beard seeming 10 anticipate with much
relish the result Of the race to Alton Under
such circumstances, the officers of the boats could
hardly fail to partake of the spirit OF rivalry
: which so pervaded the passengers, and under the
impulse Of the hour seemed TO have become reck-
less of every thing but the speed Of their respec-
live crafts. - +. .l..--.-.. -
Mr.. Deniston from Lyncbburg, Ohio. who was
on his way to Florence, the Illinois River, had
q trunk containing money and articles Of apparel
valued at 500, which was lost. He says that
when the Ocean Spray was within about mile of
where she took fire, she saw the Hannibal City
gaining on Der, and the command was given to
put terpentine in the furnaces. He says he had
been very much interested in the race, and had
taken . position in front. where the steps came
down together, so that he could see them firing
up. They frstthrew in rosin. and then the mate
saggeesed~ taTpeutine.. The Captain was by when
the order was given. and some Of the men west
down into the hold and brought up barrel of
surpentne. which had been consigned to some
person in Peoria. TIE men took ak and split
a hole in the head of the barrel, and then. under
orders of the mate, dipped the fluid ont and threw
il ever the coal that was lying by. This was not
expeditions enough. and the head of the barrel
was knocked in, and bucket with a piece of
rope to il was used to dip out the turPentine. The
barrel at this time standing not more than six
feet from the furnace doors. After dipping Nth
the bucket and sprinhiing oih the coal. sticks Of
so0od soere taken up and their ends plunged into
the barrel. and then laid down bei,ceen the barrel
and The furnace. While lying there, one Of the
fremcn in pulling out his rake jerked live coal.
as is supposed, on the wood, wfieR it immediately
ignited, and blazed up furiously.
The mate swors at the and ordered them to
throw water on the fire. The water seemed TO
drive the flames TO the barrel which was soon ali
q hands, ordered them to cast the barrel overheard.
In attempting 10 do this, the barrel upset, and
the burning fluid in an instant spread all over the
deck and poured in fiery torrents down into the
hold. At this, the cry of fire was shouted, and
the alarm became general.
Mr. Depision says he Immediately ran up stairs
for his baggage. which was in state room No, 26
He dragged his trunk and carpe.sack as far as
j the clerks office, when he saw the flames coming
in 81 the door in front of them. He dfe}ted ibe
trunk and umbrella, and made aslia1R nj stair
way through the flames. Somehow, Tvs, In
reached the bottom Of the stairs, but not without
having his hair and eyebrows pretty badly signed.
Here, at the forward deck, he found crowd of
: men. all waiting for the boat to strike shore He
Jumped whensthe rest did, and landing safely. he
began to throw in the river all the pieces of wood
Of logs, he could gather on the shore. While on
shore IL 4aw the women rushing over the Top of
Z the boat, some on the hurricane roof, andssoine.
even with their children up on the texas, all i'm
plorlsg for help and screaming from 1he fright of
the mement :, He saw one mother bring three chill
dfsn to the edge Of the hurricane roof, the oldest
: being probably about tsnelyaArs old. She first
caugt,t her yeungest in her arns, md gave it,
ideipssste ~ tEttpEE The shore with grea,
sviolence and must have been seriously injured
The second child she could not throw so far, and
Il fell in the water. where its little hands. paddI-
ing above the SUFFICE, arrested the attention of
some gentleman who reached IN and saved IL -
The third child, being heavy, fell farther from
shore, and would probably have drowned but for
some nohle-hearted man, who having witnessed
the efforts of the heroic mother, plunged in head
foremost and brought the child to the surface and
to the shore. The mother aferward leaped into
the water and was rescued.
Mr.. Deniston says some four or five women
were found clinging To one woman who was hold
ing on to the rudder Of the Star Of the West.
The captain, clerk, pilots and mate were saved
All the cabin boys but one, called Hank, were saw
ed. .-g-.,s Id
-s MIR. Denis,on says that one of them saved all
his elothng, and the others having lost all, he
generously offered his entire wardrobe, and took
them out behind tho trees to change their cloth
. ing. -,
ing over the loss Of his brother.
= Mr.. Deniston relates that while the flames were
raging, he saw poor woman at the railing just
) in front of the wheel.house Those on shore
shouted to her 10 jump which she attempted TO do,
T but was caught by her clothing, and swung in I'M
der tbs railing, down into the engine-room, where
ell was onssblaze Of fire.
Mr.. Deniston thinks there cannot have been
Tess than twenty lives lost. He thinks there were
some sixty or seventy passengers in all, and a
good many of these deck passengers.
He and Mr. Brandon. with uany others who
were saved, cane down to the city by the North
!, Missouri Railroad and the Broadway omnibuses.
=
fEe mistake accidentally crept into our report
6. of the Warren abduction case The young lady in
seal skin to the elbows, it seems, the Doctors
A.