New-York daily tribune., 1858-07-10
BURNING OF THE STEAMER GALENA.

wing give, graphic description Of the scene in let
ter to Tie Chicago Press aud Tribune. from which
we clip the following extract:
About | o'clock, to give my own experience,
some one caught my foot and secuted, TIE bost is
on Ere" NY ststercow door was loft Psrty open for
ventilation. Fortunately l had not Soh1d my Psn,s
who was al.o aroused, to be calm with undoubtedly
some tremor in my voice. I seized my boots, put
them on put on my coat, and loo ked out Ihe alarm
that the fire might not prove disastrous. The first
look gave toward the bow OF the boat was sufficient
The red fame msde lurid by the accompanying
smoke, pierced through the cabin like drowning
tongue Of an insstate demon at the very instant. One
look You may have read descriptions OF burning
shys-you may have become in imagination partic-
pant in the sublime horrors OF scene wncn human
utersnce can never portray but stand, as stood
there living present witness and part Of the scene
itself, is fesrfully end wonderfully different. One
ook as said at that mad devourng, heilish-loeking
fepd pgue lspI ing with hot greed the ceiling doors
curtains glass snd stsbbing through no the opposite
apartments, produced stIapge reaction IN my soul,
eweirg me as it were into cooloess ard delberation
1t was but for an instant. Huryng up and down the
S5uT 20 n.y. child my % child Fire, dre" Eve are
all lost" "Ths way III save you all Mingled in
ore confused uprosr with perciug shrieks and acer
recollect more words than these: "Quck, Mary give
me NY boy :" And those little boy-hsnds are still
cir gipg round my neck-and the quick beat Of that
baby heart still meet the louder pulses OF my own,
around which veins of love have swollen rapidly,
sOftenrg, melting until even now-no, l Will not
weep.
just at this moment when master was 30 much
needed. ore knowing just what to DO Capt Lsuga-
ton (of heroic memOry-a Drawer man never trod
deck-nor more humane) appeared Ike an aPpsrlton
in the midst of us and I'd firmly: This way, aud
you will all be ssved-steady this way :" The tide
turned in direction at the masters command, and,
a fe ~ nth falp yaA md Wit
orowdipg, through the eide entrance next the shore
down the gangwuy, somewhat oossuctod oy truoto
which eager men were endeaveriDg b get sshore-or
of the boat az east-snd To our JOY We found the bow
resr the shore, and plank launched. group OF
ladies in advance of the, and set up slx-ieet
Hoosier barrier sgairst the crowd behind holding
back with what ability given me. In the c)nfu:
zion missed Mary, but thought her in advance, and
20 was sstisfedsO walked the plank, teeering with
its excite burden, ard struck foot on shore with my
ewel on my breast There was JOY in that moments
experience. moment more and Mary was by my
side-snd then our friends, all safs-and if but half
dressed bsrefoo' ed with disheveed hair more beau
tiul in this moment TO my eyes than tabled priDcesses
in a. the glory of tteir royal sttre.
We turned to look upon the scene before us. AL.
ready had the flames extended to the extreme ends OF
the long SHIP reaching high above tae pilots house,
still occupied by the brave man at the wheel holding
his cbsrge hard the shore, and the whole hesvens
seemed lighted by tie cOntsg cstion. Still amid the
flames could be seen fitting form, and heard wild
shr,k of desparng agony; and now man drops
down the guard into the stream and struggles for the
shore; anG now q boy-braye, glorious boy leaps
from the cabin deck and swms with vigorous stroke
down down the stream he cannot buffet ~ and nov
the yswl hae reached hinl-stved hurraa Inc cry
of "Powder on board" stsr.es with ne~ fear, and
the crowd recedes far up bluff and down the shore
Down falls the deck-up shot the hamee iehe"eu WIN
strength, vautng high above the tai, oisck % cnlm-
news ash came the huge bl sck monsters themselves
over the deck The river seethes and hlsses as II
wounded and mad with psin; the high wheel mouse
arches fame and tumble into the surge oang! goes
the cylinder bead, and the liberated steam
for moment eeems TO rend the monsser oo"eIs, aho
then eubdued by its own energy, Is seen NO mofe'
TIE boilers fall; the flames begin 10 droop the hun Is
burning low the wster edge Is reaohed Ia Aows tue
adverse element; she hlls-she SINKS, aud with one
loud hiss Of Gehanos the flames expire, and s Is darx
and silent.
Among the most notable incidents of the scene, WAS
the pilot standing brsvely, cooy at the wheel envet
oped by flame until the boat wss safe aground. ne
made his escape thence the decks and down tue
rigging. Capt. Lsugbton was twice KNOCKED Gown
by trunks thrown from the decks, in his passage up
and down, eneesyorng to save his psesense hnu' mo
bad several children bosrd himself al OF Tnom
were saved. poor Norweg an euis rant woman wuo
had q COW tied on the lower deck In attempting ~
hberate the poor dumb animal, lost her own cuHa;
There were severa. oxen and cows on ara mo:t y,
which, after being badly burned, broke oysrooa.a
sGd SWAN ashore. The greateet distress and sytnPs
thy were felt for poor girl O. ia years, whose yu'
with two younger sisters and brotner were o. e;i
They were a. plain, horest, earnest ookpg isnuy,
going from Michigan to meet the nusoaoo fsAsf o.
Msrkato Minnesota. This poor girl goesaone to con,
yey tie sad Levs 10 her father She sits near me Is
write her heat too fearfaly Trung for mscn
emotion. Perhaps individual seved suffered llole
in getting ashore than my friend, WIZ. Brsaiey y.
/ Ksokuk lste Of Columbus, O0io. he was 700 i1D
for the eapgway and plank, ard after spenans m nv
beet exeTtions to save children who cuog 10 S
limbs and some women who rersistsntly reiu,ec ~
leap inso the water, although small boaS were
sc near as the ismea would permit, ne le. n.; ~ n
down ron the qua, l. and fell exhausted INTO esIn
| then hslf AL Of w41. He reached tne sno,e, ~
| was says4-but that was oil. The BOY VINO 'o1peu
frs IA the deck and 5wam tirsly SAID No he'el
before il bis life-bnt preferred drowning 70 o-hns
ard 30 sSraDg owe. DoaId. Instinct taught nn' ~" y"
swim, snd be ws7, saved! :.,t Lar.
| A bridegroom ard bride, yoEDg and )oy'G, a'e
! from OIiD, n. Y, got ashore ne dresser - ut A..
costume Of hss and shirt-she dl.'o, e G 80.
Scarcely any baggage was saved nave r,.. - h..
IN ny pocket, but pot Q uunk or cNn. oes.
"ChrIe" had on q night gown. and his "0tnef ae
eestumed a tAe bride above menc 'nea' s 1'oi.
ns,ey for TO had deposited my money ~ Tue sae,
all bu, few dollars and The taie psosca " ~ pa
iron box cay; everything within It bong u'tely de-
| s,royed fbe citizens Ct Red Wig are nuTsne-
hearted people. All eur immsdiste veI.s eio oelus
relieved and We shsll take the next boeI up, ~nooHi
money, aAd DO baggage 70 trouble e. Iieeeo e!case
our pssso.slisir t5is letter. An irAiS0ua
is lsOd representative Of the WHOLE sno "a" s1's
my O. easier tIan anothers
Tie followir a1e the mails lcss BY the al
Ga,sns:
One msil from Dubuque tn St. Paul.
-Four d. frcm Chicago 10 Hsstrgs'
Two d. from Chicago TO Prescott.
One p. from Chicago to HUDSON.