Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1858-05-08
The Destruction Of the Steamer Ocean
Suray-AccUunt OF a Passenger.

spray-Acconnt of a Passenger.
The ST. Louis Democrat contains de-.
tailed account Of the recent destruction Of
the steamer Ocean Spray by fire, while "a.
c;ng with another boat. We exlrac, ,hs
following slalemen, of passenger who
vas ON board a, The time of the disaster:
Mr., Denis.on, of Lynchburg. Ohio. WHO
was a passenger. states with much partc.
MARTY the origin Of the fire. lie says
that when the boat started gu, the lianni.
bal CITY backed out ust behind her, and
wien under good Roadway she was abou,
hundred yards in the rear. lie says
that when the Ocean Spray was within
about a mile Of where she took fire, he
saw the Hannibal City gaining on her, and
the command was given 10 put turpentine
in the furnaces. lie says he had been
yerv 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 first throw in ros.
in, and then the mate suggested ,urpentine.
The Capt. was by when the order was
given, and the men went down into the
hold and brought up barrel of turpentine,
which had been consigned to some per-
son 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 il over the coal that
was lying by. This was not expeditions
enough, and the head Of The barrel was
knocked in, and bucket with piece of
rope TO il was used TO dip out the iurpen
tine. The barrel at this time was stand
ding not more than six feet from the iur-
mace doors. Alter dipping with the buck.
ct and sprinkling the Goals, sticks Of wood
were taken up and their ends plunged in
TO The barrel, and then laid down between
the barrel and the furnace. While lying
there, one of the fireman in pulling out
his rake ierked live coal,as il is suppos-
ed, on the wood, when il Immediately ig-
niled, and 5lszed up funously. The
mate swore at the men and ordered them
To throw water on the fire. The water
scenes TO drive the flames 10 The barrel,
which was soon all ablaZe. The mate
grew furious. and cursing the hands, or.
dercd them 10 cast The barrel overheard.
In attempting to do this the barrel was up
set, and the burning fluid in an instant
spread all over the deck and poured in he-
~ torrents down into the hold. AT this
the cry Of fire was shouiedand the alarm
became general.
Mr.. Denis,on says he Immediately ran
up stairs for his baggage. lie dragged
his trunk and carpet sack as far as the
clerks Office, when he saw the flames
coming in al the door in front Of them.
He dropped the trunk. and made dash
at the stairway through the flames.
Somehow. he says, he reached the bottom
of the stairs. but no, wiihou, having his
hair and eyebrows pretty badly singed.
Here, al The forward deck, no found a
crowd Of men all waiting for the boat to
strike shore. He jumped when the res,
die, and landing safely, he began TO throw
in tho river all the pieces Of wood or logs
he could gather on shore. While on the
shore he saw the women rushing over The
the top OF the boat, some on the hurricane
roof, and some even With their children
up on the texas, all imploring for help
and screaming from the fright Of tho mo-
men, lie saw one mother bring three
children TO the edge Of The hurricane roof,
the oldest being probably sbou, ten years
old. She frs, caugh, the younges, in her
arms. and gave i, desperate fling !,
struck the shore with grea, violence, and
must have been seriously injured. The
second child she could not throw go far,
and it fell in the water. where its little
hands, padding above tho surface, arres-
ted the attention Of some gentleman who
reached in and saved it. The third rhild,
being go heavy, fell farther from shore,
and would probably have drowned but
for some noble-hearled man, who. having
Witnessed the efforts OF the heroic mother,
plunged in head foremost, and brough!
the child 10 the surface and TO the shore.
The mother afterwards leaped in the wa.
Ter and was rescued. Some four or five
were found clinging to one woman
who was holding on to the rudder OF the
Star Of the West. The captain. clerk. pr
lots, and mate were saved. All the cabin
boys hut ohe called Hank. were saved
Mr.. Denision thinks there cannot have
heen less than twenty lives lost There
were some sixty or seventy passengers 10
all, and good many of these deck passen'
gers.