The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-03-11
From the Mobile Register, March 4.
AWFUL LOSS OF LIFE.
STEAMER ELIZA BATTLE BURNED

On Monday morning, lst inst. between two and
three o'clock, as the Eliza Battle, Capt S. G. Stone.
was coming down the Tombigbee river on her way
to Mobile, at point about forty-fve miles below
Demopolis, she was discovered to be on fire in the
after part. The alarm Immediately given, and
| every exertion made to arrest the flames But in
vain, for owing to high wind and the point at which
the flre first caught, it communicated almost instant
ly with the ladies' cabin, and cut off all access to
the lfe-boat and yawl. All on board were driven
| to the forward part of the boat where they re-
mained until the scorching flames drove them into
the water. Some were fortunate enough to get bales
OF cotton, and some sustained themselves by cling
ing to the limbs of trees for several hours until res
cued from their perous position after daylight 1t
will be remembered that Sunday night was bitterly
cold, and OF the twenty-nne or thirty-three who
perlshed, 1t is more than probable majority was
frozen to death. The accident occurred we learn
at point where the river swollen over its banks
and spread for half mile more into the swampv
lowand, and that when an effort was made to reach
the shore, the boat came in contact with large tree
which was broken down by the violence of the CON
cussion, and arrested her progress There were be-
tween nifty and sixty persons on board and of these,
1t is stated by some twentynne and by Others thir
ty-three, were lost. Between twelve and thirteen
hundred bales of cotton destroyed, and the
boat burned to the waters edge
We append the following fuller account from YES
terdays Erening NeieS:
The fire had its origin among the cotton bales on
the after deck under the cabin, and although the
flames made but little progress at first strong
north wind (amost gale) soon spread to all parts
of the boat, and the passengers were compelled to
seek safety for their lives by retreating in their
night clothes.
The boat was headed for the shore, but the river
being high and out of its banks and the wheel
ropes burned, a landing could not be effected
She was, however, driven among the trees, where
she lodged until the engines ceased to work (the
intensity of the heat driving the engineers from
their posts,) when the passengers were enabled to
effect an escape by clinging to limbs and branches
OF trees, and by bales of cotton thrown overheard
After the wheels stopped, the boat swayed round
and was driven across the river by force of the
wind This fortunate circumstance probably saved
the lives of many of the survivors, as they must
otherwise have perished in the flames of the
boat.
The mate and pilot and some others on cotton |
bales hoated down the river four miles, shout
ing for help before boats could be obtained These |
were then carried across the river and hauled on |
wagons to the scene of disaster when the survivors
on the trees carried to land.
1t is proper to state that all efforts to get to the
yawl were rendered fruitless as the flames cut off
all means of access to it. An attempt was then
made to launch the life-boat, but before sufficient
force could be mustered, the fire again drove the
party away.
1t is due to Captain Stone to say, that when as
slstance arrived he gave orders to save the women
and children first and was himself the last to be ta-
ken Oft. 1t will be by the statement below
that most OF the lost were frozen, having been more
or less In the water, and subjected three or four
hours to the cold northern blast.
The residents of the vicinity, as soon as they
Learned the disaster, rendered what service in
their power.
No cause for the fire is known unless it was by
sparks from the steamer Warrior which boat was
met passing to windward about half an hour before
the flames were discovered
All OF the books and papers of the boat were lost,
and with the exception of one or two carpet bags,
every particle of baggage also
The Battle belonged to Cox, Branard & Co., and
was not insured. What the amount of loss is it is
impossible to ascertain.
The following is list of those ascertained to have
been lost:
Mrs. B. Cromwell and child frozen. Sumter coun-
ty. Mrs. H. G. Turner and child, frozen Wash
ington county. Mr.. W. \. Smith, frozen, Greene
county. Mr.. Willis frozen, Chickasaw county,
Mr. Augustus Jones' frozen, Columbus, Miss. Mr..
Caradine, frozen, Chickasaw county Mr. Martin
frozen Ky. Mr.. John Powell, barkeeper, frozen.
DIR. 5. W. Canton, frozen, Warsaw, Ala A Young
man, unknown, frozen, Fairfield, Ala. Negro man
belonging to b. L. Turner frozen. Negro man
"Jackson," barber, frozen. Barnett cook frozen
%Nancy, chambermaid, belonging to S. G. Stone,
master of the Eliza Battle, frozen Robert, cabin
boy, belonging to Col. 7. Buford. Dick, cabin-boy,
belonging to Judge r. c. Torrey. Jim, cabin-boy,
belonging toJ. Foster. "White boy, Sd cook name
unknown. Sam, deck hand, belonging TOD. A. Moor
ing. Peter, deck hand belonging to j. A. Mooring.
Jack, deck hand, belonging to j. A. Mooring.
= Bill deck hand belonging to Il. G Mcmahon.
Allen, deck hand, belonging to John Bowen. Ben
deck hand, belonging to Dan Raine. *Rev. Mr..
Newman, frozen, from Louisville, Ky. *M. A.
Galloway, never seen, Gainesville, Ala *Three
white deck hands, never seen. ?. Kirkland, died
after getting ashore, Greene county, Ala. Mrs
Cromwell and her child died from cold in her hus-
bands arms, in tree. *Dr. S. H. JONES' never
seen, Greene county, Ala.
-*The bodies not recovered Of the following =
Dr. s. H. Jones' NJ. A. Galloway, Rev Mr.. Newman white
boy Sd cook Jack negro; Bill negro; three white deck
hands; chambermaid.