The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1858-07-16
Barniag OF the steamer :alens.

Barning OF the steamer Gaiens.
THRILLING ACCOUNT BY A PAssEE-
GER. IN. o. Eyerts, a passenger on
board the Gatena. recently burned
on the Mississippi River, near Red
wing, gives graphic description Of
the scene in a letter 70 the Chicago
Frees and Tribune, from which we
clip the following extract:
About | O'Clock, to give my own
experience, some one caught my
foot aud shouted, The boat is on
fire" My state room door was left
partly open for ventilation. Fortu
nately had not dotted nv pants or
vest. Leaping from the upper
berth, told Mary, who was aroused.
to bc calm, with undoubtedly some
tremor in my voice. ! seized my
hoos and put them on, put on my
coat. and looked out. The alarm
had not vet bocome very general,
and ! had hopes that the fire mi yht
not prove disastrous. The frat look
| gave toward the bow oi the boat
wa sufficient. The red flame. ina le
luri! by tive a.c,inI anyinI smoke
pierced through the cabin like u
drowning t,ngue Of IN insat ate d =
mon II, the very instant Ga look!
You may have read descriptions Of
burning ships-you may have be.
come IN mag gna'i"n u participate
iu the sui me horrors Of "A scene
whichh human utterance can never
portray; hut To stand. ~ | stood
tn r., u living. present witness, and
= part ot the scene itSrli. is fear ulIy
aud won irriully different. One
lock. as SAID Ut tn It md. devuur
ing. h"lllsh looking fien1 tongue
lapp,ng with hot greed the cling
doors, curtains. glass, and stabbinu
through INTO the oiIosi,e apart
munls. produced II strange reaction
N my soul, awring me AS it were
into c,olnrss AMI dclibvrati"n. i
was bnt Tor an instant. Ilurryiug
up and down the long saloon wer,
or zed women, AN men almost as
frantic. "Where sh Il gn?" "Sav,
mel save mr. !" "Oh, nv child. IN,
ciild!' "Fire, fir" "We arr a
lost" "This way! I'll save you all!
mingled in one confused upro,r
with piercing shrirks and crratin!
cries high o,er all. II spoke.
cannot now recollect IN re word
than these: Quick, MARY. give m
my bny!" And those little b 'y-haD |
ore still clinging roun my neck =
AMI the quick heat OF that baby
heart still meet the lou lrr pulses {
my own. around which new veins [
/, love hav,. swo,Icn rapidly, soften ne
melting, until even now-nn, | wi
not weep.
Just at this moment, when u mas
ter was so much needed, no on
H. - .J,.u, ~ az, zap al
Laughton of heroic mem rry-a bra
yer man never troI d.ck--nor
. more humane) appeared like All AZ
partition N the midst OF Us. and sal
firmly: This way. AMI you will a
p he saved--steady! this way!!' Til
| tile turned in one direction at III
: masters comuan!, and, with fe
exceptions, nllowei steadily an
= w,'hon. crowding, through the cid
entrance next the shore--lown III
gangway. somewhat obstructed Il
j.. trucks which eager men were er
t drHvoiins to ct nfhgrc or OH Il
- - "s,o-and 10 Our ly "
: iound III" bow near the shore, and
plank launched A slunp of ludio
were ~ advhnc" OF me, and ! set u
n six-frrt llOO-icr hrrri a.ain,t IN
crowd behind, holding back wit
what ability was given me. In tn
! confusion imsscd Mary. hut thougl
her III ndvanc", and so was statistic
8" walked the plank, teeterin
, with its cXcitei hur!rn and strnc
io't on shore with INV jewel ON IN
breast. Trrrc was joy in that IN,
m"nt experience. y mo cnt mo,
and VI ~ WAS by my sidc--,n
then "nr friends, all safc--and
b't hall dress Il. bar.-huotrd wit
'lI>h v'll'd har more brantiful i
This moment To my eyes than iablr,
prlncrs-rs in all the glory Of thei
roArl attire.
w" turned 10 look upon the seen
before ns. Already had the flame
extended To- the extreme ends of Il,
lons ship, reaching hilh above tn
pilots house, still occupied by th
brave man at the wheel, holliny hi
charge hard on the shore, and III
whole heavens seemed lighted b.
the confiagration. Still amid tn
flames could b. seen Il fit iny form
and heard a wild shrick Of desparin.
agony; and now man drops dowl
the III ,rd into the stream. and struy
giles Tor the shore; and now boy
brave, slorious boy!--leaps from tn,
cabin deck and swiins with vigoron,
stroke down, down the stream; h,
cannot buffet it; and now the yaw
has reached hi saved! hurrah!--
The cry of Powder on board, ;
Startlrs with a new fear, and tn,
crowd recedes Tar mp the bluff anc
down the shore. Down falls tn,
Leck-up shot the flames renewed