Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1858-07-17
BURNING OF THE STEAMSHIP e.r.nS.

Eetracts 81 Thrilling account by ons Of tht
Passengers.
Mr.. Everts, one Of the passengers on board
the steamer Galena, burut at Red Wing
Minnesota, on the lst inst, gives the follow.
ing particulars of that occurrence
About one o'clock some Que caught my
foot, aud shouted, "rhe boat is on fire" MY
etate room door was left partly open for ven
tilation. Fortunately. | had not doned my
pants or vest. Leoping from the upper berth
i told Mary, who was also aroused, 10 DC
calm, with undoubtedly some tremor in my
Soce. l seized my boots, put them on put
on my coat, and looked out. The alarm had
not yet become very general, and had hopes
that the fire might not prove DISASTROUS
The first look | gave toward the bow OF the
boat was sufficient. The red flame, made III,
rld by the accompanying smoke, plereeu
through the cabin like u devoullng tongue VI
mn insatiate demon at the very instant Oue
look You may have read descriptions ol
burning ships-you may have become I'D im-
ngination n participant in the sublime horrors
OF scene which human utterance can never
portray; but to stand, as | stood there,
living, present witness and part OF Inc
sccue itself, is fearruly aud wonderfully dli-
ferent, One look, us | said, ut that mad de.
yourinr. h,Il,sh looking feUd tongue, lap.
ping with hot greed the ceiling, doors, cur
tains, glass, and stabbing through luto the
opposite apartments. produced strange re-
action in my soul, nwelng me as 1t were INTO
GOODNESS and deiiberution. 1T was but Tor an
instant. lIurrying up and down the lobg sa-
loon were crazed women and men almost as
frantic. "Where shall go? Save me,
save met" 40, my child, my child :! Fire,
fire !" I'VE are oil lostW This way :" "lII
save you all y mingled in one confused up.
roar with piercing shrieks and decorating
cries high over all. If spake, cannot now
recall more words than these "Quick, Mary,
give me my boy" And those little boy
hands are still clinging round my neck-and
the quick beat OF that baby heart still meets
the louder pulses of my own, around which
new veins Of love have swollen rapidly, sof
tening melting.
Just at this moment, when n master was so
much needed, no one knowing just what to
do Captain Laughtou (Of heroic memory-a
drawer man never trod deck--nOr more
humane) appeared like TN apparitIon in the
midst of US and said firmly This way, and
vnu will all he saved-steady! this way y
The tide turned in cne erection Mt the
masters command, aud with few exceptions
followed steadily without crowding, through
the side entrance next the shore-down the
gnnrway, somewhat ohstructed hy trunks
which eager men we're cndeavorng TO get
nshure-or of the boat at least-and to our
10y we found the bow near the shore, and
plank launched. y group OF ladies were IN
advance Of ne, and set up six feet Hoo
eipr barrier against the crowd behind, holding
back with what ability was given the. In the
cuulusou missed Mary. but thought her in
advance. aud so was satlsfed-so walked the
blank teetcring with its excited burden, aud
struck foot on shore with my Jewel on my
brsnst. There was joy in that moments ex-
periyncc. 4 moment more Md Mary was by
ms side-aud then our friends, oil safe-and
i but hlIflrcssed, barefootcd, with dishovel
ed huir. more beautiful iu this moment to my
eyes thar fabled princesscs in all the glory Of
their royal attire.
We turned to look upon the scene before
us. Already had the flame extended to the
extreme ends of the long ship, reaching high
above the pilots house still occupied by tho
brave nun at the wheel, holding his charge
hard on the shore, and the whole heavens
seemed lighted by the conBag,aton. Still
amid the flames could be seen u fitting form,
and heard a wild shriek Of desparing agony
and now man drops down the gnard into
the stream, and struggles for the shore and
now n boy-brave. glorions boy leaps from
the cabin deck aud swims with vigorous stroke
down, down the stream he cannot buffet it 4;
and uow the yaw has reached hlm-saved
hurrah
The cry Of powder on board" star,les with
n new lear. anl the crowd rccedes Tar up
the LlnT and down the shore. Down falls
the Gcck-up shot the deck renewed with
strength, vauIing high above the tall, black
chimupvs; crash came the huge black mon.
81. ,l,..., "a ri
ee,ths and hisse1. as if wounded and mad with
pain; the high wheel honse arches fame and
iunrbcs into the surge bang goes the cyl.
indrr head, and the liberated steam outrush-
i.g. for moment seems to red the monsters
boNris. ard then. sub5ucd hy it. own energy,
is seen no more. The boilers fall; the flames
begin to droop; the hull is burning low: the
wA;eIs edge is reached in flows the adverse
element; she iills-sha siuks, and with one
loaa HIS CT drGancc, the flames expire, and
al is dark and sheut.
Among the mole notable incidents of the
rceue. was the pilot standing 0rdyely, cooly
nt tie wheel, enveluped by fame, until the
boat was safe aground. lie made his escape
thence over the decks aud down the rigging
Capt Laughtun wns twice Knocked down 10y
trunks thrown from the decks, in his passage
up and down, endeayorlng to save his pas
ePnEerS. lie had several children on OOarC
himself, oil Of whom were saved. a poor
Norwegian emigraut woman, who had COW
tied on the lower deck, in attempting to lbe
rate the poor dumb animal, lost her owl
child. There were several oxen and cows on
board most Of which, after being badly
burned broke overheard and swan ashore
The greatest distress aud sympathy were fel,
for pnnr Girl of fourteen years, whose moth.
er, with two younger sisters and brother
were all lost. They we're plain. honest
earnest looking family, going from Michigan
TO meet the husband and father at Maukato
in Minnesota. This poor girl goes alone It
convey the sad intelligence TO her father
She sits near me as | write, her heart toe
f-arrul,y wruug for much external emotion
Perhars no individual saved suffered more il
getting ashore than my friend WIN. Bradley
of Keukuk, late Of Coumhus, Ohio. lie wa
too late for the gangway and plank, and atte
sprndiug his best eXertiOns TO save som,
children WHO clung to his limbs, ard sOmt
women who pcrsistly refused to leap into thr
water, although small boats were waiting a
near as tho flames would permit, lie lvt him
self down from the guard and fell exhausted
into a skiG, then half full OF water. Ill
reached the shore, and was saved--but tina
was all The boy who leaped from the decl
and swan so finely, said he never swan be
fore in his life-but preferred drowning I
burning, and so spraug overheard. lnstlnc
taught hiR how to swim, and he was saved