The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-04-28
BURNING OF THE STEAMERS OCEAN SPRAY
EEOAlE AND STAR OF THE WEST,
AT ST. LOUIS.
20 OR 80 LIVES LOST.
The Fire the result of Racing, and of the reck-
less use Of Turpentine in the Furnace

afternoon, about O'Clock, about five miles above
| st. Louis, in or near Sawyers bend, above Maya
| zine point and burned to the waters edge
She left st. Louis at her regular hour between four
and five O'Clock, on her way to Peoria on the Hi
nois river. At the same time, the Hannibal CITY,
| one OF the regular keokuk packets, also dropped
out, and both boats started up the river on race
the Ocean Spray having about one hundred wards
the start both boats having number of passen-
gers.
The following statements of persons on board
at the time, we take from the st. Louis Democrat:
| STATEMENT OF MIR. T. W. BRANDON, SHIPPING CLERK
OF THE HOUSE OF HENNING & WOODRUFF ST. LOUIS.
! Mr. Brandon went on board the Ocean Spray for
| the purpose of attending to the shipment of about
200 bags of salt which the boat to take on board
near Belcher's sugar refinery. After, however
both boats were out in the stream, and the race
had fairly begun, the captain informed Mr.. Bran
don that he could not stop for the salt, and would
have to carry him up to Alton for he wanted to
beat the Hannibal City, which boat was at this
time gaining the Spray. Mr. Brandon states
that he could the iremen on the Hannibal City
breaking up rosin and casting it into the furnaces
W hen the boats were rounding the point above
the city, they were very close together, the keOkuk
packet having steadily gained upon her rival and
almost coming alongside.
At this iuncturc, the fires of the Ocean Spray
were fed with rosin and turpentine, and with the
increase OF steam she was Just beginning to ga
| upon her competitor, when the alarm of fire was
heard. MIR. Brandon says he became alarmed at
the heat of the boilers, and thinking there was
some danger OF an explosion, went up on the hur-
| Iltdht ucCh, anu passed Dack until he the
ladies' cabin. He says there was considerable ey-
| citenent on board, and many were extremely anx-
| lous to bet on the success of their boat He saws
| he had been standing over the ladies' cabin but n
few minutes, when he startled by n faint cry of
re! coming very indstinctly from the forward part
of the boat. This cry was Immediately followed by
several shouts, and casting his eye toward the pilot
house. he saw the pilot give the wheel q very sud
den turn, and noticed that the boat which was about
twenty yards out in the stream. began to head for
shore. At this the confusion great, and
the cries OF the passengers began to be fearful and
| agonlZing. The women and children. craZcd with
| alarm, were heard in the cabin below while the
hoarse shouting of the men in front made the mo-
ment most terrible. His first impulse directed him
to rush forward. lie ran to the wheel-house steps
and had placed one foot on the first step, when a
rush OF flames and smoke from below drove him
back; then ran along the roof until just forward of
the pilot house. and before the boat had struck the
| shore, jumped for his life, landing safely on the
shore, somewhat shocked and numbed from the fall
| but not seriously hurt
Just as he landed, heavy trunk passed over his
head and knocked his cap off. Having recovered
| his full powers, he began to throw into the river
sticks of wood, which he gathered from log heap
| near the spot. While doing this he was the wit
| ness of some of the most agonizing scenes The
mead OF the boat having struck the shore with much
violence, and the wheels still being kept in notion
she began to shove along and up the bank until her
| further progress was arrested by the steamer keo
| kuk, which was lying up at that point for repairs
| the movement of the Wheels and the strong wind
blowing at the time seemed to force the stern of
| the boat out from the shore and up the stream
which resulted in the more speedy burning of the
after part of the boat and made the escape of the
| ladies and children more perilOus than before.
The Hannibal City, seeing the smoke and con
occurring the cause, dropped off towards the Hi
nois shore, and manning her yawl sent it over
to assist those who were compelled to jump in the
| water.
The yawl, also, on the Ocean Spray was manned
| but became so unmanageabe by reason of the num-
bers that chung to it that it drted down the stream
hundred yards before landing, though it was not
| more than ten yards from the shore
Mr. Brandon says the men, as general thing,
jumped, and reached the shore safely, though he
saw four OF them hanging to log out in the
river. Three OF them on the upper side of it
and one on the lower. The log kept turning over
and over towards the man the lower side, until
he, becoming exhausted with his efforts to keep on
| 1t, sank below the surface and was drowned.
lie also saw a lady who was endcavoring to keep
herself up by small piece of board not more than
a foot square. Her dress for time, seemed to buoy
her, but becoming thoroughly saturated. the piece
! OF wood was insufficient She would sink almost
| below the surface, and then by a strong effort
straighten her body, throw back her head and stiff:
en- her arms, but all of no avail She sank and
was seen no more.
Mr.. Brandon says that the spectacle from the
shore was most heart-rending The ladies at first
tried to save their baggage some of them throwing
IN their trunks and then jumping in after them;
others were concerned only for themselves and their
children, and ran wildly about screaming and cry
ing for help. As the flames approached they
swung themselves down from the guards while one
or two were seen to slide down the ropes and posts
at the rear. How many were sunk lost cannot
be aScertalncd, nor even guessed at now. There
were some fifteen or twenty women on board, and
some eight or ten are all that are thought to be
saved.
Several horses, which were fastened in stalls be-
| hind the wheel-hOuse were burned up. The kick
ings, rawlings and human-like cries of these poor
brutes as the flames wrapped them around, are de
| scribcd as most terrible and affecting
Alter the upper part of the boat had nearly been
consumed, an explosion of kcg of powder took
place in the hold, which added to the CONSERVATION
| OF those on shore. Mr.. Brandon describes one wo
man who was buoved up by her CLOTHING until she
! noated down against the Star of the West. where
sle was assisted by Il gentleman, who extended her
long sapling or pole, to which she chung, until
some gallant irishman swan in and rescued her.
MI. Brandon says he family of a man.
his wife and two little girls who all rot off safe
put were lamentng the loss of their little bow who
! they said was burned up. He also saw the body of
deck hand pulled out below the Star of the West
| Life extinct.
! STATEMENT OF MR. J. II. DENISToN-How THE BOAT WAS
| SET ON FIRE.
Mr.. Deniston is from Lynchburg, Ohio and was
on ms way to Florence, on the Illinois river lie
had trunk containing money and articles of APP
! parel valued at $780, which was lost He saws
When the boat started out the Hannibal CITY backed
OUT just behind her, and when under good Roadway,
she was about one hundred yards in the rear
lie says that when the Ocean Spray was within
| ABOUT mile of where she took fire, he saw the
Hannibal City gaining her, and the command
was given to put turpentne in the furnaces He
says he had been very much interested in the race
anu had taken position in front, where the steps
came down together, so that he could see them
hrlhg up. lhey frst threw in rOsin, and then the
mate suggested turpentne.
The captain was by when the order was rivnn
and some of the men went down into the hold and
! brought up a barrel of turpentine which had been
consigned to some person in Peoria. The took
an axe and split hole in the head of the barrel
ana then under orders of the mate, dipped the fluid
out and threw it over the coal that was living by
rms was not expeditions enough, and the head of
! Ii!e parrel was Knocked in, and a bucket with
piece OF rope to 1t used to dip out the turpcn-
| tine. The barrel at this time was standing not
more than six feet from the furnace doors. Atter
diPPmJ cth the bucket and &prnkIing the COAL sticks
b"'Tet, and then laid do'rn Let,cec, he barrel and fur
| mace. While lying there one of the fremen in
pulling out his rake, jerked live COAL as is sup
posed on The wood when it Immediately 10
nlted, and blaZed up furiously
The mate swOrc at the men and ordered them to
throw water on the fire. The water seemed to
drive the flames to the barrel, which was soon all
aDlaZe. he mate grew furious, and cursing the
hands, ordered them to throw the barrel overheard
In attempting to do this tie barrel ,ras upset. and the
burning fluid in an instant spread all over the deck
ana poured in fiery torrents down into the bold
AT thlS the cry OF fire was shouted, and the alarm
became general.
Mr.. Deniston says he Immediately ran up stairs
Tor his baggage, which was in thestate room No. g.
lie dragged his trunk and carpet sack far the
clerks office, when he saw the flames coming in at
the door in front of him. He dropped his trunk
and umbrella, and made dash for the stairway
through the flames. Somehow. he saws, he reach
ca the bottom OF the stairs, but not without having
ms mar and eyebrows pretty badly sinred-
Here, at the forward deck, he found a crowd of
men all waiting for the boat to strike the Shore
lie jumped when the rest did, and landing safely he
began to throw into the river all the pieces of wood
or logs he could gather on the shore. While on
tne shore he saw the women rushing over the ton