The Shasta courier., 1858-09-04
Burning the steamer Galena.
THRILLING ACCOUNT BY 4 PASSENGER.

THRILLING ACCOUNT BY PASSENGER.
N. o. Everts, passenger on board the GaIena.
recently burned on the Mississippi river, near
Redwing, gives a graphic description o. the
scene in letter to the Chicago Press and Tribune,
from which we clip the following extract },
" About one o'clock, to give my own e,peri-
ence, some one caught my foot and sb,uted
The boat is on fire. My stateroom door was
left partly open for ventilation. Fortunately |
had not doffed my pants or vest. Leapine from
the upper berth, told Mary, who was also
aroused, to be calm, with undoubtedly some
tremor in my voice. 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 dsas-
trous. The first look gave towards the bow
OF the boat was sufficient. The red flames, made
iurid by the accompanying smoke, pierced
through the cabin like / drowning tongue OF an
insatlate demon ut the very instant
One look You may have read descriptions
OF burning ships-you may have become in i'm
aglnation 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 the scene itself is
fearfully and wonderfully different. One look,
as said, at that mad, devouring, helish- look
ing hend-tongue, tapping with hot greed the
ceiling, doors, curtains, glass, and stabbing
through into the opposite apartments, produced
STANCE reaction in my soul, aweing me as it
were into GOODNESS and deliberation. 1t was but
for an instant. Hurrying up and down the long
saloon were crazed women, and men almost as
frantic Where shall go? Save me save
mer 20, my child, my child IT Fire! fire = We
are all lost? This way I'll save you all min
gled in one confused uproar, with piercing
shrieks and lacerating cries high over all. If |
spoke, cannot now recollect more words than
these: Quick, Mary, give me my boyf And
those little boy-hands are still clinging round
my neck-and the quick beats of that baby
heart still meet the louder pulses of my own,
around which new veins of love have swollen
rapidly, softening, melting, until even now
and will not weep.
Just ut this moment, when master was SO
much needed, no one knowing just what to do,
Capt. Laughton (of heroic memory braver
man never trod n deck-nor more humane)
appeared like an apparition in the midst of us
and said firmly: This way, and you all be saved
steady! this way 7 th- tide turned in one
direction ut the masters comand, and with few
exceptions, followed steadily and without crowd
ing throgh the side entrance next the shore
down the gangway, somewhat obstructed by
trunks which eager men were endeayorng to
I n
joy we found the bow near the shore, and a
plank launched. \ group of ladies were in
advance of me, and set up Il six feet lloosier
barrier against the crowd behind, holding back
with what ability was given me. In the con-
fusion missed Mary, butthought her in advance,
and SO was satisfied-so walked the plank,
tottering with its excited burden, and struck
foot on shore with my jewel on my breast =
There was joy in that moments experience A
moment more and Mary was by my side-and
then our friends, all safe, and if but half dressed,
bare footed, with disheveled hair more beanti-
full in this moment to my eyes than fIbled prin-
ceSses in all the glory of their royal attire.
We turned to look upon the scene before us.
Already had the flames extended to the extreme
ends of the long ship, reaching high above the
pilots house, still occupied by the brave man
ut the wheel, holding his charge hard on the
shoro, and the whole heavens seemed lighted by
the conhagration Still amid the flames could
be seen fitting form, and heard a wild shrek
of despairing agony; and now man drops
down the guard into the stream, and struggles
for the shore and now a boy-braye, glorious
boy Heaps from the cabin ok and swims
with vigorous stroke down, down the stream
he cannot buffet it; and the yawl has
reached him-saved hurrah The cry tf pow
der on board starlles with new fear, and the
CROW u receues iir up the UiuH anu uoWn the
shore Down fell the deck-up shot the flames
renewed with new strength, vaulting high above
the tall, black c..imneys; crash came the huge
black monsters themselves over the deck. The
r yer seethes and Kisses, rs if wounded and mad
with pain !: the high wheel-house arches flame
and tumble into the surge; bang! goes tie
cylinder head and The liberated steam outru IL
ing, for moment seems to rend the monster S
bowels, and then, subdued by its own energy,
is seen no more. The boilers fall the flames
begin to droop; the hull is burning low the
waters edge is reached in flows the adverse
element; she flls-she sinks, and with one loud
hiss of defiance the flames expire, and all is dark
and silent