Nebraska advertiser., 1858-05-06

anticipate, with much relish, the result of
the race to Alton. Under such circum-
stances, the officers of the boats could
hardly fail to partake of the spirit of IL
Falry which so ~pervaded the passengers,
and under the impulses of the hour seem
ed to have become reckless of everything
except the speed of their respective
crafts.
Statement of Mr.. J. DenistOn-HoU the
Boat was set on Fire TrTHf
Mr. Deniston is from Lynchburg, o.,
on his way to Florence, on the Illinois
River. He had a trunk containing mo-
ney, and articles of apparel valued at one
hundred dollars, which was lost. He
says when the boat started out the Han
nibal City backed out just behind her, and
wien under good headwayi she was about
q hundred yards in the rear. He says
when the Ocean Spray was within about a
mile of where she took fire, she saw the
Hannibal City gaining on her, and the
command was given to put turpentine in
the furnaces. He says he had been very
much interested in the race, and had Ia
ken a position in front, where the steps
come down together, so that he could see
them firing up. They first threw in ros-
in, and then the mate suggested turpen-
tine. The captain was by whenthe or
der was given, and some of the men
went down into the hold and brought up
a barrel of ~turpentine, which had been
consigned to ONE person in Peoria. The
men took an axe and split a hole In the
head of the barrel. and then, under or
ders of the mate, dipped the fluid out and
threw it over the coal that was lying by.
This was not expeditions enough and the
head of the barrel Nas knocked In, and a
bucket with a piece of rope to it was used
to dip out the %turpentine. The barrel al
this time was standing not more than SIX
feet from the furnace doors. After dip
ping with the bucket and sprinkling the
coal, sticks of wood were taken up and
their ends plunged into the barrel, and
then laid down between the barrel and
furnace. While lying there, one of the
6remen in pulling out his rake, jerked a
live coal, as is supposed, on the wood
when it was Immediately ignited, and
blazed up furiously.
The mate swore at the men and order
ed them to threw water on the fire.
The water seemed TO drive. the flames Il
the barrel, which was soon all ablaze
The mate grew furious, ond cursing the
hands, ordered them to cast the barre
overheard. In attempting to do this the
barrel was upset, and the burning fluid il
an instant spread all over the deck and
poured in fiery torrents down into the holC
AT this the cry of fire was shouted and
the alarm became general.
Mr.. Deniston says he Immediately ran
up stairs for his baggage, which was IL
s;ate-room no. 90. He dragged his trunl
and carpet-sack as far as the clerks of
fee, when he saw the flames coming in a
the door in front of them. He dropped
the trunk and umbrella, AID made a dash
for the stairway through the iames.-
Somehow, he says, he reached the bot
tom of the stairs, but not without having
his hair and eyebrows pretty BADLY singed
Here, at the forward deck he found q
crowd of men all waiting for the boat Il
strike shore. He jumped when the res
did, and landing safely he began to throw
in the river all the pieces of wood o.
logs he could gather on the shore. While
on the shore he saw the women rushing
over the top of the boat and some on the
hurricane roof, and some, even, witt
their children up on the texas, all I'M
ploring for help and screaming from th'
fright of the moment. He saw one mo
ther bring three children to the edge O
the hurricane roof, the oldest being prob
ably about ten years old. She FIRST caugh
her Youngest in her arms, and gave 1t
desperate fling. 1t struck the shore witt
great violence, and must have been serl
ously injured. The second child sh,
could not throw so far, and II fell In tn
water, where its little hands, padding
above the surface, arrested the attention
of some gentlemen who reached In an
/ saved it. The third child, being so heavy
, fell farther from shore, and would prob
ably have drowned but for some noble
hearted man, who having witnessed tn
! efforts of the heroic mother, plunged !
! head foremost, and brought the child
the surface and to the shore. The mothe
afterwards Ieaped into the water, and wa
rescued.
Mr.. Deniston says some for or five VIC
men were found clinging to n woma
f who was holding on to the rudder of tn
S Star of the West.
Mr.. Denlston relates that while tn
flames were raging he saw some woma
at the railing Just in front of the whee
b. house. Those on shore shouted to her t
. Jump, which she attempted to do. but wa
D caught by her clothing, and swung unde
. the railing, down into the engine room
F., where all wa one blaze of fire.
Mr.. Deniston thinks there could nc