The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-05-06

knocked IN, anu bucket WIN p'Vt vi
/ rope to il was used to dip out the turpen.
/ tine The barrel at this time WAS standing
/ not more than SIX feet from the furnace
doors. After dipping with the bucket and
/ shrinking the coal, sticks If wood were
/ taken M and their ends plunged into the
. barrel. and then laid down between the bar.
I rel aud furnace While lying there, one of
the iir,mgn in pulling out his rake, jerkcd II
3 live coal. Us il is supposed on the wood,
i when it was Immediately ignited, and bhzei
/ up furiousIy.
I The mate ,wore Al the men and ordered
them 10 throw water on The fgc. The Wa.
ter seemed TO drive the flames 10 the barrel,
which WIS soon al ablazc. The mate grew
furious and cursiug the hands ordered them
! TO throw the barrel overheard. In attempt
ing to do ,his tue barrel was upset, and the
burning laid IN al instant spread all over the
deck and poured in fiery torrents down into
the hold. At this the cry Of fire was
shouted and the alarm became general.
MIR. Dcnston SAYS he immediately ran up
stairs for his baggage, which was IA room
No. 2G. lie dragged his trunk and carpet
sack "a far as the clerks Office when he saw
the flames coming in at the door in front Of
them. lie dropped the trunk and umbrella,
and made dash for the stairway through
the flames. Somehow, he says, lie reached
the bottom Of the stairs, but not without
having his hair and eyebrows pretty badly
singed. Here, at the forward deck, he
found crowd OF men all waiting for the
boa, 10 strike the shore. lie jumped when
the res, did, and landing safely he began to
throw in the river all the pieces Of wood or
logs lac could gather on the shore. While
ON the shore, BIZ saw the women rushing over
the top of the boat, some on The hurricane
roof and some even, with their children mp
on the texas and imploring for help and
screaming from the fright oi the moment
lie saw one mother bring three children 10
the edge Of the hurricane roof the Oldest
being probably about ten years. She first
caught her youngest in her arms, and gave
1t desperate fling. 1t struck the shore
with great violence, and must have been
very seriously injured. The second child
she could not throw SO far, and it fell in the
water, where its little hands. padding above
the surface arrested the attention vi some
gentlemen, who reached in and saved il. The
third child being so heavy, fell farther back
from shore and would probably have drown
Cd but for some nobc-hearted man, who
having witnessed the ,ilorts OF the heroic
woman, plunged in head foremost, and
brought the child TO The surface and 10 the
shore. The mother afterwards lenped in the
water and was rescued
Mr.. DenstOn says some four or FIVE NO
men were found cIingiug to one woman who
was holding on TO the ruljlcr OF the Star OF
the West.
The captain, cork. pilots and mate we're
saved. Al tn cabin boys bat one called
Hank, were saved. Mr. Dcnniston says one
of them saved all h- clothing and The othcrs
having lost al he generously offered his
wardrobe. anu took them out behind the
trees 10 change their clothing.
Mr.. DcnisiOn relates, that while the flames
were raging, Le saw u poor woman at
he railing just in front Of the wheel house
Those on shore shrut,l to hor 10 jump,
which she attempted to do, bat was caught
by her clothing, and swung ia under thc
railing down into the cngiue rom, whore all
was one baze OF fire.
Mr. DcuisIon thinks there cannoi have
been less than twenty lives lost. He thinks
there were some sixty OF seventy passengers
IL all, and good many Of thee deck pas
SINGERS.
The state room were all suPpi"i prop
crly with life WeseryerS, very lew. u any at
al seemed To- have been u,sd In" hight
ming like speed with which the fame sptd
along The boat, may have prevented any &c
cess 20 lu'm br the alarmed passengers aud
ere" WHO mad ran hither ana 'h',her' ~ Or
der to see Rom ""'"ce The hAmes pro-
cteded.
M .,a,l.,x! , hi al ,b.. a ..., ..,n.,.