The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1858-07-14
RED WISG, July 1st, 1883.


graph will have informed you ere this
reaches your sanctum of the burning of
the steamboat "Galena" at this point
this morning, at one o'clock, with loss
of life, property, &c.; and transmit,
for the benefit Of anxious friends, also
list Of the "saved" and "lost," which
few of US have just completed. The
"Galena" was regular line packet ply
ing between Gslena and st. Paul, and
received most of her passengers for her
last trip from the railroad at Dunlieth
on Monday evening and Tuesday morn
ing last. She left Dunlieth about 3
O'Clock A. NJ, on Tuesday, heavily la
den with freight, principally salt, and a
fair proportion ofpassengers. Her state
rooms were all occupied, but not crow
ded. Your correspondent. with wife
and "Charlie," and other friends, were
of the list. The weather, as you are
aware, was excessively warm, and the
boat from the start was hot enough to ig-
mite by the slightest agitating cause
She made "slow time," on account Of
detenrions in unloading, and entered
Lake Pepin early in the evening of We'd
nesday. A fresh breeze had sprung
from ahead, grateful to passengers in
deed, and most of us retired early
The boats freight had been nearly all
discharged at the foot of the lake, and
an attempt was made to gain time by
increasing speed. Before I retired the
chimneys appeared like volcanoes emit
ting showers Of sparks; and the upper
deck and mid air presented scene
worthy of pyrotechnic of the first
water. But this, you know, is not un-
common. No danger was anticipated
from this source; and it is not now
known, and perhaps never will be.
whether or not the disaster originated
from this source. think not. My i'm
preston is that the fire was communi-
Gated from the lower portion Of the
chimney to the surrounding wood work.
About one o'clock, to give my own ex-
perience, some one caught my foot, and
shouted, "The boat is on fire." My
state room door was left partly open for
ventilation. Fortunately l had not dotf-
ed my pants or vest. Leaping from the
upper berth, l 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 be-
come very general, and I had hopes that
the FIRE might not prove DISASTROUS
The first look l gave toward the bow oi
the boat was sufficient. The red flame,
made lurid by the accompanying smoke,
pierced through the cabin like the de-
vouring tongue of an insatiate demon
at the very instant. One look You
may have read descriptions of burning
ships-you may have become in imagi-
nation participant in the sublime hor-
rors Of scene which human utterance
can never portray; but to stand, as l
stood there, a living, present witness,
and part of the scene itself, is fearfully
and wonderfully different. One look,
as said, at that mad, devouring, hellish
looking fend-tongue, tapping with hot
greed the ceiling, doors, curtains, glass,
and stabbing through into the opposite
apartments, produced strange reac.
ton in my soul, aweing me as it were in.
to GOODNESS and deliberation. It was
but for an instant. Hurting up and
down the long saloon were crazed wo'
men, and men almost as frantic
"Where shall go?" "Save me save
me !" 20 my child, my child p
"Flre, Fire !" ave are all lost !'--
"This way! I'll save you all !" ming
led in one confused uproar with pierc-
ing shrieks and lacerating cries high
over all. If l spake, can not now re-
call more words than these: "Quick,
Mary, give me my boy T. And those
little boy hands are still clinging round
my neck-and the quick beat 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-no, l will not weep.
| Just at this moment, when master
was so much needed, no one knowing
just what to do, Captain Laughton (o1
heroic memory-a Drawer man never
trod deck-nor more humane appeared
like an apparition in the midst of US,
and said firmly: ''This way. and you
will all be saved-steady this way -
The tide turned in one direction at the
masters command, and with few ex-
ceptions, followed steadily and without
crowding. through the side entrance
next the shore-down the gangway,
somewhat obstructed by trucks which
eager men were endeavoring to get
ashore-or off the boat at least-and to
our ioywe found the bow near the shore,
and plank launched. A group of la
dies were in advance of me, and | set up
six-foot Hoosier barrier against the
crowd behind, holding back with what
ability was given me. In the confus-
sion missed Mary, but thought her in
advance, and so was satisfed-so walked
the plank, lettering with its excited
burden. and struck foot on shore with
my jewel on my breast. There was JOY
in that moments experience. A mo-
ment more and Mary was by my side
and then our friends all safe-and if but
half dressed, bare. footed, with dishevel-
led hair more beautiful in this moment
to my eyes than tabled princesses in all
the glory of their royal attire.
We turned to look upon the scene
before us. Already had the flames ex-
tended to the extreme ends of the long
ship, reaching high above the pilots
house. still occupied by the brave man
at the wheel, holding his charge hard
on the shore, and the whole heavens
seemed lighted by the conaagration.
Still amid the flames could be seen a
fitting form, and heard q wild shrek