Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1858-04-27
DAILY APPEAL.
TUESDAY MORNING., .-sPRIL p, 1855

1E, TUESDAY MORNING, .-sPRIL p, 1s'
DREADFUI AND HEARTRESDIEG ACODEl
H. BURNING OF THE OCEAN sPRiT
Great Loss OF Life
twenty 10 thirty Person. Burned or Df0wzs
= TAs 0csaa Ssrav rsaHiag a race at the fiT
70 tcifh The HaHibal Cifg-Fire c0mmUnicaf
sa- By The rockLss ase Of #rpsnfiHe-.7Ufsl as
thTIAfag scenss-SiGtemeats Of the passensc
Gad Capfain-Ihs IRE communicated to &
m steanaer Ksalsuk, aad hat boat also oousumt
ths Fall particulars.
From the 81. Louis Democrat
Another horrible disaster is added this mori
a. ing 70 that dreadful list Of accidents whicl
during the past six months, has made The al
nais OF stssmb9sting on the western rivers
record uHpsrallelfd in the history Of the couT
O. Iy, for loss OF life and property, and al tha
s. is terrible and beartrending in the detail
= such eslamitiss- The list, we now recall i
/. furnishes the dreadful chapters concerning 10
burning Of the RaiHb0ts. burning Of the Co
CrosSmGE, burning of the SEifaH, and ID
burning Of boat On the Alabama TiVer-th
memories Of all Of which come back upon n
% traught with the utmost pain and horror
: property of immense value consumed in al
. hour, human beings caught and devourei BY IA
A. 4
= the cold and remoTseiess waves; ; wives miss
SO ing, children torn sway, husbands lost. fami
~ lies broken up, and dismsy and horror iUfiote
upon the whole country.
50 We say, another, and il possible, catastro
: phe more dreadful than all others, il is ou
= painful duty 70 chronicle this morning. If il.
q horrors are not equal as regards the loss O.
= life, yet it claims disastrous pre-emiuence by
. reason Of the attending recklessness o. To,
a commanding officers, and their criminal disre-
. gsr1 Of the safety of the boat, and the human
q lives under their charge. But without further
J comment, let as hasten to give such reports al
I. we could, amid much confusion and uncertain
y, gather together last night. We cannot
4 present more satisfactory 8ccount OF ths mat
ter than is contained in the statements Of pas
! sengers and others here sub 1ined.
{ The OceGH Spray took IRE yesterday after
noon about five O'Clock, and was burned TO the
waters edge, at distance Of abOat five miles
above this city, 10 OF near SawyeT's bend, above
Magazine point. She left this city at her reg
ular departing hour, between four and FIVE
O'Clock, on her way to Peoria, o. the Illinois
I river. About the time Of her departure, the
HaEnibai City, one Of the regular Ksokuk
I packets, also dropped out, and both boats
started up the river on race, the OcesR Spray
having number Of passengers, and many on
, board seeming to anticipate, with much relish,
I the result Of the race to Alton Under such
circumstances, the officers Of the boats could
! hardly fail TO partake Of the spirit Of rivalry
which 50 perFadsd the passengers, and under
the impulses of the hour seemed to have become
reckless Of everything but the speed Of their
respective crafts.
STATEMENT OF THs CAPTAIN.
Our reporter succeeded in gaining an inter-
view with Capt. Waldo Marsh, at the Monroe
House, to which be Immediately proceeded af-
ter arriving in the city, weak and exhausted,
from the scene Of the disaster.
The f0!loEing is bis statement:
% The fire commenced on the main deck, right
forward Of the boilers, on the staTb0srd
Z When the alarm was given, / and the others at
the tine upon the hurricane deck rushed for
/ ward, procuring buckets, which we filled with
water, and emptied upon the flames, but with
| out any good result As soon as knew that
the fire could not be got under, and that tie
flames were rapidly spreading, I rushed up TO
! the hurricane deck. and had the at headed 70
1 the shore. She reached il between tue steam
ers Star OF the West and Reotuls, and the
starboard wheel was kept revolving, she slid
/ along the bank towards the Ksoka6. A NUM- I
Der Of persons jumped to the shore, aui we're /
so0n engaged, RI.h others still on the boat, 10 4
/ throwing plsRks, c0rd-W0od, and ether avaiid- I
bic articles, to the assistance Of some whC D al ]
/ esped ard dropped into tie fIVer IL vas [
then, and BY this means, that the largest num-
I Der Of those who were saved, we're enabled 10
reach the shore.
ss As soon as got off. ! ran along the bank.
20 the stern Of the boat, aud saw sliil on board,
on the lower deck, crowd Of deck han.'s and
deck passengers. / saw then. several persons
climbing down from the ladies' cabin.
g do not kuow bow tbs ere originated
S0e was running at the time, not SO swiftly ss
she sometimes Goes-@
STATEMENT or ER- T. ". BRANDON.
Mr. Brandon went on board the OCEAN Spray
r. =. - .a..a|
about zoo bags OF salt which the boat was 20 I
take On beard, near Belcher's sugar refinery.
After, however, ia.tb boats were out 10 the .
stream, and The race had fairy begun, the cap
tain informed Ma. Brandon that he could not
stop for the salt, and would have 70 carry him
up to Alton, for be wanted 10 beat the HgHi5dl
C5tg. which boat was at this tine gaining on
the Sgray. Mf. Brandon states that be could
see the firemen On the HaHibGl City breaking
up rosin and casting it into the f0rnacss.
When the boats were rounding the point above
the city, they were very close together, the KsO
flk packet having steadily gained upon her IL
val, and almost coming alongside. At 5iis
iuncture, the fires Of the OcsqH Spray were fed
with rosn and t,irpentine aud with the increase
Of steam she was just beginning to gain upon
her competitor, when the alarm Of fire was
heard Mr.. Brandon says be became alarmed /
at the heat Of the boilers, and thinking there
was some danger Of an explosion, went up on
the hurricane deck, and passed back until he
was over the ladies' cabin. He says there was \
considerable excitement on board, and magy \
we're extremely anxious TO bet on the success 4
Of their boat He says be had been standing 1
over the ladies' cabin but few minutes, when 1
be was startled by a faint cry Of - ire = /
coming very indistinctly from the forward part |
Of the boat.
This cry was Immediately followed By several 4
shouts, and casting bis eye towards the pilot
a. Il 4
mat the boat, which was bout twenty yards |
cut in The stream, began 10 head for shore. A.
this the confusion was great, and the cries Of
the passengers began 10 be fearfgi and ag0ni-
zing. The women and children, cTazsd With I
alarm, were heard in the cabin below, while
the hOarse shOutings Of the men 10 front made
the moment most terrible. His first impulse
directed him TO rush forward. He ran 70 the 4
wheel-bouse steps, and had placed one foot l
on the first step. when rush Of hHmes and /
smoke from below drove hjm hack He then /
ran alcEg the roof until Just forward OF the |
pilot house, and before the boat had struck The I
shore Jumped for bis life, landing safely on the
shore, somewhat shocked aud numbed from the
fan, but not seriously hurt. Just as he landed,
a heavy trunk passed over his head and knock
ed bis cap Of. Having recovered bis full pow
ers be began 70 throw into The river sticks Of \
wood, which be gathered from 2 log-hesp near .
the spot. While doing thus he wasths witness
Of some Of she most sEonzing scenes. The I
head Of the boat having struck the shore vi 10 I
much violence. and the wheels still being kept I
in motion she began to shove along and up the I
bank until her further progress was arrested /
bv the steamer Rrolruis, which was lying Up at I
that Doint for repairs. Ihe movement OF the I
wheels, and the stTOu wind blowing at the /
time. seemed to force stern Of the boat out 1
from the shore and up the stream, which result 1
ed in the more speedy burning Of the after part .
Of the boat. and made the escape OF the ladies .
and children more PerilOus than bsfore.
The HaEibai Cifg, sesing the smoke aud I
eoniectuFing the cause, dropped on towards the I
Illinois shore, and manning her yawl sent a. I
over to assist those who were compelled to I
jump In the water.
The yawi, also, Of the OceaR Spray was /
manned, bot became SO manageable BY reason I
Of the zumbers that clung to it, that a driited
down The stream hundred yards before land I
ing, though it was not more than ten yarcs
from the shore.
Mr.. Brandon says the men, as a general 1
thing. Jumped, and reached the shore safely, 1
tbough he saw four Of them hanging 70 one log 4
out in the river. Three 0f tbem were on the 1
upner side OF II and one on the lower. The log 4
( kept turning over and over towards the man on !
/ The lower side, until be, becoming exhausted /
with his efforts 10 keep on It, sank below the /
surface and was drowned.
He also saw a lady who was endesvoring TO
keep neEeeI up Dt kthdti pteC5 OF q 19dlL ho-
/ more than 2 foot square. Her dress for time
/ seemed TO baoy her, but becoming thoroughly
saturated. the piece of wood was insufficient
/ Soc x5uld sink almost below the surface. aud
then bv 4 strong effort, straighten her body,
throw back her bead aud stitfen her arms, bat
/ an Of 10 avail. She sank and was seen no
more.
Mr.. Brandon says the spectacle from ihs
shore was most heart-rending. The ladies az
I first tried 20 save their baggage, some OF them
jumping in after them others we're Concerned
only for themselves and their ehtidFes, and ran
riiaiV about screaming and crying for help.