The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-05-04
Narrowing Details of the st. Nicho-
las Observation-Disclosures OF James

Narrowing Details Of the st. Nicho-
las Observation-Disclosures OF James
Reed, Pilot. -. -.
We left Memphis at p. 81, last Sunday,
and proceeded down the river, without stop
ping either engine, until we had arrived
at the foot of ST. Francis Island, about 10
O'Clock the same night, at which place the
explosion occurred The Captain was The
only person with me in the pilot house at
the time. We were both at the wheel, and
conversing. Iremember distinctly of hear
ing report like that of a cannon, and in
simultaneously felt myself moving through
the air. When | recovered my senses, 1
found myself down among the boilers
When the steam and smoke cleared away a
little, ! commenced crawling toward the
roof; in doing SO lcame across Captain Nc
Mullen, lying with his right foot under the
hurricane root, pilot house.. and a lot OF
other rubbish, which had been thrown to-
gether in one common mass, by the explO-
sion. His right foot and ankle was wedged
in tightly by this heavy mass of lumber
He hailed me, and I stopped TO assist hina,
at the same true ! calledto the second mate,
whom saw near at hand, 10 NV assistance,
and we both tried all the means. in our
power to release him. ~. $50. ~.
While endeavOring to release the Captain
one OF the striker engineers came to our as
sistance, but the three of us failed to extri-
cate him from his awful position. The
flames were rapidly encroaching upon our
territory, and the heat was becoming intol-
cradle. Capt. McMullen begged US to cut
his leg of, but we could find no axe nor any
ether instrument by which to do so, else we
would have complied with his wish. We
worked at the Captain until the FIRE drove
us away-he begged US all the time to re-
main by him. We did not leave him until
the moment arrived when to remain. any
longer would have been certain death To ali
of US without the possibility of relieving the.
Captain. He was consumed by the flames
almost before our eyes. The last W oris he
uttered were, "Xy Godi shall have 10
burn up. When he saw that he would
have to burn he ceased his entreatieS for us
TO remain by him, and bade US seek our own
safety. Left Capt McMulien a few minutes
before the others did, and succeeded in reach
ing the ladies cabin before the fire closed up
that way OF escape. - t.a.s.l-s
The others, finding it impossible to fol-
low me, jumped in the river. During the
time / was at work trying to save Captain
McMullen, the mate brought the yawl for
ward TO try and put the fire ont, but the
yawl got filed up with men-deck hands
and fremen. While there the yawl also
picked up Capt. Ben CLINE from under the
ruins, and took him on board the Susque-
hanna. BY this time Capt. McMullen was
completely enveloped in flames. | reached
the ladies cabin, and found the ladies hud-
died together, acting frantically, screaming
for assistance, and weeping bitterly.
Mrs. CLINE was there, crying aloud for
her husband. told her had not seen him,
which i had not at that time, for did not
learn until afterwards that he had been
picked up by the yawl. Il told the ladies to
go down on the main deck, aud get away
back to the stern of the boat preceded
them, and when we reached the deck-room,
we had TO jump eight feet on to the main
deck. When got them down there, told
them TO remain until could 90 up and
throw the life-boat overheard. | went up
on the roof and there found my partner,
Edward Stevens, who assisted me to throw
the life-boat overheard.
We then came down stairs, he (Steyens,
Immediately ahead of me, and when we
reached the deck missed him. That is the
last have seen or heard of Edward Ste
yens. When reached the lower guard,
looked for the life-boat where / expected |
should find it, but il was gone. The stew
ard had caught it, and had taken it around
on the other side of the boat, under guard
where it was Immediately filled with men
/ During all this time, there was great many
| people jumping into the river. Ii was per
/ fectectly horrible. / jumped back TO tho
ladies' guard, and got five or six doors, and
/ gave one TO each lady. They also had tin
/ life-preserverS around them. | told item
not to jump overheard until the fire chased
them away; at the same time, the fire wa:
rapidly approaching the spot upon which
they were standing. The smoke was get
ting very thick, and the air very hot. Thi.
party of ladies were five in number They
were all begging me to stay with them
and, when necessity obliged us to jumI
overheard, to allow them to cling TO me-
"a, Twas telling them that such course wonlC
be impossible, when / saw the yawl of tllt
Susquehanna leave that boat and start to-
ward us. i told them to hold on, and they
would be saved by the yawl. then Wen
around on the other guard, SO as TO bring th,
Susquehanna yawl around to the ladies be
fore it got filled up with men. After wait
| lug short time, and fearing they wouldn
come, jumped overheard in order to swim
to the yawl, when the wheel-house fell an,
barely missed hitting me on the head
When got into the river, and had goot
chance TO look about, saw the yawl goinl
back 10 the Susquehanna, as it was abou
sinking with water, and they wanted some
thing to bail il out. was unable to swim
back TO where left the ladies, and tried {,
swim around the bow of the boat, in doin!
which came across a stick OF wood, whicl
was of material assistance to me. 1 sool
managed To get around, "a to obtain
view of the boat, which found cleared o
all the ladies. They had gone, and th
guard was all in blaze That is the last
saw of them, except one Mrs. A. Kennedy
who hid jumped overheard, and had sue
ceeded in getting hold of ring bolt in TIN
hull, Just aft of the Wheel tE. lEM
She held on to this until a skiff took be
away and she was saved. Her shoulder
and arms We're very badly burnt Mr.
Kennedy told me that while she was in tina
position, she saw all the other women fioa
by her towards the wheel. She caught Mr.: