The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1859-05-12
fl,rrOwing Details of the 81.
Nicholas Disaster.--Statem cnt
Of the Pilot, James Reed.

We left Memphis at p. m. last Sunday,
and proceeded down the river, without stop.
ping either engine until we arrived at the
foot of st. Francis Island, about 10 o'clock
the same night, at which place the explosion
took place. The Captain was the only per
son with me in the pilot-house at the time.
We were both at the wheel, and conversing
I remember distinctly of hearing a report
like that of canon, and instantaneously fell
myself moving through the air. When |
recovered my senses, found myself down
among the boilers AS the steam and smoke
cleared away little, commenced crawling
towards the roof; in doing so, came across
Capt. Mcmillan, lying with his right foot un-
der the hurricane roof 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 stopped to assist him, at
the same time | called the second mate, who
was standing near at hand, to my assistance
and we both tried all the means we could to
release him.
While endeavoring to extricate the Cap
tain one of the striker engineers came to our
assistance, but the three of us failed to re-
lease him from his awful position. The
flames were rapidly encroaching upon our
territory, and the heat was becoming intoler-
able. Capt. McMullen begged us to cut his
leg off, but we could not find an axe nor any
other instrument by which to do so, else we
should have complied with his wish. We
worked at the Captain until the fire drove us
away-he begged us all the time to remain
with him. We did not leave him until the
moment arrived when to remain any longer
would have been certain death to all of us,
without the least possibility of relieving the
Captain. He was consumed by the flames
almost before our eyes. The last words he
uttered were, "INy God! have got to burn
upw When he saw that he would have to
burn he ceased his entreaties for us to re-
main by him, and babe us seek our own
safety. left Captain Mcmillan few min
utes before the others did, and succeeded in
reaching the ladies' cabin before the fire clos
ed up that way of escape.
The others finding it impossible to follow
me, jumped into the river. During the time
| was at work trying to save Captain Nc
Mullan, the mate brought the yawl forward
to try and put the fire out, but the yawl got
filed up with men, deck-hands and firemen.
While there the yawl also picked up Capt
Ben CLINE from under the ruins, and took
him aboar,l the Susqueheanna. BY this
time Capt. Mcmillan was completely envel-
oped in flames. Preached the ladies' cabin,
and found the ladies huddled together acting
frantically, screaming for assistance, and
weeping bitterly.
Mrs. CLINE was there crying aloud for her
husband. told her l had not seen him,
which had>not at that time, for l dil not
learn until afterwards that he had been pick
ed up by the yawl. told the ladies to go
down to the main deck, and get away back
to the stern of the boat. l preceded them,
and when we reached the deck-room we had
to jump eight feet on the main deck. When
got them down there, told them to remain
there until l could go up and throw the life
boat overheard. Iwent up on the roof, and
there found my partner, Edward Stevens,
who assisted me to throw the hfe-boat over
board
We then came down stairs, he (Stevens,) J
Immediately ahead of me, and when we
reached the deck missed him. This is the
last have seen or heard of E lward Stevens
When reached the lower guard l looked
for the life-boat where expected I should
find it, but it was gone. The steward had
caught it, and had taken it around on the
other side of the boat, under guard, where
it was Immediately filed with men. During
all this time, there were great many people
jumping into the river 1t was perfectly
horrible. Jumped back to the ladies' guard
and got five or six doors, and gave one to
each lady. They also had tin life-preservers
around them. told them not to jump over
board until the fire chased them away, at
the same time the fire was rapidly approach
ing the spot upon which they were standing.
The smoke was getting very thick, and the
air veay hot. This party of ladies were five
in number. They We're all begging me to
stay with them, and, when necessity obliged
us to Jump overheard, to allow them to cling
to me.
WAS telling them that such curse
would be impossible, when saw the yawl
of the Susquehanna leave that boat and come
toward us. then went around on the 9TH
er guard, so as to bring the Susquehanna
yawl around to- the ladies, before 1t got filed
up with men. After waiting short time,
and fearing they wouldn't come, jumped
overheard, in order to swim to the yawl, just
then the wheel-house fell and barely missed
my head When got into the river, and
had good chance to look about, saw the
yawl going back to the Susquehanna, and it
was about sinking with water, and they