Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-05-02
sad DosalI, af ,be ~. Nlohola, disaster.

The explosion Of tho steamer 81. Nicholas on
The Gath Of April, in the vicinity Of Memphis
was one Of the most terrific that has occurred
for years on the Mississippi Il took place al
10 O'Clock Sunday evening, all four Of the great
boilers exploding At once when the boat was un
der full headway. About sixty lives were lost
and the boat, with large and valuable cargo
entirely destroyed The wreck at once tool
FIRE, and soon enwrapped the whole boat in one
sheet of flame The picture revealed by the lu
rid flames was narrowing in the extreme. The
boat was bound down the River, and no namet
from this quarter are contained in the list Of
killed and wounded,
MIR James Reed, the pilot Of the 81. Nicholas
was in the pilot house with Capt. MCMILLAN
and at the wheel loonversing. We add portion
Of his thrilling statement;
remember distinctly Of hearing a report like
that of a cannon, and instantaneously felt my
self moving through the air. When recovered
my senses, found myself down among the boil.
ers When the steam and smoke cleared away
little, / commenced crawling to the roof; in
doing SO came across Captain MCMILLAN, lying
with his right foot under the hurricane roof, pi-
lot house, and lot Of other rubbish, which had
been thrown together in one common mass, by
the explosion. His right foot and ankle was
wedged in tightly by this heavy mass Of lumber.
He hailed me, and | stopped 10 assist him, at
the same time / called to thesecOnd mate, " HON
saw near at hand, to my assistance, and we
both tried all the means in our power TO release
him.
While endeavoring to release the Captain one
Of the Atriker engineers came TO our assistance,
but the three of us failed to extricate MIN from
his awful position. The flames were rapidly en-
croaching upon our territory, and the heat was
becoming intolerable. Capt. Mcmillan begged
US to Eat of his leg, but we could find no axe nor
any other instrument by which 30 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 remain by him. W.
did not leave him until the moment arrived
when to remain any longer would have been
certain death TO all of us without tho possibility
Of relieving the Captain. lie was consumed
by the flames almost before our eyes. The last
words he uttered were, " Nv God | shall have
to 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 safe.
ty. / left Capt. McMullan few minutes be-
lore the others did, and succeeded in reaching
the ladies' cabin before the fire closed 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 Mcmillan, the
mate brought the yaw forward to try anJ put
the fire out, but the yawl got filled up with
men-deck hands and fremen. While there
the yawl also picked up Capt. Ben. Cline from
under the ruins, and took him aboard the Sus-
quehanna. By this time Capt. MoMuan was
completely enveoped in the flames. / reached
the ladies' cabin, and found the ladies huddled
together, acting frantically, screaming for as
sistance, and weeping bitterly.
Mrs. CLINE was there crying alord for her
husband | told her had not seen him, which
had not at that time, for / did not learn until
afterwards that he had been picked up by the
yawl. told the ladies 10 90 down on the main
deck, and get away back to the stern of the
boat. preceded them, aud when we reached
the deckroom we had to jump eight feet on to
the main deck When got them Gown there,
told them to remain until could 90 up and
throw the life-boat overheard. l went up on
the roof, and there found my partner, Edward
Stevens, who assisted to throw the life boat
overheard.
We then came down stairs he (Stevens) inn
mediately ahead of me, and when we reached the
deck missed him That is the last have seen
OF heard OF Edward Stevens. When rer ched
the lower guar, l looked for the life boat where
expected 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 the
guard, where il was Immediately filled 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
Ill, l., 1 -
around them. told them not to Jump over
board until the fire chased them away at the
same time, the fire was rapidly approaching the
spot upon which they were standing The
smoke was getting very thick, and the air very
hot. This party Of ladies were five in num- |
ber. They were all begging me to stay with I,
them, and, when necessity compelled us 70 jump |
overheard, to allow them to cling to me.
was telling them that such course would |
,e impossible, when | saw the yawl of the
leave the boat and start to.
ward us. l told them to hold on, and thew
would be saved by the yawl. l then went
iround on the other guard, SO as to bring the
yawl around to the ladies'
'efore it got filled up with men. After wait.
ng short time, and fearing they would not
'ome, l jumped overheard in order to swim
o the yawl, when the wheel house fell and
'Nioiy hilSSSu hltNlHB ulo Oh lub uehu. Mnen |
got into the river, and had good chance to
ook about, | saw the yawl going back to the !
5usquehanna, as It was about sinking with wa |
e', and they wanted something to bail it out - |
was unable to swim back to where left the |
aides, and tried TO swim around the bow of the |
'oat, in doing which came across a stick of
wood, which was of material assistance to me.
soon managed to get around, so as to obtain
view of the boat, which found cleared of all
he ladies' They had gone, and the guard was
III I'M blaze. That is the last saw Of them,
xcept one, Mrs A Kennedy, who had Jumped
'verboard, and had succeeded in getting hold
# a ring bolt in the hull, just aft Of the wheel.
She held on TO this until a skiff took her away
md she was saved. Her shoulders aud arms
we're very badly burnt, Mrs. Kennedy told me
hat while she was in that position she saw all
he other women float by her towards the wheel
She caught Mrs, CLINE and held her few min
ties, but couldn't retain her hold in conse.
luenoe OF excessive weakness aud heat. 1t is
Mrs. Kennenys opinion that all the women
we're drowned by the falling of the wheelhouse,
IS she could see nothing of them after il fell
Finding that | could do no more service for the
aides, thought l would look out for myself.
then started to swim for the shore, and land.
ID three miles below where jumped into the
water. h..
Ready Jury.
In 1886, Rev Richard Baxter CSaints.Rest
BAKERY was tried before Lord Chief Justice
IetiTeys, for a sedtious libel The trial was the |
l. r % M