The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1860-05-15
TERRIBLE SCENES ON BOARD A
BURNING STEAMER.

The St. Louis papers give further particulars Of
TIE burning of the Steamboat A. T. Lacey, which
was noticed recently. The fire commenced in a
bale of hay. The Democrat says:
Capt. Lacey, of Girardeau, together with his
wife and two children, one interesting little boy
aged about eight years. and the other little girl
OF four or five years, were among the passengers
The happy family party had not proceeded more
than $50 miles, when terrible disaster overtakes
them, death snatches away the little daughter, and
father, mother and son are thrown upon the barren
shore Of the river, exhausted in body, their lives
barely saved, and their hearts overw hclmed with
the grief which had so suddenly come upon them.
Our informant states that he stepped out of the
state-room, he met Capt. Lacy rushing towards
the stern of the boat to save his family He call
ed after him, telling him not to frighten the wo-
men, for he thought the bale of hay on fire which
was first discovered had been thrown overheard
and there was no danger. --. ..a-.
Our informant then went into his state-room,
drew on his pants and once more stepped into the
cabin was confounded aud terrified at the progress
of the hames which had already broken into the
front part of the cabin, and were carrying every
thing before them. eran back to assist the ladies'
and children in their escape. Seeing Capt. Lacey
with his little hoy in one hand and his little girl
in the other, while his wife, frantic with fright,
was ciinging to his person. he approached the Cap
tain and told him if'he would give him the little
girl he would try to save her. The Captain gave
her up, she going willingly without word of objec-
ton, while her little brother cung to his father,
and in moment after with her arms clineing
round his neck, he bravey plunged into the water.
The child strangled very much at the first INNER
sion but still clung to our informant's neck, who
struck out for the shore.
He swan but short distance when he was as
laA bu h, in bor
frantic struggles, pushed him and the little girl
beneath the surface which again caused the little
girl to struggle, but she still held Nearing a
drift pile both our informant aud his precious
charge were sucked under the logs by the treach-
erous waves and current. and while under, strug
Cling for his own life, having become badly stran-
gled. he missed the grasp of the little girl around
his neck, and she, probably caught by her night
dress in the drift was lost. Our informant, on
emerging from the drift, happily caught log, on
which he hoated until rescued by the yawl, about
a mile below. Capt. lacey little boy was taken
from his father and saved by the noble exertions
Of Mr. William Mundy, the pilot, who, after his
safe arrival shore, exhausted that he had to
be drawn up the bank. The engineers, MIR Buch-
anan and Mr. Owens, assisted Capt. Lacey and his
wife to the shore.
A large number of the deck passengers threw
themselves overheard and many were drowned.
One man most inhumanly left his two little chill
dren in their beds to be consumed by the fire. while
he made good his escape to shore.
One poor Irish woman, who was confined to her
be rth by St. Vitus dance, was lost. Another Irish
woman, with whom the maternal feelings were as
strong life itself, wrapped her little babe in
blanket, and safely reached the shore with the pre-
cious bundle in her arms Her anguish may be
imagined, when, in unwinding the blanket, she
found her child sufocated and dead
The number of cattle on board was 116. The
groans and howlings of these poor animals. the
fire ran along their backs and roasted them alive,
all tied by their horns to the forward and after
guards, with no way of escape, is described most
awful and distressing.
Several deck passengers were seen by o"r infor-
mant to pass under the drift pile, and
doubtedly drowned The fire was seen distinctly
ut New Madrid. distance of about SO miles from
the scene of the disaster, and the clerk of the
wharf fboat at that point stated, when he the
light, that he knew it the Lacey.