Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-07-01
N AsHVIL L Fl.
M.nrrn. Id t6is ofiee ! bor . - Papers.


RDsEEEID AND KEErucET-1O A NJ -
.-z.----.--1a--
wAxrrp At this Office = boy to carry papers
THr ByS LEWIS DISASTER. a.s5lsnt Of too ct
The PASSENGERS tapd5le Coad q ne h'sgu'ee una
Officers Of the Lssais-Tae OnIsc o. nc ld.asp e,
Explained Heart Rending Scess-- 'ae'0'S as's-
ishsss of The Wrecsers- EDampa q e- Is''' ''' S0
We are indebted to the gentlemen nose names
are appended, passengers on the i-iai Le Wis ior
detailed account of the incid ts Of Ter trip IRON
Memphis. and Of the terrible catastrophe al Oairo.
The following is their stateme1r
On the 2Sd inst, we made oar exit iroin
Tennessee and took passage on board OF the pen
Lewis quickest Of the MissssipEi Tlver Ooa'S' anu
carried the horns; Capt HASs1N. beng Dut Fecehly
appointed to command her. At the tine OF our oe-
parture we had sixty-five cab and twenty aeek pas
sengers. A short period only elapsed When went
below, and what was my astOnishment 70 ma an IN
the greatest confusion, from the great escape OF
steam caused by over-eressure forcing It's way
through the weak portion of machinery ths' after
great difficulty, was mastered. The light OF sat
urday she run on her usual time witt. eaution but
as soon as daylight shone on Us she sped through
the water at dangerous speed. One hundred miles
slaves: they soon became alarmed, and asked the
cause Of such high pressure and speed q me ooat,
when the Clerk replied it was her iral lFiF ana
that she had to shis point MADE one hour over her
usual time Al every landing the saY IS were taken
to the stern Of the steamer they -ud not slack
en- at such time. Between this point and hickman,
the gauge-eoeks of tho four bnloaa -iazAssd- :"
great variance, when they should always De Kept
equal At Hickman had an opportunity Of count
ing the deck hands, being thrty-sN m number,
marching from the store-house with boxes OF ap
pies; at tins point bet was made between the pilot
and engineer to make the landing at Columbus In
one hour and three minutes, distance OF twenty
miles, against the strong current Of the Mississippi;
it lost by one-half minute the quickest run on
record at that particular stage Of tie river. As
soon as we touched at Columbus the engineer of the
Cheney, in the vicinity of the Ben Lewis, became
alarmed at the state of the boat said she was under
dangerous head Of steam and TO leave Immediately
or she would blow up; he watched her with agony
until she disappeared. From this point to Cairo
she was likely to explode at any moment as she
trembled like an aspen leaf shaken by the wind. We
were so cognizant of her danger that We took our
position on the extreme end of the boat and left
minutes only elapsed after her leavin- when she
collapsed with report that was disanguishable
five miles distant Mr.. WILLIAMS, wLl had only
taken parting farewell of his family. insisting of
his wife. a son aged o. two beautiful ang ladies
and equally as intelligent and accomplished the ad-
miratiOn Of all the passengers from TIER afable
manners and ons little girl and boy about seven
years of age Whenhe behedt their fate. nolanguage
could depict his feelings He sought the assistance
of the Captain of the Bay City, when he anwer-
ed IN these words " No, Cd ID if will
go to H." being man of wealth Mr.. WI
said that he would take the risk OF the steam
and pay him any amount that demanded
The Mayor of the city then came toward with Of
cer to take the risk Of the steamer, but all to
avail he could have saved all those that persisted
by drowning, and extingushed the fire on the boat.
The wreckers were the first to to hasten to
the the scene in skifs, from the Missouri side.
and Cairo but it is not known that they rescued one
person but only plundered their baggage, when
sufferers all around them were implor for and
They murdered Mrs. WILLIAMS, as it as proved
before the Coroners inquest, that Life preserveF
was fastened on her body aud she placed on hatch
or raft with her little girl and boy and her elder
rsOn, an excellent swimmer; she had rings on her
fingers valued at $1,000 likewise a quantity of
pney. The preserver OF. her waist. 10, confusion
her head, the impression on her lips al marked
r great struggle with some vile monster. Her
rsa4-sf, ives 5rfverwar1s TOunu IN the 81 KS u n
sat Cairo. The two daughters were saved
oy clinging to the rudder and the 1ther saved
a itself on plank provided by her elder brother.
y among the saved who showed presence of mind
/ rthy of noble comment was one PHILIPS from
-yOso Mission he was in his bunk asleep, and
as blown up, and when he recovered himself he
was among the ruins on the lower deck; his first
thoughts were directed to the ladies' department.,
and, the first to their assistance he pla life pre-
servers on every one of the ladies', vii ad other
.sAles left sought their own safety; lel about
= lying the wreck from the spread Of mes, a lady
y syie her appearance and ma: "Ihavg life pre-
-vver,n he actually took Il one he Ia his per-
, N and placed it on her she was | through
Is 3 GOODNESS; many attril ne their ty to this
igung man of twenty summers. ave been
,sscured, Is injured; 3 Ia since d 3 are Sc
riously injured; ever 60 ar Missing; Y ten bod
les have been found, Mrs. " Inns an. deckhand
As soon as the sufferers eaa .I they ere placed
in collins and buried like We .uggested to
the Coroner the proprieg prayer he replied
they frequently dug = hole and sho, them in
As we were reported among he los all the
papers, we wish you to publish this $. lr numer-
GUS friends in all sections Of the Cao. nd Nova
Scotia, may learn OF our safety.
ALEXANDER HoUsToN, con I'd with House of
MITCHELL & ALLEN, Phila ia aud " York.
LIB ROBINSON, House o. D. H.a o.. Phila-
delphia.
New York, Boston, Phil aia an rovincial
papers please copy.
NASHVILLE, June 30th,
The Memphis Appeal Of .stn uIg dishes
letter from Capt. G. W. W NJ scvg members
of whose family were 10 the ter to the
steamer Ben Lewis at O. rom we make
the following extracts. { WHLnN- I gone as
far as Cairo with his fam. d had e. with his
baggage intending to retul Ith. Tie IS:
As the stern-wheeler b.. " Can't ra,y Nil
Ter came in, my attention taken in ascer-
tsining If the boat was b. down. W n | heard
a loud explosion, slmla blowin If steam
through the mud valve. few m nts | was
informed the boat had b mp. l. j toward
the point (the boat at time was c in sight
from where / stoOd), wit eNr Ian ION Nv
God all in the world tina lear JOu Is on that
boat" rushed on boar e Bay c m comma
ny with one Of the either induce ,sptain TO
put of the boat. He refu- D do SO. nat time
the boat had drifted arou he poin, amid fhs
screams for help of the drowning he " -7ded and
dying not particle of fire W to thatt was seen
on her; l Went to the captain again az -sSed him
for Gods sake to put out with his b and save
them. but he refused again md said would be
e id Il he did, l then nln 10 the side of the
wharf boat where noble hearts and ing hands
were embarking off in every thing tina ruld float
to the wreck At that mOlsnt. ] sa light as
large a the usual steamboat orch but N its loca-
ton, Knew too painfully the fact that lie boat was
in flame, I ran back TO tie cabin OF the boat in
pursuit VI Captain Miller AID found hm rushing
towards ie ladies' cabin. ! again said to him.
Put Out with your boat anC save those Door crea,
lures lis reply was, d" be Cd ID if do
am not coing 20 endangg ~ boat ~ the lives of
my passelgersn / replic that ht uId not en-
danger e'her that he c.. ] drop q below her
and save very one of then adding if money
would Induce HIM 10 do ne shoul maid; but
he utterly r.fused. The mIgor of I'll, v told him
to put out aad he would r ire him a. st anv loss.
but he decaed, and then } pilot ash HIM 10 cut
the barge lose and back B down ler but the
wretch wa ncorrigIhle
Skins Wee out in every directOl The axe