Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-05-01


brief dispatch informed us Of the destruction
By fire On the night Of the 10th ult Of the steamer
A. T. Lacey. The boat was bound from New Or
leans to St Louis. and portion Of her freight con.
sisted Of about 80 bales Of hay, which was igniied
as IS supposed. by the sparks emitted from the
chimneys of passing boat In very short time
the hlnnes were communicated to the upper works,
which we're quickly developed. and set at nought
al attempts to stay their progress. The fire was
discovered while the boat was rounding Island I6 or
Booths Point and she was at once headed for the
shore, which she reached IN very short time The
bow struck the lad and the current caused her
stern to swing round The bank was almost PR
pendicular, and the boat was distant some forty or
fifty feet from the shore. There were about thirty
i've or forty cabin passengers and as many on deck.
and thes distress at the seemingly hopeless prospect
before them may be better imagined than described
Some Of those on deck frantic with fear, threw
themselves overheard, and persisted in the water
while others succeeded in clutching fragments of
driftwood, quantity Of which soon accumulated
within the basin formed By the position Of the boat
and in that manner after the most desperate efforts,
succeeded in reaching the shore.
Among fhe victims OF this terrible calamity was an
interesting little daughter Of Capt A I. LACEY aged
six years. Mr. j. H. MORLEY, the second clerk Of
the boat seized her in his arms and jumped over
board Once in the water Replaced the little girl on
his back and had early reached the shore when the
limb Of floating tree dragged her from him. In
moment she was lost to sight, and was seen no
more. The others known to have been lost were
three or four dechands, two cabin servants, three
young children belonging to deck passengers, and
three negroes. making twelve in all.
shortly after the disaster the steamer Magnolia
arrived alongside, and by the exsrhons Of Captain
THoMAssoS and his crew many lives, which other
wise would have been sacrificed, were saved.
So rapid was the progress Of the flames that not
a single article was saved from The boat-the pas
sengors lost ali their baggage and clothing with
the exception Of what they wore at the time, and
the books and papers belonging to the boat were
consumed.
The Lacy was about two years old. and was
valuedat 100000, ION which there was an Insurance
Of $4,000 The cargo was valued at SI25, 600, and
was insured.
TIE CONCERT To2HGHT.-We deem it almost SUI
perhuous to direct our readers attention to what
every body IS talking about the Concert tonight for
the:beneft Of Calvary Church at Odd Fellows Hall.
1t may not be generally known that the establish
ment Of this church is an experiment in carrying
out in its purity the voluntary system. There
no pew rents, no arrangements for making differ
ence between rich and poo- members, but every
body contributes what he can whether it be much
little, and all are equally entitled to the best
church accommodation that the means contributed
can procure.
The experiment has been so far successful that
the annual expenses of the church have been de-
frayed and considerable subscription raised to-
wards erecting suitable building; but the mem
bers Of the church are not many of them wealthy
its admirable rector believing it to be the most
sacred of the obligations of the Christian religion
that Unto the poor the Gospel is preached = hence
some aid derived from exuaueous sources will
doubtless be most welcome. and hence the Con
cert.
If, however, the congregation be on the average
poor this worlds goods 1t is one of the richest
in musical talents in the United States and by
and happy coincidence, the ladies So highly
gifted in that particular also rich in all those
endowments which characterize the aoblest aud the
loveliest of the sex, rendering it SO irresstby at
tractve to the ruder sex. With the valuable aid,
then, Of the Philharmonic Society, and the common
dation Of holy and benefcent purpose, who can
doubt that these cztmable ladies will realise the
only reward they desire for their charitable
ertions a liberal contribution to the institution
they are interested in building up.