The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1863-08-13
CONCLUDED NEXT WEEK.
Fearful CnGumity-The steamer Ruth
burned Great Loss of Life.

CAIRO, August D, 1910.
The steamer Ruth Captain Pegram, left
Cairo last night at eleven o'clock, with small
passenger list and 600 tons of freight, bound
| for Helena Her load consisted partly of about
| 100 head of fat cattle for the army, and 122
mules.
| Paymaster Brinton, of Philadelphia, with
| 81, 600, 900 was a passenger, en- route for the
army of Gen. Grant, having as guard, thirty
men of the 9th Wisconsin regiment, under
Lieut.. Courier Less than an hour after leav-
ing this place, the colored chambermaid dis
covered fire aft on the starboard side, near the
stern. She gave the alarm, and a scene OF
confusion ensued though not as great as might
have been expected.
1t is said by passengers that not four min
utes elapsed after the first alarm, before the
entire upper works of the steamer were in a
perfect blaze. The Captain was at his post.
AS soon as he saw that nothing but the di-
rect intervention of Providence could save his
boat, he caused her head to be turned towards
the Missouri shore, not more than eight miles
from Cairo, in the vicinity of and just below
Norfolk landing, and with full head of steam
on he ran her hard aground bow on. Some
thirty feet of her stern broke off by force o.
the shock, and the passengers, crew, and eve
ry one excepting five soldiers on guard ovel
the money i'll the Paymasters box, made g
simultaneous rush for the shore. A few jump
ed overheard and were drowned, or swan tc
the bank and climbed on shore. The five sol
diers mentioned remained at their post brave
lily turning the tide, and trying to induce con
fidence in escaping passengers, but their efforts
were fruitless. Paymaster Brinton had glver
them orders they implicitly obeyed until the
J. +l1oI IL tlNa,
: swung. All would soon be lost and no hope
remained of saving the money, they also lef
their position and endeavored to escape. BE
fore all could leap Off the boat recoiled from
shore, one wheel still going, and shot out into
the stream.
Five of the 9th Wis. and several passengers
all the cattle. mules, money, freight, colorec
chambermaid, one of the clerks, the son O
Mr.. Oglesby, one Paymaster Greenwalt 0
Harrisburg Pa, three Paymasters' clerks
(names unknown) were known to be aboard
The flames cracked and spread, cattle an(
mules broke loose and jumped overheard, o.
snorted frantically about, rendered insane by
flames and heat. All this was witnessed by
passengers on shore. Some passengers jump
ed overheard and swan ashore, one with his
trunk, and others nearly naked, swain out in
to the stream, seeming also insane, and were
carried under and lost Soon the wreck sank
and her seething fires were quenched i'll deeE
waters.
The steamer Shirgiss arrived during tho
night, bringing all the passengers, Captain
Clerk, and such property as could be picked
up.
The papers and all the books of the boa
were lost. Thirty-one soldiers of Co. /, 9tl
Wisconsin, as guard to the Paymasters, under
command of Lieut.. Courier, of these, one Cor
Iporal and four privates were lost, three killed
by stage plank falling on them while i'll thu
water altogether there are about thirty llvei
lost Four hundred tons Commissary anC
Suffers stores and about one hundred tons o
private freight were all lost. There wer
about 200 persons on board, i'll all. The boat
valued at 800, 600, is insured for $4,000.
/ The fire broke out i'll the after part OF th'
boat, some say between decks, others say IA
the nursery. When the boat struck the short
the fire having driven the engineers iron
their posts, the engines continued to work
and as soon as she struck, a number jumped
ashore, but her stern soon swung arounc
down stream, and as the engines continued
to work, her bow was soon turned from shore
and she again started down river. When sht
left the shore there were about thirty person:
on her bow, nearly all of whom must have
persisted. The soldiers are said to have acted
heroically, and to have stood by the boxes
containing the money until it was certain al
was consumed. The boxes were iron bound
and too heavy to be removed. Besides, the
flames spread all over the boat in less than
five minutes. There is no satisfactory theory
as to how the fire originated. 1t is believed,
however, to have been fired by an incendiary
i'll the interests of the rebel government.
An effort was made to fire, the Naval Depot
here, night before last.