Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1863-09-15

ing IN impetest stream ct the turning
sosseis, not drop Of water, however,
reached the 4 .mes) endeavorsd spps-
rentIy to lash to The Bell to make ~
. fo,t to save her. After some confused
.ffosts on the part o. the mss eogaged
20 fasten to the Bell. the ierry-bost (ihe
John Trepdly, We believe Of the Virgins
line) suddenly pushed out into the
st'esm, leaving the boats slseady fired,
and the one 10 such eminent danger, to
heir fate. 1t VA then the men on the
Bell commenced making an ed 'rt, on
their own account, to save the boat. Al
the time The ferry beat l,ft her, she bad
not taken FIRE, hut on beng deserted
by the only hope entertained TO- beng
lowed away from the burning boa,s,
her men cot her loose and che and the
Poet Boy, which was just commencing
fairly to burn, began swim s,ng arouot,
he Bell being far hest out in the
stream, having pretty fair chance Of
floating away from the confagrstion.
This chance was increased by the fact
that the hull Of OF the Imperial-'ow
ournt to the waters edge formed .
-"rt Of pivot on which the other. turned
he Bell, being the farthest 10 the stream
and having the advantage Of a stronger
curre,t. But the sluggi.h river seemed
party in the plot Ii enyenier mislor-
tune TO the doomed craft asd she moved
30 slo"Iy that. ere che was squarcly
stern down stream, she was on fire
when oppos te the foot of Walnut st.,
aud before any one could change places
in the cro~d Of people that thronge
the l.vee, she, to, was fired, and her lar
boa'd side and wheel-house, the flames
making rapid Roadway in the CABIN aud
lower deck. The ignition e the Bel,
~ar, if possible more rapid than either
,t the o,be's;s, much 90 that the lives
Of -oms ,~e"t9 or thirty persons, who
lad gone aboard of her TO asset IN the
endeayor to save her. we're endangered,
they having to cave themselves by jump
,ng into the .kffs. Three jumped into
the river, two OF whom were picked up,
and one, who was not seen togst ashore,
IL is feared was drowned.
At this stage a fire engine arrived,
the firemen string ng out their hose ard
making their attachments as fast as pos.
slblc, but without view TO the tact, as
il appeared that the boats were floating
that before stream could be played
the buroing vessels were far out e
The reach Of tire stream which was
thrown by the frst machice on the
ground and Of course the business was
given up. No other attempt was made
to PLAY upon the flo .ti"g vessels, indeed
no opportunity was afforded to get near
enough to the fred boats, unless the
tiremeu had o.lculqted the NEST proba-
bic point for them to come near the
shore and taken position me~here
te'ow, and got everything ready to tbro'
water as they passed, but even this could
only give tempo airy check to the
Il 4mes, a. the wrecks would soon again
nave beeu out Of reach. Sub equently
however, after the wrecks or. unaed on
the sectional dock. the ferry boat CHRIS
y and the steam fire engines played np-
on the burning wrecks.
When the now doomed vessels passed
The foot Of Elm street, all hope Of save
ing them he | vanished, and Affection
was turned TIE possibility Of other
beats, ba'g 8 fss DC, lying below
take,ng fire. Jus, then, too, the Chin
neys st the Hiwa,ha fell making . noise
like the distant booming Of a Colnmbiad
At intervals, too, the explosion Of
combustibili,ies on board, iDtclmin glirg
with the rosring and cracking of the
Of the flames, added the Effectiveness Of
the scene. Near the foot Of Myrtle
street, the burning mass neareI the o
lark, small monitor built gunboat,
~hich, being iron clad was not seriously
endangered, though the pcrcaution was
taken toplay stream of water On the
vessel, to preclude the p ss'bilty Of any
t its exposed WOO works taking f e.
A burning cinder lit upon the unfinished
turret and might possibly have done
mnc damage bad 1t not been extin-
gul>hed. Near this. also lay two ba ges
which narrowly escaped being brushed
AID fred by the foAtin, masses Of FIRE
So near did they gs to the shore at tie
loot Of Myrtle street that pile Of 100
sacka OF oats we're set on fire by the
heat from the wrecks making it almos:
Impossible tor the workmen to remove
l..
A. the foot of Spruce street lay two
argos and several rats, and imm.d
" below them the steamer J. c..
Swon had anchored, a. before stated,
having fioated down from her mooring
near the Imperial, when the latter took
fire. As the fire boats neared these the
ferry boat towed the Swon and Boa Ac.
cord to the other side of the river. One
Of the ha'ges aft resaid was fred at the
bow by piece Of foa ing timber lodg.
ing against it. These barges gave the
boats slight impetus into the stream,
which saved thes,eamcr Chouteau lying
just below.
No other boats were fred though
several narrowly escaped. Al a point
opposite the gas works the little sternc-
wheeler Petrol Rugged the shore, the
burning wreck passing within fe~ feet
Of her. At the St. Louis, Sectional
Dock, loot OF lie sperance street, the
greatest exertions we're made 10 save
the works. Workman with seeming
braved the heat Of the fires
Is. the wreck Of the fliawatha passed the
floats, snd pushed the burning hull ID
with poles, tbus preventing IT'S striking