Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1863-08-11
Fearful River Calamity.
The Steamer Ruth Burned on the Aissis
sfppi-Greot Loss Of Life-IiOo GHdG
Half Millions IN Greenbdcks Des
troyed.
CAIRO. Aug. 5. 1863.

The Steamer Ruth, Capt. Pegram, left
Cairo last night at IL o'clock, with small
passenger list and 600 tons CT freight,
bound for Helena. Her load consisted
partly Of about 100 head Of fat cattle for
the army, and l22 mules.
Paymastsr Brinton, OF PhLadelphla,
with s., 600, 900 was Q passenger, en- route
fer the army Of Gen. Grant, having as
guard, thirty men of the 9th Wisconsin |
regiment, under Lieut.. Courier. Less
than an hour after leaving this place. the |
oolored chAmbermHid discovered IRE aft on |
the starboard side. near the stern. She |
gave the alarm, and o scene OF Confusion
ensued, though not as great as might nave
been expected.
It is said by passengers that not fonr
minutes elapsed after the first alarm, De-
fore the entire upper works OF the steamer
were in perfect blaze. The captain vas
mt his post, As soou as he saw that moth
Ing but the direct int rvenIioa of Provi-
dence could save his boat, he caused her
head to be turned towards the Missouri
shore, not moro than eight miles from Cal
70, in the vicinity Of and just below Nor
folk landing, and with q full head of steam
on, be ran her lhard aground bow on -
Some thirty feet Of her stern broke of by
force of the shock, and the passengers,
crew, and every one, excepting five soldiers
on guard over the money in the Paynas-
tOF's box, made Q simultaneous rush for
the shore. A few jumped overheard and
were drowned, or swan to the bank and
q climbed on shore, The five soldiers men,
toned remaining ct their .pLst bravely
turning the tide, and trying to induce con"
6dence in escaping passengers, but their
efforts were fruitless. Paymaster Brinton
had given them orders they implicitly
OBJ we'd until the boat struck with crash
upon the banks then swung. All would
soon be lost and no hope remaining If saw
ing the money. they also left their posi-.
> ton and endeavored to escape. Before all
could leap of, the boat recoiled from shore
one wheel still going, and shot out into the
stream.
. Five of the 9th Wis. and several pass
sngerE, all the cattle, mules, money, freight
ehamberIOaid, one Of the clerks, the son OF
Mr.. Oglepby: one Pavmaster Greenwalt OF
Harrisburg, Pa three Paymasters' clerks.
(names unknown) were known to be
aboard. The flames cracked and spread,
cattle and mules broke loose and jumped
overheard and swan q shore, one with his
trunk, and Stherss nearly naked, swan out
into the stream. seeming also insane, an
was carried under and lost, Soon the
wreck sank. ard her seething fires were
Quenced in deep waters.
The steamer Shirgiss arrived during the
night bringing all the passengers, Captain
Clerk, and such property as could be pick
ed up.
The reporter, associated with your cor
respondent, intends visiting the scene 0
disaster this morning. A list of those los
will be sent as soon as 1t can be perfected
At present the excitement runs so higl
that no mans statements can be relied up
on.
The following is the list of name:
Major N. S. Brinton, Of Philadelphia
in charge.
Clerk H. S. Goddard, Philadelphia.
Major w. p. Mendsnhall, Pennsy lvania
John D. Ford, Clerk.
Major w W White. Burlington, Iowa
is Graves, Clerk.
Major Josiah Tildeu, Galesburg.
L II Martin, Clerk. missing.
Major j W BriSden. Eria, Pa,
VII Lomis, clerk.
Major w Il Jamison, Boston, side Of hi
head slightly scorched.
sc Sampson. Clerk, missing.
Major NJ Paumphrey, Wheeling.
S Fletcher, Clerk.
Major 7 D Greenwalt, Harrisburg mis-
ing-undoub;edIy lost.
Frank Oglesby, Clerk of steamer, los
Two negro deck hands, chambermai
and colOred woman, cabin passenger, los
CaptSiu, First and Second Clerks, an
rest Of the crew saved.
The papers AID ell the books Of the boz
were lost. Thirty-Une soldiers of Co.
9th Wisconsin, as guard to the PaymHstel
under command Of Lieut.. Courier, of theI
one Corporal aud four privates are los
three killed by . stage plank falling c
them while in the water; altogether the
are about thirty lives lost. Four hundr'
tons Commissary and Suffers stores al
about one hundred tons of private freigl
were all lost. There was about 200 pc
sons on board, in all, The boat, valued
100000, is insured for $4,000
The FIRE broke out in the after part
the boat. some say between decks, othe
ssy in the nursery. When the boat stru
the shore the 6re having driven the eng
neers from their posts, the engines cont
ued to work, her bow was soon turn
from shore, and she again started dov
river. When she left the shore the
were about thirty persons on hez Boz
nearly all Of whom must have persisted
The soldiers are said to have acted hero
eallV, and to have stood by the boxes Co
tanning the money until it was certain 4
was consumed. The boxes were ir,
bound, and too heavy to be removed. g
sides, the flames spread all over the DO
in less than five minutes. There is no 81
isfacsory theory Os to how the fire origin
ted. 1t is belieYed, however, to have be
fred by an incendiarV in the interest
the rebel government.
An effort was made to fire the! Naval
pot here night before last.