Winchester journal. [volume] (Winchester, Indiana) 1862-1863, 1863-10-16
LETTER FROM DIR. JOBES.

EDITOR JOURNAL before this
reaches you, you will have heard
through the daily papers, of the
burning of another fine steamer, the
Champion, which took place at the
wharf here yesterday evening.
1t has never been my fortune to
witness a spectacle more grand and
imposing than this conaagration.
The wharf was unusually crowded
with boats: the evening was very fine,
just warm enough to be pleasant;
still atmosphere, a clear sky, and
bright moon serenely smiling over
all.
Suddenly the flames burst up from
the hold Of the fated vessel, and in a
few moments the cabin, texas, and
pilot house, were completely envel-
oped. Fortunately it was lying close
to the wharf boat of the St Louis
and Memphis Packet Company so as
to furnish facilities for escape, and
there were not many passengers on
board. Tie general belief is that al
escaped. The account given by the
Daily Bulletin however, says there
were probably four men, who per
ished i'll the flames. 1t also states
that there were on board one hun
dred and thirty head Of cattle which
perished, but it seems to me this
cannot be true, as | saw the boat
while the cattle guards were still un-
touched by the flames, and if there
had been any cattle there, / should
certainly have seen them.
Rapidly the flames mounted up
ward; the smoke stacks, softe&d by
the intense heat, swaycd and fell up
on the hurricane deck; the light tim
bers cracked in the. fire and occa-
sionally fell with crasn; and now
and then was heard a discharge OF
fire arms which had been lett on
board, in one instance ball passing
III dangerous neaness to the heads
OF some Of the spectators, who
thronged the bluffs in great numbers
TO witness the sublime but melan
choly scene.
Inthe perfect calm, the flames rose
perpendicularly to q great hight, and
from tie top OF this column OF flame,
1oated OF in every direction great
volumes Of smoke luminous with the
, reflected light from the burning pile.
Majestically rolling, ,eddying, curling;
combinations of light and shade va
rying from brilliancy to blackness,
continually dissolving, reforming,
changing with infinite variations,
these clouds of smoke were magnif-
iccntly beautiful.
Pushed from the wharf boat, the
burning steamer floated slowly down
stream, swinging round once or
{ twice, and coming SO near other
boats as TO cndanger them, but no;
actually to fire them In this way it
passed down TO near the foot Of Lin
den Street, where it stopped and con-
tinued to burn briskly down to the
waters edge. l visited the hull this
morning and found it presenting the
appearance of a shapeless collection
of driftwood, still smoking in the
centre
! Twice during the confagration the
crowd of spectators were very much
excited by q rumor that the boat was
loaded with ammunition, but each
time curiosity conquered the panic,
and men, women, and children, ca
eerly followed the floating fire. run
ming, climbing bluffs, leaping ditch
es, wild with excitement.
The Champion was partially load
: ed with commissary stores, princi-
pally hay.
Rumor accounts for the occur
: renee in various ways; it occur
red accidentally from 4 fire in q
store-a drunken soldier hunting
in the hold for liquor with 4 candle
caused it-a rebel cmissary ap-
piled the torch. Which of these is
{ the correct solution of the mystery,
or whether any of them, nobody
knows. but the frequent occurrence
of such disasters recently, gives
plausibility to the last
Yours Truly,
GEO. o. JOBES.