Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-10-05
Steamboat Disaster az the HEcmphis
HsmndfnE.

/ AA2uaEnas
/ From the Argus, September q
Sseamboas disasters succeed each other in
such rapid succession that the excitemsns natU-
/ rally Oceasioaed By one Is scarcely aliaysd BE-
fore 1t is agan aroused to a5 high pitch By an
! other. Daring the past few Wesks hardly day
/ has passed wishout ITS msriae disaster, s0ms-
! times two or three being recorded within that
/ tine.
stu smother has been added 70 the long list Of
stsSmb0at disasters for Ssptember, involving
Ehs lass Of ons Of the most msgn 6esnt packets
on the Western FalsTs. At quarter before 8
o'clock lsst night the steamer Champion, Capt
M0il1y, Charley Carroll, clerk, was discovered
in flames, which were issuing from point aft
Of the cabin In an instant everything WAS eK
eiteuent. The second clerk hurried into the
offics, and informing Mr. Carroll the boat was
in flames, which cou,d not be exdngushed, both
e01nmenc5d the work of saving the contents OF
the safe aud deck They had scarcely unlocked
the safe aud commenced throwing its contents
into pillow case, hastily Oblsine for the pur-
pose, before Capt. Molloy appes ed 81 the ofhce
window, hurrisdiT stated tARt the boat would be
destroyed, End requested thsIa 10 save as much
IS tusy could. Everything Of value in the
Ofice Was removed TO 3 place of satetY, bat be-
f0re 1hs officers could visit their staterooms for
their clothing the flames lad sttajued such great
hssdway as 10 render longer stay on beard
impossible
FisHliy the burning stssmsr became detached
from law mOoriHEs, yielded 70 the eugrent and
dTiftsd downward, presenting the spPesTance OF
= vast globe Of frs.
As she slowly f,sted from her hrst pos ton,
Immediately below Lseey, Able Il Co.'S wharf
boat, shs directly beaded foI number Of boats
wing together below the foot of U1iOu street.
For time it was feared sh6 would coms IN con-
tact with the Rocket, which came first II line,
1-,F az arorfnf
ing the threAteniug bow cut into the stream
again, and remOYiug al cause OF spprehensi1n.
| She continued on her way, and about Linden
| street hsr wheolhouss gave way and lodged her
/ IN shoaI wster Nothing this morning TsmsiHs
| Of the maguifeeHt C0smpi0u bus . portion Of a
blasks1sd hull, her sHtir0 upper works being de-
/ str0yed.
Tas ChsmpioE was ia Government service,
i and was abJut backing out. preparatory 70 going
/ 70 q woodward, EhsD me flames we're discovered.
/ Sha WAS 70 have gone below, and had aboard, in
| addition 20 = large nsii for down river points,
/ six hun1rod and Gfty bales Of G }vernment ha7
sad five or siI lots Of gGsrtsrmastsr stores The
/ Governments property. We are informed was
| worth twsnty-sight thousand dollars. The boy
| wss in the hold. The mail could not be saved,
Regarding ths origin Of tbs Ere there were Sc
| verai reports.
Ga the foreesstIs, not far frem the point of the
/ discovery Of the flames, were several bales Of
bay. They may hsvs become iguited in eoass-
/ auanee OF tHs csrelsssness OF some Of toe sol
| disfs On deck, and communicated the fame 10
the eonbzslibls nlterisl Of which the boat is
| composed. Ber clerk, MT. Carroll, Ia Of opin-
| len, which is also shared by the captain, that
| the FIRE Wss the result Of incsndiarHm, being
satisfied from his knowledge Of the position OF
| svscythiDg in that portion OF the boat that ii
coEld proceed from no otheE cause.
| The Champion, as al know who have ever
heen aboard OF her, was one Of the largest,
finest, aud most complete steamers in the S3ulh-
west She wss snly five years Old and during
the past thres months has undergone repairs TO
the extent of SIS 000 having been repsintsd
and decorated IN magnificent style. Yesterday
aftsTBecn she was IN better eondisi0n, ami would
| doubtless have sold for larger sum than that
/ for which she was constructed. Her original
| cost was 500, ,000 on which her OwnsTs have an
insurance IL the S.. Louis Offices Of $40 600.
Stsamboatmsn estimate her value At so, 900 rs
| she lay yesterday.