The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-10-16
A REBEL PLOT.
Destruction of Steamers on the
Western Rivers.
Three Boats Burned at st. Louis.

recent trip up the river, he was told by
a former friend, who is now an insane and
unscrupulous rebel, that jeff. Davis and
his Cabinet had decided to employ incen-
diaries to destroy every steamboat navi-
eating the Lower Mississippi and Ohio riv-
ers, offering as an inducement to these
miscreants in accomplishing their barbar-
Gus mission, sixty per cent. on the esti-
mated value of all boats and property thus
destroyed.
His informant assured him that the
Ruth had already fallen a victim to this
scheme, and he would hear of others. He
being a merchant of this city, and known
to be holder of western produce, was adj
vised, in a friendly way, to hold what
goods he had, as there was sure to be a
rise in prices. The whole plot struck him
as so diabolical, barbarous and improba-
BILE, that he paid no more attention to it
than to note it down in his memorandum
book, which he has since shown us, and
from which we have copied the main
points.
On his way up the river, he heard
threats from some suspicious looking stran-
gers against the Imperial, the very boat
which was first fired at St. Louis, under
circumstances of grave suspicion, as will
be seen from an extract from the St. Louis
Democrat, which we give below.
1t was further told him that the man
who burned the Ruth had since made his
way to Richmond, received his 60 per cent.
on the value of the boat and cargo, $780,
600, and had been heard from by his
friends in Memphis, who were vastly
elated by the streak of good fortune of
their diabolical friend.
From the st. Louis Democrat Oct 5.
Whatever of doubt may have been en-
tertained by any one in regard to the
often-expressed assertion of deliberate
plan to suppress the commerce of the
lowar Mississippi by the villainous work of
the incendiary, must certainly be dissi-
pated by the latest developments in that
line upon the river. The list of sacrificed
steamers is being heightened with fearful
speed. Indeed, one steamer is not built
to every five that are destroyed, and if the
work of destruction is not arrested speed
lily, the result Will be an irreparable de-
pletion of our river marine, which is al
ready and has been for some time unequal
W lllc uclllduu lOf JOuudpe.
Many lives have been already lost by
these incendiary confagrations, and the
loss of property amounts to millions, in
steamboat stock, produce and manufac-
lures. The Ruth was victim; then dis
appeared the Imperial, Post Boy, Hiawa-
tina, Jesse K. Bell, Champion and Robert
Campbell.
On last Thursday, as stated elsewherein
our columns, an attempt was made to burn
the Chancellor, then on the ways or docks
at CarOndelet, and her loss was prevented
by the simple circumstance of the timely
discovery of smoke issuing from one of her
rooms. The villain made sure work of the
Chancellor and two other steamers yester-
day, the boat named having been tOwed on
Saturday to the foot Of Carr street
At two O'Clock, yesterday afternoon, the
Chancellor was discovered to be on fire,
which seemed to have originated at the
rear end of the boat. No fire he'd been on
the boat all day until then, with the excep-
ton of small quantity necessary in the
blacksmith shop. The fire bells and tele-
graph alarms quickly brought to the scene
of the conflagration an immense number of
people and the fire engines. In the mean
time, the flames spread rapidly on the
Chancellor.
The Forest Queen lay above and close
alongside. Her lines were detached, and
she swung around, caught from the burn
ing steamer, and both were soon mass of
cracking, rushing flames. A ferry-boat
made fast to the Forest Queen, an towed
her into mid-stream, and cast her loose
there. The ferry-bOat then returned to the
wharf, and, seeing that the Catahoula was
loose and had fioated down some distance
to place that proved perfectly safe,
however-she made fast to that steamer,
and quickly towed her to the opposite
shore. 'hee place where the Catahoula now
lay proved to her fatal berth; for the
Forest Queen, burning in every part, from
bow to stern, her chimneys topping, COL
lapsing, and crashing overheard, was i'm.
PEELED by strong northeast wind directly
against the Catahoula, which Immediately
became enveloped in the flames, and added
another immense volume to the conhagra-
ton, which was witnessed by excited thou
sands on either shore.
During the time that this was occurring.
the steam fire engines on this bank of the
river were spOuting an immense quantity
of water on the burning Chancellor, and
succeeded in so reducing the fire as to
save the hull and machinery.
The fire engine, No. 2, waited long
time inactive on the ferry landing, and was
at last taken to the opposite side by the
ferry boat America, to aid in subduing the
conhagration at the opposite shore, but il
is understood that the Catahoula and For.
est Queen are total loss, including bulls
and machinery. Every misfortune "might
be worse" Immediately above the For.
est Queen lay the Planet, which escaped
unscathed. Below the berths where the
burned boats had lain, there were the i'm
mense barge Monitor and two other barges
fully loaded with railroad cars about tc
be transported South. There were, pro-
badly, fifty of these cars, and all escaped
damage.
Below lay the ferry wharf-boat, the tug
Dime. and below these the steamers
Gladiator, Champion No. 2, David Tatum
Diligent, Wenona, Moderator, Silver Wave
Iatan, Hawkeye State, &c.
The Chancellor was being repaired
She was built in April, 1856, cost $S5, 0O0