New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-08-17
9qp Orleans Gully Qres&ent.
MORNING. AUGUST II, 1865.
From the Msysvlllo Eagle 9th.l


On last night at about fifteen minutes before
nine the elegant steamer BOstona No. 3 left the
wharf at this city with large list of passengers
and heavy load of freight Soon after the boat
left. the night Waterman went back to the locker
under the ladies' cabin to fill his lamp with coal
OIL While engaged in this duty the lamp was
most unaccountably knocked out of his hand by
some sheep, of which there were two hundred
head on board. The fame from the lamp commu
nicated with the barrel Of coal oil, and almost in
stantly the rear Of the boat was wrapped in flames
The word soon spread that the boat was on fire.
and the passengers were called on to save them
selves.
The scene that onsued, the panic, the terror, the
screams, the confusion, the eager rush Of the la.
dies to the front part Of the boat, the frantic at
tempts of each one 10 save those dear to them, is
all lndellibly stamped on the memory Of each in
diyldGal who participated in the frightful commO.
ton, but must be left to the imagination of those
who were not eye-witnesses. Providence so Or
daned it that when the alarm was given, the boat
was but short distance from the Ohio side and
opposite large bar about mile below Mays
vile, which runs far into the river Had the boat
been on the Kentucky side, the greater part Of
those on board must inevitably have been burned
or drowned in escaping from the flames. As it
was, the pilot and the engineers acted with ad-
mirable selt-possessioA and courage, Immediately
running the boat to the shore, and each standing
at his post to the very last moment, until fairly
driven away by fire itself. The boat having taken
fire in the stern all the passengers rushed to the
front, and as the prov had in the mean time run
upon the bar where the water was shallow, nearly
all Of them were saved.
But this whole community will be deeply
grieved to learn that Mrs. Spillman, the wife Of
the beloved and excellent Presbyterian minister at
Maysyle was so badly burned that recovery is
almost impossible. This lady has been an almost
helpless invalid for years, and the shock was too
much for her nervous system. She managed to
make her way to the hurricane deck, where she
sank exhausted, and was found by the mate inca
pable Of moving. He assisted her to the shore,
but before he could come to her aid she had re-
ceved severe burns on the breast and stomach
from which it is feared she will die. She had two
of her children with her, who were saved by Robt.
Smith, one of the attaches the Hill House, who
rushed back through the fames caught them in
his arms, jumped into the river with his precious
burden, and bore them uniniured to the shore.
The only other serious casualty of which we
have learned was that of negro boy, who was
burned to death. We have not been able to as
certain his name or the place of his residence.
Leven Shreve Steele, of Louisville, had about
$4,000, belonging to one of the Louisville banks
destroyed with his yalise.
Most of the baggage was saved.
This morning Mr.. Riggs, clerk, went to the re
mains of the hull found the safe, broke it open
aud found all the papers, money and valuable
unframed,
The rescued passengers were most hospitabl.
received and cared for by the citizens of Aber
deem, whose doors were thrown vide open to Ell
terrain them. The proprietors of the ferry boa
Immediately proceeded to the burning boat, bu
were uudult 10 ne OF nuCu assistance, on dccOuu
of not being able to land. They, however, wer
employed until a very late hour Of the night i
tcrryinE the passengers to MaysyilIe, refusing an
reward for their trouble. And even after I'll
boat had stopped, citizens Of Aberdeen kindl
conveyed in skifs all who wished TO cross t
MaysVi.le. The promptuess and the sympath
manifested by them was praseworthy in tn
highest degree.
Since the above was in type we learn thj
hopes are entertained Of Mrs. Spllnan's reco,
cry. The children saved by Robert Smith wei
not hers, but belonged to parties unknown to Il