, 1866-02-06


the hurricane roof Was torn AWAY, be fell upon
the boiler deck, which was wrapt IN the dense
yapor Of the escaping steam. Hsre he found
one of the bar keepers, and they CROPPED about
unt1l they found the steps, and descended to
| the deck, when he discovered the close prox-
attempted to launch = stage for the purpose
| Of taking line ashore and making fast the
boat, hut the moment the deck passengers
discovered the stage, they rushed upon it and
swamped 1t, nearly all OF them falling into
the angry stream. The other stage was
hung up to the root, and this was hur.
riedlY cut down, and an attempt
made TO launch It, but BY this time tie
confusion among those On the deck had be-
come indescribable, and ere the second stage
had touched the shore they rushed upon it,
with the same sad result, and IN consequence
Of The 1arEe number that bad Thus fallen
| into the water, and the few who had remained
on deck having become qu1eted, he at last
succeeded In getting d plank ashore, and a
Tine was carried out and the boat made fast.
Afser ali forward Of the fire, which was now
| raging amidshlps, had gotten OF, it was dis
ten On the wheel and fan-tail to escape the
aames, and the carpenter, by wading into the
water a. far as he could, and with the aid of
| a pole, rescued nearly all OF them. The cap
tain puts the loss ut one hundred and twenty
i've, and Is satisfied that It will not exceed
one hundred aud lfly, from which it will be
seen that the estimates Of the others already
the cabin register was lost, it Is Impossible
| to '.,pbtafn. B. list OF the lost, but he
| gives Us the following who are known to
have persisted: Messrs. Johuson aud
Lusk, the clerks. Mrs. Lusk: and child, aud
her sister, Miss Bacon, Tom Moore, barkeep-
er, and the two chambezmaids, Dr.. Robb, Of
Jefferson county, Ark, Capt. Block and Dick
Gaines, of Little Rock. tie thinks that at
least tWo-thlrds Of the soldiers On boarl wczc
saved, and three Of the ten members Of Ash
ley's band. Tha boat was valued at thirty
thousand dollars, aud insured for twenty-five
thousand dollars- Her hull sunk In ten feet
Of Wnter uear tie Shore. From q con1ersa-
ton with the officers, ne suppose tho explo-
sion was CAUSED by the, boat +" ltsting1, or
cateening, In consequence Of the passengers
and sedsss naS % 0ns :Se
engineers and pilots is being taken By the
Local Inspector at this port, for the purpose
Of aacertaiuing the canso- Capt. Levy de-
| sires Us to return thanks to the ot1cers Of tho
Henry Ames md Mary E. Forsythe, for theis
kindness 70 his c1e" and the passengers, as
| well as himself.
| STATEMENT or CH1KF ENGINEER A5HWORTu.
From The Memphis Post Jan. 31sLl
| Mr.. Ashworth states that the boat had
made fifteen to twenty landings. between
Memphis md the mouth Of the Ar.
kansas river, and REACHED Napoleon
between snndo"n ano DUSK on SUNDAY
evening" snc lala aI Luis pont aboui
twenty Minutes diseharging freight, and, Just
the relief OF Mr. 4shworth, renlark1ng that be
had .nst pad MS sHrrrer: MF A,asked him II the
ben had not rung. lie replied "Yes," and
then, reaching up to the readY-be ring It o.
signal that be was ready to start. Nj. Ash
North then prepared to leare the engines in
tore leaving, ..Johu, you have got no steam !;
you hayn't got a hundred pounds.'' His Re.
ply Was e don't care will have ID much
+ as want by the time get under way-"
He then started the s.doctor,'' and Afr. Ash
worth left him, with the parting Injunction to
hl.rep the boilers full Of water and 20 along
easy" he replied, II amt going 10 shove
her." Upon leaving tho engine room Mr.. 4.
| went up into the "Texas," and prepared for
| supper. When he sat down to the table the
boat had just left Napoleon, and tho band
had commenced playing upon the hurricane
| root.
After supper our informant went up to the
Office, where Charlie johnson, the secoud
| clerk, wns engaged In writing. Upon leaylp
the ofl1ce, Mr.. Ashworth repuircd to the for
ward deck, and engaged in Conversation with
some passengers, among whom Weru Mr.
Prohst, and Mr.. Eidtlberg, Of Little Rock.
The latter gentleman had been absent from
homo for some time. and knowing Mr.
Ashwosth as resident Of Little Rock, made
inquiries OF him concerning bis wife. He
said that he was very anxious to see her.
Alter soma further remarks concerning the
time the boat was making, and about when
they would be likely to reach Little Rock, Nr.
Ashworth left tho gentlemen and went upon
! the hurricane deck. There he found several
Of the soldiers congregated, and observed Two
| members OF the company who had been tied
to she chimney guys 1or drunkenness and d1s-
orderly conduct On board the boat. NJ.
WheIIy. one OF ne Atssisappt piiota was ST.
worth remalked that II was pretty nlGht."
yes Was me reply. y! couldn't nave
cnalkeu ont oettef tn1nK We Will DC well
| up the riTer by morning"
Ar. AshNortn then repaired 10 h1s room
ana "ent 70 bf beo na'g ont1 saseo ngnfs 10 10
states That he had inst got INTO sort OF doze
and supp0ses II must nave been nearly eienE
O'Clock, when sharp report, a. tfom piece
Or artillery, WOKE MIN up ~ sprang on
bed and found everything sinktng under him,
md Il Was Win the utmost dlncnity mat ne
managed TO Chamber out upon the roo1, he
| found 1t completely shattered and totterfug
beneath his steps, as ne ran nea1iy half way
att A dead silence relgned on board the boat
for few seconds, when the air waa rent with
Wild cries of agony rom @ the suffering victims
|
WAn iIagmeals Q! ne "rgsk ana persons
strngglng lor tnsl1 nves. 1he nre 4om t9a
lurnaees, 100, nad GomMunlca1eo 70 hnt caoln
ona wa susnne ~, TneIe uEa1iy an Iae M
meula1e su5FlFots NAG Goosfegntcu: II was
scene OF horror tnat Will be eaaced rom
hls St memory.
Ine nte Grove NJ asn"orIn 70 Tue stern,
where large NUMBER OF soidiers were laying
bands npon all the hoatfng material within
their reach and jumping INTO the river.
5ant .ol1,rr ~ the hova - 4aka MIA ~ fhs
tiller and pit the helm aport, 80 as 10 swing
time Henry McNett, ono Of the pilots, came
running 10 to Mr.. Ashworth, e1claimine
Adam, toz Gods sake, let's get the yaw
down and put the Indies into It, and try t
save them il We can" Tho bout was the,
lowered, but Mr. 4. was told BY the carpenter
that, Us soon as It touched the water, q crowi
fumped into II and It " az immediately swamp
ed. BY this time the flames were rushing
violently toward the stern,' and al efforts
| On the part Of Mr.. A. to reg1tn the
texas were rnarat1ing, Every person npo1
the roof had now Jumped Into the river
and Mr. Ashworth was lett alone upon the
hurricane deck: II had been cleared OF all
floating material, but be managed TO teal
away the te49 a.sps, an9 Mtsn tnsm N als
hands waited until he eould take 70 tae Tasel
without danger OF being entankled BY tray
ments Of the wreck, or carried under by per
| Sons struggling with the waves. Mr. Ash.
A5fe1 tumnjnp into the river be was caTried
All the stcps twice bY the motion of The
waves, but at last succeeded N reaching the
shore. He there found the second engineer,
| Mr. Cochran, = passenger, were doing MI In
their power to rescue the sufferers
following Is List Of
PERSONS SAVED.
csnta,n r. A lew tbe f,r,t n.+s. E,,,h,
-, SoPseAa -. @AA Icy sa9 4ta* A1At0 It470a