Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-03-01
From the ST. Louis Republican. Feb. 27th.
ANOTHER WHOLESALE STEAMBOAT
nEan Emruu

At 10 o'clock last night "a fire was discovered
bursting from line coOkhOuse of the steamer
PeyJona, lying al the foot q Walnut street.
TIE lia4G spiraQ SIN iucHedlIle rapd1ty, the
crew, Wild were nearly ali on board having
barely time-mauy OF hem-t escape with
their lives. Almost IN an instant the bells OF
the city rang out the alarm, and as the flames
spread and assumed the proportions OF a great
and disastrous cOnftagratlOu, q scene ofmuch
e1Gitemeut prevailed along the levee. sVGh as
has probably never been ucCaSioutd by any for
mer conisgration In our city since lS49.
In less Than half an hour. four magnih-
cent steamboats,, among the largest and
finest 1u the western waters, We're enYel-
OUel IQEetHer IN gnE EIoa4 -r-et of lame.
which. ascending toward The skies. threw its
glsIiHs light Tar abroad anon the river and
over the opposite shore. and warned spectators
who were al q distance OF the extent OF the dis
as;er. \, MET The u1ues were swiftly ruuniu9
along the length Of the Peytona. and her crew
we're seen wildly rushing % and fro, and leap
ing rrOm The gaaGds uEOu the adjoining steam
ppals, the crowds Of meH and women on shore
were Fastening toward the scene Of the cOufa-
grafton nom auuireclpns, and, in a shore time,
"a multitude Of more than ten thousand people
were througiHG this leYee. The flames from the
Peytoua tapping over on both sides soon in
yolved in one mass OF fire the superb steamers
Luna and LeylaLhan, laying aboveher, and the
Dictator lying along side TOW ard the south. In
the course OF thrge-quarters Of an hour all four
were burned TO the waters edge.
The spectacle was greatly enhanced Ia its APP
pallIug interest. from time TO time bY them Iing
ofth wheels OF the hapless teamers II shook
them from stem 10 stein, and sent q rush % fciu-
ders and burning particles of wood high i'm the
air. Another grandly grim feature was the
crash ~ iIe ran cnluneys as they oYerthe
si4e, HtAiSltA "F e4iaHtl-s II nata= a large
nock Of wild geese was observed flying over Just
al the moment Tie c9udagration was al its
highest. I'm the reflected light tile birds APP
peared as white As FURNISHED silver. and thou
sands OF eyes were upturned and watching them
as they passed over.
The losses, even considered sDaIt frrm the
heavy disasters the ommerce-o of st. Louis has
already sustained 10y the ice breaks Of the win
Ter are l~anentauiy heavy. Roughly speaking
we place Jlein az nNe hundred and nifty thou
sand dOllar>-and counting the cargoes OF the
Dictator and Luna, and freight damaged on the
leges, we may increase the aggregate TO seven
hundred ana nry Thousand dollars,
All the boats, excepting the Dictator. were
owned by the Atlantic and Mississippi Steam
ship Company, whom we have mentined more
than once this winter in connection with the
ing aud explosions II has been and stli is
their policy not 10 insure their steamer. Capt.
Geo. Pegram, however, who is one ofthe largest
stockholders u the company, is understood to
insure the iaiercst HEiLA - individually rep
resenta In the association, What ms interest
may be in the boats above named, we are not
accurately informed at present. The boats are
valued as follows:
Peytoua, Capt Wesley Conner, sI25,0o0: luna.
Capt Pat Yare. si0A0ae; and 1ns Leyiathan,
Capt. Geo. Fegrain. largest boat ever built In a
Western river, sold al auction after the death
Of her builder, Capt Ambrose H.. Rseder, al
$4,000, but cost much more, aEd was velEe5 at
The Dictator was valued we believe, al
elt0u0O or $4,000, and insure for rlI250O in Of
nces in Pittshurg and Cincinnati She was
owned 3D. q ., G4lreg s Co, Of this city, and
Capt. v. j. Donaldson. her commander. The
Luna, We may add, has sunk AZ the landing,
The cargo OF the steamer sam. Gaty lately
sunk ana raised NJ Turkey Isiand}. had been
unlosded on the landing, ana was ba1ly dam
aged ~ fire ami Tvater.
Mr.. Horace Hoisou, d~ftarpauHn mme, wason
hand, as usual, and had about twenty tarpau-
Inns destroyed. Ne says 'for once he was COW
Ian Hr.-Hmn4. % ~ HanwnH 80 nLH
in trying 70 sage rheU
Ofthe burnt boats, the Dictator was the only
one receiving freight, the LeYitthan and pry-
having been IN port some days, audawAit-
ing fher tprnsin The line, The Lgns had Just
arrived from Nee Orleans with a moderate trip. I
Her manifest, When received, viii be read with
interest.
The safe Of the Adams Express Company.
whose messenger came up on the Luas, was
with that Gamer. We have not learned
the value ofits contents The s~e gf the Pey-
was secured from loss by The efforts of the
clerk, Mr.. CroPper.
The hour (which the fire commenced, which
was ten o'clock, and the E~eil-kuown rapidiJy
with which the flames always oyerspread a
steamboat, make 10 quite possible that persons
were As'esF pn beard, apo Lhat al iAe sieepers
may not have escaped. We have no positive
Information, however, and no probable ruInUr
That any lives were lost. But the pilot Of the
Mr.. christopher Damon, was barely
,sved from an agonizing DEATH after having I
,use , ned q aerlQus and pa4nfuliniury. He had
retired 70 bed IN his room IN the texas. in dis
covering ms perm, he nUrUel out IN his shirt !
and drawers, made the best Of his way to the
50iler deck, aHd therf found further retreat cut
Jh by the fast gathering flames and smoke. He
iprang 70 the deck below, q distance Of sixteen 1
set, striking with such force as badly 20 frac-
ure his leg. He laid there. unable % rise and
n a position Of great danger, VIXEN a negro
who saw him fall, calamity bore him
o shore Another negro taen lent a helping
land, and the two bore him TO Bamums Hotel,
where he was az once provided with a room
nd ali requisite comforts, and with the assls-
ola physician.
Anegro on one ~ the Baats was badly hurt or
lurneit and was taken ia some place up the
yeFee. ]
Tire War Eagle. which took Gre about three
ago. Ehen lying at jefferson Barracks,
was then saved with difficulty, after the
osso her pilot house, was again endangered
u last nlght's condagratiOn. she arrived from
tcEs9ptE 40 ten minutes after 3 o'clock, and
nected "a landing lust below and adjoining the !.
DICTATOR. Fortunately for her. she had not 1
lioke out, and had enough Jeff to back out
= lne stream and carry her 20 a place Of
me continental was Iying above the Levia-
next below the WharfhOat OF the !
aekel Company. her lines were cut
~ ~ efceA-pumt ~ne8ahbnrG
y Aaelnf also laid near the Dictator, but
vac Gwen t9 lhE upper end Of the eifv before g
hug H MAeleAue viii lie up FOR the present.
ne h+ hearney, which was abreast Of the
AtokGA "haifpsfat, Eas cut loose soon after
The Ida Handy escaped ny pattina euf far
orleans about 8 O'Clock. and fhp Hfsee III
he landing which she vacated was occupied by
he luckless Luna
E@uzp, .-astar5a,r ~ Nm