The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-02-24
OF THE STEAM
BOAT WINCHESTER.
FULL PARTICULARS.
Between Twenty and Thirty Lives
Lost.
THE BOAT A ToTAL LOSS.
By our Special Reporter.


gram announcing that the new and
splendid Pittsburgh, Wheeling and
Parkersburg packet, Winchester, had
been burned to the waters edge, near
the head of Bab's Island, about five
miles above Wellsville, with the proba-
BILE loss of twenty or thirty lives. The
excitement was intense as number of
the employees on board were citizens of
our town. Unable to gain any satisfac-
tory intelligence, our reporter took the
eleven o'clock train and repaired to the
scene of disaster. Arrived at Liverpool,
he found all the men belonging to this
city safe and sound, most Of them,
however, having barely escaped with
their lives. They were G. w Dunbar
and Charles Wincher, engineers, John
Duty assistant engineer, and John
Dunn, LIST mate. He also found there
A. NJ. Sheets, of Matamorns, one
of the owners of the boat,
the terrible bereavement he had
sustained in the loss OF his wife, an es-
Unable lady, to whom he has been mar
ried but about six months. She was
the daughter of highly respectable
citizen of our county, William Waddle,
ESQ.,, who resides near West Liberty
From these gentlemen our reporter
learned that Mt half past three o'clock
one of the firemen threw shovel full
of hot ashes out in n careless manner.
Some of the live emberS were blown in
to a bundle of hay, which was part of a
lot that had been taken at the mouth of
Yellow Creek. The hay lying rather
loosely baled, ignited instantly, and
although as quickly discovered, and
every effort made by the fremen TO
smother it, the fire darted through the
bales like lightning, and in II moment
the whole was mass of iame, which
more rapidly than can be told, was
communicated to a lot ofoil- Mr.. Dunbar
bar, who was on wntch at the time, in
formed the pilot that the boat was on
fire. Her head was quickly turned to
shore, and Mr.. Dunbar letting on all
steam, ran her on shore with n force
which drove her head high up on the
beach and secured her against all dan
ger of floating out into the stream. The
scene had now become terrific, owing
to the highly combustible nature OF n
large portion of her cargo, and the boat
herself being new, sher paint scarcely
dry, the fire leaped from point to point
and ran as If upon train of powder,
so that by the time her head struck the
shore all her deck room was mass of
raging fire. The passengers reused sud
denly from slumber, in their awful
peril ran wildly about, only to find
every avenue closed by fire and blend
ing smoke. Many jumped overheard,
some are thought to have been unable
to get out of their berths, and.i is not
Known how many were lost as all the
books and papers belonging to the boat
were DESTROYED. Those known to be
lost are Michael Fragrett, of Sewickley,
Pa; Jumes Algeo and wife, and Mrs.
A. NJ. Sheets, all of Matamoras, Ohio;
~ ", oh nj
woodland, w. Va; George Young, of
Rochester, Pa, barkeeper on the boat;
Ebenezer Martin, of Sistersville, broth
er-in-law of Col. johnson, of the House
of Delegates, w. Va; also a man named
Walters, with one child, were burned.
The Chambermaid (coloredl and two
firemen (colored) were also lost. The
scene is described by those who wit
messed it as awfully grand, the flames
towering aloft, illuminating the country
for miles around and threw light far
up and down the surface of the river
bright as monday. 1t was short-lived
as 1t was grand and 1t only remained
for daylight to reveal the horror of that
hour. There was a mother wailing the
loss of husband and four children,
while by her side sat her remaining two,
shiVering with cold and fear. Another
with her infant child rescued from the
water, but dead lying beside her, looked
upon the devouring fire and knew that
her husband and her other child were
among its ashes. A young hus-
band rendered almost frantic by
the terrible uncertainty as to wheth-
er his young wife had sunk in the
waters or been consumed in the
flames. The officers of the boat stood
nobly to their post till driven away
by the intense heat. Notwithstanding
the intense GOODNESS of the water they
stayed in it as long as 1t was possible
to render any assistance. AIr. Sheets
SWAN out three times into the river,
lured as he thought by the voice of his
wife, and each time brought some one
to shore. All the rescued spoke in the
highest praise of the people who lived
in the vicinity of the disaster. Asquick-
ly as possible all were clothed, and
made us comfortable as could be under
tho circumstances. Our reporter visited
the wreck itself, and fout.d it the most
complete he ever witnessed; not YES
tige of anything save few bundles
hay, escaped destruction.
The boat was owned by Andrew Ack-
ley, G. ID. Moore, Daniel Moore and JAS.
Hamilton, of Pittsburgh, and Sheets d
Bro, of Matamoras. She was built ex-
pressly for the Pittsburgh, Wheeling
and Parkersburg trade, and was just
ten days old, and was on her first and
last trip.
Her cargo consisted in part of al bar
relS OF oil from Iongmoor ~ Co.,
hundred and five bales of hay, q large
lot of empty oil barrels in her hold. She
also had on board four horses, one yoke
of oxen and one cow.
Her officers were A. c. s. Shepherd,
Captain; William Abrams, Pilot, Dam
lei Moore, LIST Clerk; A. @. Bunting, I'd
Clerk; John Dunn, Mate; G.. w. Dunbar
and Charles Wincher, Engineers.
She cost SSl, 600, and was insured in
Pittsburgh offices for $50, 600.
a reward of one thousand dollars is
offered for the recovery of the bodies of
Mr.. and Mrs. Algeo, Mrs. Sheets and
Ebenezer Martin.
r..,,.., ;. a.. 81 80 80.