Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-01-03
THE FIRE KING ON THE MIS-.
SISSIPPI.


The burning Of the New Orleans and
Vicksburg packet Fashion on the Gfter
noon of the 9Th uIt., has already been no
tioed. We obtain ths particulars Of thi,
terrible calamity from The New Orleans pa.
pers of Saturday. The statement Of Mr.
Hastings, the mate, given below, is clear
and full. Those Of Capt. Pratt, the clerk
and other officers confirm IT.
STATEMENT or arr. HASTINGS.
The boat teok FIRE at half-past three
o'clock on Thursday afternoon, on the out
side cotton-tle outsidetier on the larboard
side. We used every effort 10 put il out.
but when rounding werounded 70 on the
windward side--the wind blew the fame
right through the tier Of cotton, and the
FIRST thing discovered was, that whilst the
fire had been extinguished on the oasside,
the flames had been blown through and
had caught on the inside tiers. There we're
three Bur:On tiers of cotton abreast the
boilers. Soon as / discovered the smoke
coming up between the guards and cotton, I
knew there was no chance 10 save the
boat, Then the next thing vas 10 land Der
and try 70 save the people On board. We
ran into the bank on the Baton Rouge side,
about seven miles from Baton Rouge, tn
der a full head Of steam, both engines
working, and we ran her in high and dry
forward, SO that the people on the iorecastle
jumped of right on the bank. then went
aft TO try 10 save the people on the aft Of
the boat
At about the time I started aft and CON-
menced throwing ladders aud tresiles over,
that ge used for 8orsbbing, a panic was
created among The passengers, and the
women commeJced throwing their children
overheard aud jumping overheard after
them. The scene that ensused was indie
scribable. There were between forty and
fifty persons in the river a one time,
struggling between life and death-ladies
who could not swim-witb their haHds up
and shrieking for assistance.
then got both the life-boats overheard /;
but 20 no effect at all--one sinking, arad the
other which earaa up right side got adrift
and no one got into IT, After leaving the
wreck / got into the river and came be-
tween the aft derrick guy, ard swan 10 the
yawl. After / got into the water, picked
up several lady passengers and went ashore
and put them off / was 30 perfectly OK
hausted by battling with one OF the yiIes of
the yuwl that got out there, and another
party got into the yawl and started down
the river to zee if he could discover any
persons clinging 10 the wreck or cotton
bales, and he went dowRso Baton Rouge.
A couple Of children were picked up, but
! believe they died on the way or rs soon
as they got 10 Baton Rouge. One Of the
children was recognized by lady, but the
other was not.
There was n large number of emigranls
bound TO Texas on the boat, one Of whom,
a lady, behaved ia a very heroic manner.
After / had taken her child from her, she
got hold Of the yawl, and when | tried to
pull her up, she said, "iat me alone; / am
safe help those ladies on the other side
for Gods sake help them" Ii gives me
pleasure 10 add she was among the saved.
When swan to the yawl, Capt Pratt
was in it padding with one of the state
room blinds. lie had waded waist deep to
get in the yawl and save some ladies.
When | got into the yawl, he WAS perfectly
exhausted and said, Hastings, take this
paddle, and help save the ladies :" and we
both worked away 30 save the ladies. We
got ali the ladies Of this party of, but they
lost one or two children. These ladies
were from Natchez and / think were re-
lated 10 Messrs Rick and Shelton.
There must have been between fifty and
sixty persons in all lost, for ! saw between
forty and fifty persons at one time strug-
Cling for their lives. There were not less
than three hundred persons in all on board.
Everybody forward got off; but the mo-
ment the wind struck the cotton it drove
The flames right through, enveloping the
whole boat from the laTboard 10 the star
board, 30 that no one could get forward,
and all had TO take to the water.
was on watch, and ] said pilot stop
the boat" n | saw that "a we kept under
way the wind famed the flame. He
stopped the boat When he stopped her
there was headway on her, and he started
for the Baton Rouge side and the starboard
shore. IL he had let her 60 the other way
there was deep water, and her stern would
have swung in, and 4 great many more
persons would have been saved. After hC
rounded 20 / was afraid to countermand
the order lcr fear she would not each the
shore but would burn in the middle of the
river, and everybody would be lost II he
had gone 90 the other shore, where there
was bluff bank, all would have gotten off
But there was no time 10 think, the fame
were making such rapid headway. At the
time l told the pilot 10 stop the boat, VIZ
were running AT not less than twelve mile.
an hour.
Az general thing the people were not
much alarmed st first The lady paasen
gers like everybody else, thought it wal
only bale Of cotton on fire, which would
be extinguished in a few minutes Th,
first thing they knew they were shut out
and could not get forwsrd, and had to e
AFT. At the landing the wind blew th'
fire right across the boat, and thus pre-
vented them jumping ashore; and they
were compelled TO take the river.
The scene was most fearful; as | have
already stated, il is impossible to describe
t. lhave been steamboating for nineteeI
years, but never have / seen such a sight
as met my eyes whilst the people wer,
struggling in the water for their lives. They
we're not burned; they we're drowned.
After the cotton burned up the boai
Aoaied of, a total loss
FURTHER PARTICULARS
The Fashion had on board 2,700 bale.
besides some $50 on deck. making 25(
passengers in all. Mr. Hastings think,
this low estimate. About fifty or sixty
passengers came on board at Nicksburg,
but they were coming on and going of al
the way down, and we have no list of the
lost or saved. The principal landing
after leaving Nicksburg were Carthage
Ashwood, Grand Gulf ST. Joe, Rodney,
Natchez, Fort Adams, Red River, and
BAYOU Sara. Two elegant ladies came on
board at Bayou Sara, but the mate doe
not know their names. They were un
d1ubtedly lost.
Among the cabin passengers was party
of emigrants 60 Texas. They were from
North Alabama. Fully onc-third Of then
we're lost. They had horses. wagons, etc.
with them. All of them were consumed
In the flames. But one horse went over
hoard
The passengers on deck were principal,
negroes. They leaped wildly into the va
ter. Very few, IL any, were saved.
The two Chamheunaids, Mrs. Clark an
assistant, Jumped overheard and are D.
lieyed 60 be lost.
Mr. Hastings thinks they may have a iul
list Of the cabin passengers. The clerk.
were able 70 save the money and yaluahl,
letters of the Office. and probably also III
books. Mr. shaw certainly saved some {
the books. but how many is not yet know
Mr. Hastings thinks the number Of cabi
passengers lost was fifteen 90 twenty, {
deck passengers principally ly negroes, prob'
biz fifty.
The pilot OF the Fashion, Thos. Mont'
que, remained at his post until he lande
the boat. and was driven from It by th
smoke and flames, when he walked to th