Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1867-01-22
Fhe Mississippi Calamity.
The Burning efMe Steamer Fasttoa.

The Now Orleans Times publishes the fos-
lowing particulars of the burning of the
steamer Fashion. 1t is the statement of Mr..
Hastings, mate of the ill-starred boat:
The boat took fire at half past three o'clock
on ihursday afternoon on the outside cotton
the outside tier on the larboard side. We
used every effort to put it out, but when
rounding to-we roRpSied4to 1.-THE windward
side the wind blow the tfanc rinIfts ahrouoh
the tier of cotton gald the first thing that I
discovered was, that whilst the FIRE had been
extlngulshed on the ouhsise, the flames had
been blown through and had caught on the
inside tiers. There were three Burton tiers
OF cotton abreast the boilers. Soon as 1 dis,
covered the smoke coming up between the
guards and cotton knew there was no chance
to save the boat The next thing was to land
her and try to save the. people on board
We ran into the bank on the Baton Rouge
side, about seven miles above Baton Rouge,
| under fall head Of steam, both engines
working, and we ran her in high and dry for
ward, SO that the people on the forecastle
jumped off right on the bank. Z then went
ait to try to save tie people on the aft Of the
boat.
At bout the time started aft and cons
menced throwing ladders and tres;Ics over
that we used for scrubbing, a panic was crea-
tea among the Passengers, and the women
commenced throwing their children overheard
ami Jumn:ng overheard after them The
scene nat ensucd was indescribablc. There
were between forty and fifty persons in the
! aver at one time struggling between life and
| death-ladies who could not swim, with their
hands up and shrieking for assistance. then
! got both the life boats overheard, but to no
effect at all-onc sinking, and the other,
which came up right side, got adrift. and no
one got into it. After leaving the wreck I
| got into the river and came between the aft
| derrick guy, and swan to yav:l After l
! got into the water, picked up several lady
| passengers and went ashore and put them off
| was SO perfectly exhausted by battling with
one OF the sides of the yawl that l got out
there, and another party got into the yawl
and started down the river to see IF he could
discover any persons cIinging to the wreck or
cotton bales, and he went down to Baton
Rouge.
A couple Of children were picked up, but
L believe they died on the way, or as soon as
they got to Baton Rouge, One Of the chill
dren was recognized by lady, but the other
was not. There was large number Of emf
grants bound to Texas on the boat, one of
whom, lady, behaved in a very heroic man
ner. After had taken her child from her,
she got hold of the yawl, and when I tried to
pull her up, she SAID: "Lct me alone ; am
safe hell those ladies' on the other side for
Gods sake, help them" 1t gives me ri cas-
rre to add she was among the saved. When
| swan to the yawl Captain Pratt was in it,
padding with one of the state-roon, blinds
lie had waded waist"deep to get into the
yawi, and save some ladies' When [ got
INTO the yawl, he was perfectly exhausted.
and SAID "llastings, take this paddle aud
help save the ladies'" and we both worked
away to save the ladies. We got all the la
dies of this party off, but they lost one or two
| children. These ladies' were from Natchcz
and think related to Ncssrs. Rick and Shell
| ton.
There must have been between fifty and
sixty persons in all lost, for l saw between
forty and fifty persons at one time struggling
for their lives. There were not less than
three hundred persons in all on board Ev-
cry body forward got off; but the moment the
wind struck the cotton it drove the flames
right through, enyclopiug the whole boat
from the larboard to the starboard, SO that no
| one could get forward, and all had to take
the water. l was on the watch, and said
''Pilot, stop the boat" as l saw that as we
kept under way the wind famed the flame
| He stopped the boat. When he STONED her
there was Roadway on her, and he started to
the Baton Rouge side and the starboard shore
1t he had let her go the other way there was
! deep water, and her stern would have swung
| ln and great many more persons would have
| been saved. After he rounded to- T was
afraid to countermand the order, for fear she
would not reach the shore, but would burn in
the middle of the river, and everybody would
be lost. If he had gone to the other shore
| where there was a bluff bank, all would have
! gotten off. But there was no time to think
the flames were makipg such rapid headway
! At the time told the pilot to stop the boat
we were running at not less than twelve miles
an hour. As general thing the people were
not much alarmed at first. The lady pas
sengers, like everybody else, thought it was
| only bale Of cotton on fire, which would be
| e&t!ngulshcd i'll few minutes. The first
! thing they knew they were shut out, and
/ could not get forward, and had to 90 aft. At
/ the landing the wind blew the fire right across
/ the boat, and thus prevented them Jumping
ashore and they were compelled to take the
! river. The scene was most fearful as |
have already stated, it is impossible to de-
! scribe it. have been steamboating for nine
! teen years, but never have seen such sight
! asmet my eyes while the people were struggling
! III the water for their lives. They were not
! burned, they were drowned. After the cot
ton burned up the boat foated off, total loss
You Can't Catch It.
You can't cateh'it, boys or girls You may
4 1 r