The Portland daily press., 1868-12-07

INDIANA.
TERRIBLE sTEAMBoAT AccIDESr-cREAT loss
OF LIFE.

TERRIBLE gTEAMBoAT AccIDkSr-cREAT Loss
or LIFE.
Ixpt.NApoffs Dee. 5.-The Madison Courier
| saws a terrible accident occurred on the ono
river last night About hall past IL the mag
nifcrBt steamers United States descending,
and America, ascending, COLI led az Rays
Landins. aboat 20 miles above Warsaw, On the
Indiana side The Uuited States bad guam
tlty ID 5.efraleum on her deck. The America
struck the United States on the right hand
size, forward the steps, cutting into her con
siderabie distance alsd sinking her 10 her main
deck in about tNo inmates. A tre eonm9nl-
caied ia some way q the petroleum, sha y
soon ~ the hoats colided they we're m n l'.
II j. said there was some mistake IA tis -
uals a The AmcFica; she blew ne ,'-...,-
twice which uae pllot Il the Y aisea s ,,,',i,,
parentiy did BET hear. Ihe An ,,..sl- -
s5gtafta IL 10 bia.ts "a The whistle, winch
fhr InileI States suswcreds ~, - va 100
late Toe rxcif#meut VAS tettis,e, am ~ =
ssPpes y o. ~ Pcople are los1 several ,'. etl'
Vanre "a q. ~ sapplugton, Of Madison, are
auffna the usissiag. The receiving clerk, JAS.
gahnes. ~ thu Uuttcd States, Is missing. IL Is
estimated tilai - WoaleB, who were passen-
grla GA the United States, were lost. w. l..
Aa5 lofs clerk % the America, after securing
ne 10uks, register aud valuabies, went through
TIE cabin Kicking Ia the doors of the state
tsems. b tbs Precauiion aud cool intrepid
~ a Taylor, shrre were no lives lost on the
America. Nj. Insk0p and a lady Jumped from
the United States 10 the deck Of the America,
distance u fifteen feet aud were saved. The
survivors o. the terrible accident write IN praise
81 the management OF Oh Am erica alter the
collision. NOT 80 seconds elapsed after the
boats e0llided before the United states was
mass OF flames from stem 10 stern. The Amer
ica might have been saved had she not attempt
ed 10 rescue the passengers Of the United
States. Those who were saved owe their lites
20 the cO0luess aud courage of the officers and
crew Of the America. The pilot stood at his
post until the pilot house was burning around
him; be then left 10 avoid suffocation. The
loss OF these fine and eo,tly steamers resulting
Ia such terrible loss of life, aud fears for the
tate OF those WHO are missing has cast gloom
over the entire community.
CNcINNTI, Dec. 5-Further particulars of
the steamboat collision Yesterday, show a larg-
or loss OF Ii Q than was at first supposed. Im-
mediately alter the collision the United States
was developed in flames, which Immediately
commuuicated to the America. Both steam
ers were completely destroyed in an incredibly
short space Of time. About IS cabin passen-
gers We're on the United St ties; more than
half of them were lost. The reports of the Off
GERS are very conflicting but as near as can be
learned forty five passengers, including eigh-
teen ladies, and an addition of seven officers
and7eabin crew, Were lost, while only eleven
out of TWENTY-FIVE deck hands were known to
be saved. The accident is attributed to mis-
taxes in the whistles.
The United States was built at Cincinnati
at cost of 100000, and insured for 100000.
The America was built in 1867 and Cost $240,
600, and was insured for S133 900, principally in
Cincinnati.
Those lost on the United States are Mrs. P
A. Jones aud daughter Eva, of Waynesvlle,
Ohio; Elijah Foota, coored. The lists of the
passengers OF the United States caunot b. cor
recty given owing to the loss of the clerks
register.
Vice President Smith, of the Indianapolis &
Cincinnati railroa, !, rendered the Mail Com
pany special train for the use of the wound
ed and unfortunate. The Mail Company has
been organized thirty years, and only two ac-
cldents have happened in that time.
The wife of Commodore Thompson and
lady traveller with her are lost. Mrs Hays, of
Nashville, is missing. John Morse, of Ohio, is
lost. Harry Brunswick, billiard manufacture
er of this city, is missing.
The yawl of the United States was swung
upon the stern davits when the deck hands
made rush for IL, upsetting it and throwing
all into the river. Many of them were drown
ed.
There were 96 passengers on the America,
only one of whom is known to be lost. The
wreck of the America lies against the bank on
the Indiana shore, AMI the United States lies
in eight feet of water, about one hundred feet
above.