The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1868-12-11


, perintendent of the Cincinnati u Lou
isville Mail Line, announcing in very
brief terms that the United Ststes
and America had beon burnt the pre-
ceding night st point above MadI-
sen, and ordered the {. L. Dumont
to report at once TO him for reiiei
duty. The intelligence spread rapid
Iy through the city, and reports Of
the most exaggerated character were
soon in circulation. 1t was stated
ihat upward of one hundred passen-
gers had lost their lives, and that
most OF this number had suffered the
most terrible of agonies, having been
burned to death. The gloom into
which the city was plunged was deep
and intense. The leading topic OF
conversation in all circles was the
irightful calamity Of the preceding
night.
The dispatches that arrived through
the day gave but little additional in
formation beyond that contained in
Captain Pierce's- One was read on
Change, from Madison, stating the
circumstances under which the col
llision had occurred, and giving the
names of few who were supposed to
hsye been lost. But of the many
C;ncinnatians who were believed TO
be on board there came no tidings.
The dispatch had rather the effect OF
increasing the fearful anxiety than OF
alleviating it. The feeling was sucfl
as used to be manifested in the days
of the war, when the fret intelligence
of some great battle was received.
All were weighed down by doubtings
and gloom and tears.
The stories of some of those who
were saved we present in the order
in which they were told us.
And first came
THE STATEMENT OF MR.. W. H. HANLY.
Mr.. w. III. Hanly, whose place oi
business is at No. IL Walnut street,
was a passenger on the United States.
He makes the following statement /:
We left Cincinnati at halfpast six
O'Clock, Friday evening. The night
was a cold and raw one, and most OF
the passengers remained in the sa-
loon. After supper quite number
of us engaged in serenadlngtwo coup
les who were on board-one an old
married pair, the other 3 young
bride and groom. These festivities
were kept up to a pretty late hour,
and il is to this serensde that ! have
to attribute my life, and so, too, have
many of those who were saved. 1t
was about half past eleven, | sup
pose, when Captain Wade came down
to tell US that it was time to stop
We began to prepare st once for our
state rooms, and in ten minutes more
we should all of us have been in bed.
Just then there came terrible crash
came upon us in an instant, with
out any warning. No signal had
been heard, either from cur Own boat,
or any other. l thought, however,
at once that we had collided with
some other boat, and started at once
for the stern of the States But
before / could reach it, heard some
cries and . sh0i.t of ''fire" from the
forward cabin as | looked | saw
the flames bursting out. | knew in
q moment what had happened, for
had noticed on the lower deck large
lot of petroleum-soDae two hundred
barrels, suppose. This had taken
fire, / thought-thought of it, sir,
much quicker than it takes me to tell
you | rsn at once to the lower deck
and jumped into the water. We
were then, l should think, about fifty
yards from the shore. Many of those
who were in the ladies' cabin siso
plunged in with me. The heat from
the burning vessel was so great that
as floated along by Its side, l suf-
fered much, and was good deal
singed. But | managed at last to
reach the shore. Some Of those
around me sank and were drowned
Others were swept by the current
into the midst Of the petroleum which
had spread over the river for, Ishoud
thing, two hundred yards or more,
and were burned to death. One old
gentleman, | noticed, whose wife was
floating along with hin on piece OF
timber. Some man who was drown
ing seized her dress in his despair,
caught her away from her husband
and she was drowned before his eyes.
These deaths l saw while | was my
self in the water. A minute or two
later reached the shore. This was
not more than two minutes after the
first alarm had been given. But in
even this short time all shouts and
had died away. One could
only hear the cracking of the flames
rs they fairly licked up the great
boats, and occasional splashings as
chance swimmer would buffet the
waves.
But one calamity l saw, which !
shall never forget. The yawl of the
United States was lying just by our
'pars, literally crowded with human
beings. The pilot of the Ameries
,ould not see them, and went right
,ver the yawl. Every person on her,
ir, must have been drowned or crush
ID to death. I don't believe that
me was left alive to tell the story OF
he death of the others.
Next we heard the story of one OF
be Americas passengers.
TATEMENT OF MR.. CHARLES NICHOLS,
OF CoVINGTON.
am a pilot on the river, and have
cen running with the Minnie; but
t Louisville / was taken sick and
fl her taking passage on the Amer
"a for home. We started out from
ouisville about fifty minutes after
,ur, and ran up at a good rate
lark came on US when we were
bout seventeen miles above Louis I
lille, and when we were twenty-five
lies above, it was very dark. The I
ight, too, was a rough one, the wind I
lowing up stream, and very hard.
Ie got along all right, however, c
bout eleven O'Clock ] was up in the |
llOt house along with Neb. Jenkins, c
ho had gone on duty near Marble t
Iill We were then close the Ken o
Icky shore, near the wreck of the S
cott. At that time Neb. turned her {
cad, the boat running now directly
cross the stream. The wind was go
eavy that the boat had been STEER
lg pretty wildly. When ne were $
bout, | should think, two hundred [
nd tiFty wards AWAY .Se saxx tha