North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1868-12-09
Dreadful Casualty.

At III on Friday night last, the steamer
United States, and the America, collided
on the Ohio river, between Gin. and
Louisville near KY, town called Warsaw.
Some mistake in signalling-Great God |!
what mistake" in old, river pilots
cost 60 to so lives, and the destruction of
both boats by fire! We have no space for
details, and it is almost useless to give
them, for the reason that tomorrow we
will hear Of another casualty out horror
ing this one.
The U. S. was going up, ond the Amer
lea down. The pilots did not know how
to whistle or they didn't care to avoid
meeting. Some barrels Of petroleum on
the bow Of the U. S. caught fire, and the
boat was soon in fumes. The officers of
the America held their boat till most of
the passengers and crew left the States,
but the fire was communicated to the
America, and she had barely time to lard
her passengers: in few minutes both
boats were burned to the water line, and
hundreds Of men, women and children,
many Of them in night clothes only, were
hurriedly searching the shore for relatives
and friends. 1t is heart>rending to read
Of the agony of those who were so sud-
denly bereft.
Posr ScRIrr.-Belicving our readers
will like to see more Of this, we, on second
thought. exclude other matter and give
them few paragraphs containing the
gist Of reports. /! is supposed 50 lives
arc lost. 0 names from this part of the
country arc mentioned. The latest says {:
Both boats arc supposed to have blown
their Whistles at the same time, so that
neither pilot could hear the others signal
Then, when the second whistle sounded,
it was too late.
The ladies cabin of the United States
had that evening been the scene of uni
versal gayety, a number Of bridal parties
being on board. Tie merry party had
just dis ersed when shock was felt and
then came the awful sickening cry of "the
boat is on fire and sinking T. In minute
the scene changed from the gayety of youth
to the carnival Of death. People, ole and
young, men, women and children, rushed
into the cabin, partly dressed husbands
and wives, brothers and sisters, fathers
and children, looking at each other in
agony,-nany, alas ! taking final view
OF their loved ones.
A lady on board the States relates that,
rs she and her husband were moving to-
ward the shore, in the water, she saw one
of the lifeboats filled with people who had
escaped but, all at once, the America be-
gins backing towards shore, and merci-
lessly the ruddcr strikes the boat, crushing
and upsetting it. None of these passeng-
ers were saved.
From tho shore could be seen women,
with nothing but their robes de mutt to
protect them, rushing about in the flames,
screaming for help. Mothers, with their
children in their arms, most of them babes,
were rushing about frantically. One
mother, holding her baby in her arms, ran
to the guards; but the water seemed to
her only chilly grave; when she jumped
| INTO the cabin again, then to the guards.
The last that was seen Of her, she was
standing up with her baby Rugged close
to her in her awful death, burning up.
The scene at Warsaw bcggars descrip-
tion,-relatives hunting for each other; the
wounded screaming with pain; people,
who Mt home were blessed with wealth,
bemoaning their sad plight. The ladies
had, perforce, to 20 to bed while their
linen was being dried. Clothing was
brought by the open'handed and warm
hearted citizens at Warsaw, and every
thing was done to render them as comfort
able as possible.
Ole Bull was passenger on the Ameri-
ca, and swan ashore, with all his clothing
on, and his diamond-studded fiddle in his
hand. All the members of his troupe
saved themselves.