Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1868-12-09
THE DISASTER ON THE OHIO.
Further Particulars.
Great Excitement and Painful Anxiety
In Nashville.

tween Cincinnati and Louisville on the
night of the 9Th instant.
The Madison Gnd.) Courier Of the 9Th
has the following account:
At half past eleven o'clock last night the
magnificent steamer United States, ascend
ing, and the American, descending, cOllided
at Rayrs landing, about two miles above
Warsaw on the Indiana side The United
States had a quantity of petroleum oil on
her guards. The America struck her on
the starbOard, or right hand side, forward
Of the steps, cutting into her a considerable
distance, sinking her in about two minutes,
to the main deck. The fire was communi-
Gated in the lower way to the petroleum
oil, and as soon as the boats cOllided they
were in flames 1t is said that some mis-
take was made in the signals-that the
America blew her whistle twice, which the
pilot of the United States apparently did
not hear, and the America again signaled
by two blasts of the whistle, and then it
was that the United States answered, but it
was too late-as the steamers were at the
point Of collision. The excitement was in
tense. 1t is supposed that seventy five or
eighty persons here lost their lives. Sew
eral of our citizens were on the United
States, returning from Cincinnati three of
these, Mr.. Steele Preout, Lew Vance and
0. 2. Sappington, are among the missing.
The receiving clerk of the United States,
James Johns is also missing. 1t is estimat-
ed, but under the circumstances this must
be mere guess, that 33 women on the
United States were lost. Mr.. ". G. Taylor,
clerk of the America, after securing the
boats register and valuables, went through
the cabin, kicking in the state room doors
and to this precautiOn and the cool inter
prity Of Mr.. Taylor, no lives were lost on
the America.
Our townsman, Harvey Foster, was on
the United States, returning from Cincin-
natl, and he informed us that he and a par
ty from this city had just left the Ladies'
cabin, where they had left Mr.. Inskeep and
lady, and were standing in the cabin near
the clerks Office. A Mr. Bright was on the
outside and came running in, saying, the
boats are running together" and just then
he felt the shock, and looking around i'm
mediately, saw that all forward was in
flames. He then ran aft, and with the help
Of a deck hand lowered one arm of the fen
ders, on which they foated ashore. Mr..
Innskeep and lady jumped from the United
States to the deck of the America some Is
feet, and was saved, losing all their cloth
ing.
The survivors Of the terrible accident
unite in praise Of the management Of the
America after the collision 1t was not
thirty seconds after the boats collided, be-
fore the United States was q mass Of flames
from stem to stern The America might
have been saved, had she not attempted to
save the passengers on the States, which
it was her duty to do, and those who were
saved owe their lives to the GOODNESS and
courage of the officers of the America
Her engines were kept moving until the
boat was made fast to the shore The pilot
stood at his post until the pilot-house was
burning around him, and left to avoid suf-
location. The destruction Of these fine and
costly steamers, and the more terrible re-
suit in the loss of life, and the fate of mis-
sing friends, has cast gloom over the en-
missing friends have made the shore at
some point below and have been saved.
Midnight.-As yet no list of the casual
ties by the disaster last night has reached
this point. 1t is known, however, that sew
eral prominent citizens of Louisville have
been lost; among them is Mr.. VIM. Garvin,
of the firm of Garvin, Bell & Co. Boats
from the wreck are hourly expected at
Madison and Cincinnati. Mr.. Cumin's
Madison special give the names Of few
survivors, but no Tennesseeans appear on
the list.
This awful calamity has fallen heavily
upon Nashville, especially, and brought sor-
row to many household. Fears are enter
tanned that the following citizens of that
place arc among the list NJ. B. TOney, of
Benson & Toney; Mr.. J. w McFerrin, of
McFerrin & Winstead and his bride, late
Miss Dora Cooke, daughter of Col w NJ.
Cooke Charles NJ Hays, Of Cheatham,
Woods e. Co., and his lady
We gather the following additional items
from the Banner and the Union and Ameri-
can Of Saturday
A dispatch was received by Mr.. Benson
from Cincinnati yesterday morning, stating
that Mr. Toney had left for Nashville by
the Louisville mail boat of the evening be-
fore. He is supposed to have been accom-
panied by Mr.. McFerrin and lady, as Col.
Cooke yesterday received letter from his
daughter stating that Mr.. T. was with them
and would accompany them home.
Mr.. r. F. Woods, after telegraphing sew
eral times to Cincinnati, ascertained that
Mr.. and Mrs Hays certainly left by the
United States, Friday evening.
Hon. j. S. Gollady was on one Of the
boats, as will be seen by his brief dispatch
to Archer Cheatham, Esq, Escaped
among the last-lost baggage-unhurt."
1t was also reported that Mr.. W. G. Col !
lier, Commissioner Stone, and a daughter
of Mr.. A. V. S. Lindsey, were on the Uni
ted States, but this appears to have been
suggested more by fear than fact
The last dispatch to the Associated Press !
up to one o'clock, states that the Madison
Courier gives the names of few survivors,
but no Tonnesseeans appear on the list.
At the hour of going to press we are
therefore left to conjecture the worst, and !
it is more than probable that those of our
citizens known to have been on the boat at |
the time of the disaster have persisted We
hope, however, that our fears are ground |
less, and all Of those mentioned above may
be saved.
Among those known to have been lost is |
VIM Garvin, of the firm of Garvin. Bell & |
Co, of Louisville. By his untimely death |
louisville has lost one Of her most enter |
prising citizens The same gloom that pre-
walls here in mourning over the supposed !
loss OF several prominent merchants, and |
the estimabIo ladies who accompanied them, |
must also have been felt in Louisville upon !
the reception Of the news announcing the |
death Of the generous hearted Garvin and |
other well known and esteemed citizens Of
that place.
The disaster has been most terrible in its |
consequences, and we close this reference to !
the sad affair, with fealings of poignant
grief for the lost, and the deepest sorrow
for the bereaved