Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-12-24

Appalling Scenes on the
burning Boats.
Fro. hi, Loui,r.Ile Jonrn.l.

enaVe hCultioual pAiHculaa lnle morn
ing Of the grest steamboat disaster near
Florence, Ind. With the further news, the
catastrophe loses none Of its appalling fsa-
lures. The scenes on that Friday night
must have rsjoicsd the tends ia hell to lock
upon-so full Of human woe. and misery,
aud despair were they The sweeping, hiss
ing pillows Of flame, the Geld, DARK, frss1-
ing river, the piercing December blast,
that mingled its csasslsss ~alings with
the means and cries Of dying msn and ~
men, all lent their horrors 70 the dreadful
carnival.
At s'clsek ths tive magni6es stesm-
srs, With three hundred souls On beard
we're bearing proudly on their way. their
bright signal lights PIERCING the goemy
bisckncss Of the lowering night, and the
roaring AMI dashing Of their nj shty wheels
almost drowning tho SQUADS CT mirth aud
gsisty that echoed through the long cabins
and passed cheerily Oh from deck to deck
Little thought was given Of the morrow
there, and little dreamed those on board
how near were the shores Of eternity.
The whistles sounded None but the
river men knew what the Whistles said. -
Somehow, to them, that aingle signal from
the III fated United States rang on. Ink. q
death shrek upon the wind. few min
u,es. and the great steamers were nearly
upon each other The United States was
backing. Trenbltng from stem to stern
with the sudden check, her great wheel
rolled grumblingly. But it WAS too late.
Ths America had net seen the danger in
time, and was just preparing TO back, when.
with . fearful conclusion, the two beats
came together. A rscoil folio we'd, and then
they came together again. In the first col
lisien the America ran nearly brought the
baggage resm and into the null Of the
United States, bursting open the barrels Of
pstrolsum on the guards, and 10 an instant
the whole forward part Of the crushed and
splintersd beat vas wrapped 10 great sheets
Of white frms, which quickly ran 10 irs
farthsst extremity. and lssped over and
caught the decks Of the Amsrica.
There were none, then, Who were mot
fully apprissd Of the danger. The furnsess
and lamps had touched the fearful train,
and nov both beats we're being rapidly con
sumsd. The America backed and gained
the shore while the United States Was sink
ing. All but two Of the passengers Of ths
latter reached land in safety. The ignitsd
petroleum ran out from the burning boats
TO the water, and for . space Of . quarter Of
q mile around the surface Of the river waa
sheet Of FIRE. Lsapine from the burning and
sinking United States, the unfortunate par
ssngsrs met death in every fern, some
jumping into the yawl and pulling ever int
the river. some falling upon aud being IN
der struggling swimmers, some psrishing
in the broad sea Of fire, some struggling
and sinking TO rise no more, some drown.
ing frsm sheer fright and exhaustion
From ATTY to sixty persons thus persisted.
MscsLLANsous INCIDENTS.
The ladies' cabin Of the United States had
that evening been tbs scene Of unusual
gaye.y. There were bridal parties Oh board
full Of the happiness If their new love,
Young aud beautiful girls inst blushing into
womsnhsod, gallant cavaliers paying HON
age at beauty shrine. Con,srsaiioD, mu-
SIC and ancing served to make the hours
dy. Amorg tic brightest and fairsst were
the Muses. Johnson and Jones. A gentle
man Of this city. who had be.n dancing
with them, had given I, each young lady
The address Of tho other one, Which they
stuck in their belts. Bat the hours in
creased, and, weary st last, the dancers hal
Just dispsrsed with merry good nights and
wishes Of pleasant dreams, when a shock
was felt. and then came the awful, sicksn-
ing cry OF
InE ncAT IS on FIRE AND SHINING.
La minute the s,cens changed from the
geye,y of youth TO a carnival of death
People, old aud young, men, women and
oh fIVan aI a
dressed. husbands and wivss, brothers and
sisters, fathers and children, lookn az
each other in agony, too many, aiaal taking
. final view Of their loved ones. At this
stage,
TOUCHING APPEAL
was mads by MISS Jones to a gentleman on
board. As the wood work was becoming
100 heated TO bear, and tho iiAmos were
forcing their way gradually into the cabin,
she wen; TO him, saying: Oh ! Dir. .
You hive talked 10 me this evening. you
have danced with me. you know WHO am
and where came from, save me oil. save
me eli, save me-! lie told her he had a
wife to save, md could not he . her. Poor
grl, she j, beyond ali earthly help now.
FRANTIC HUSBAND.
$3.50 " hae kebtletHch VIA oVNtu lils
presence Of mind to nnhingc a door which
he threw int the river, and, after his W lie,
and he had placed her In position TO reach
the shore Vow STAY here dear was his
request, until can fix myself some way,
and We can both be saved Imagine the
agony, last IS be had procured
some,hing that would float, 10 see . man
swim toward the frail support Of his wife
and knock her away from it. She was
drowned.
DEATH srRuGoLE IN THE JAWS o. DEATH
A gentleman with his sister. . lovely and
accomplished young lady, were passengers
On the United S,atss. At the 6rst shock
the gentleman WAS thrown from his bed
clear cut on the floor. Hastily pulling on
his pantaloens. he rushed 10 the statsrsem
Of his sister, su' o. open the door, and ssia
ing her in his arms, carried her down on
the main deck, whore. procuring . dsor
shutter, be threw il overheard and leaped
after il with his sister in his arms. lie
placed her securely on the shutter, and was
swimming behind, pushing il with iss pre-
eicus lead toward the shore, whom, to his
horror. . big, burly, and able bodied man
SWAN up, pushed his sister of the board,
and climbed upon il himself The young
girl sank with . scream, aud il shs came 10
the snrfscs it vas So dark and the confusion
40 great that he could not And her. Mad
dsned by the dsstardly act, he made after
the author, and sssing him by the throat
. struggle 20 the death snsued. They rose
and sunk together. still struggling, and
when last seen were still graphing with
each ether. whether either was saved. or
both went down together is not known
Tho sister sunk beneath The waves and was
lost, but shs va terribly avenged by her
brother.
One couple. just married, have fulfilled
their holy veW - love each ether until
duath should them part, bnt death took
them both together, frozen, drowned, dead
In thor beautiful youth, with the kiss Of
their pure lows frozen on their lips.
rHs riLor AND Ksanxsxs or The Ausslcs
showed themselves true heroes in standing
by their posts. With flames around them,
and escape being fast cut off, the piletT sng
the sounding bsli to back her, and at both
ends OF the wire, stood noble, true men,
ready to do their duty though i, cost them
their lives. Even the gt,erng engine
seemed to have caught the spirit of the
scene, and with prolonged pufTs, ~ il in a
last agony, the whesis were hurried around,
AL Ah-ie pVootnns fra,rhf