Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1868-12-10
BURNING OF THE AMERICA AND
UNITED STATES.
Between seventy-hve and Eighty Lives
Lost.

MADISON, IND, Dec. 5.
| The Madison Courier says of the ter
rible accident Oh the Ohio River: Last
night, at about half-past eleven O'Clock,
the magnificent steamer United States.
descending, and the America, ascend
ing, collided at Rayls' Landing, about
two miles above Warsaw, on the Indi-
ana side. The United States had a
quantity of petroleum on her guards
The America struck the United States
on the starboard, on the right hand side,
forward of the stops, cutting into her a
considerable distance and sinking the
| United States to about the main deck in
two minutes. Fire was communicated
in some way to the petroleum oil, and
as soon as the boats c0llided they were
in flames. 1t is said some mistake was
made in the signals. The America blew
her whistle twice, which the pilot on the
United States apparently did not hear.
The America again signaled by two
blasts of the whistle. Then the United
States answered, but it was too late; the
steamers were at the point of collision
j The excitement was terrible.
1t is supposed that seventy-five or
eighty persons have lost their lives
Several of our citizens were on the Uni
ted States, returning home from Cincin-
natl. Three of these, Mr.. Steele Bright,
Lew Varce and G. B. Sappington, are
among the missing. The Receiving
Clerk, James Johns, of tine United States
is also missing. 1t is estimated, but un-
der the circumstances, this must be mere
guess, that thirty-three women, on the
United States, were lost. w. G. Taylor,
clerk of the America, after securing the
books, registers, and valuables, went
through the cabin, kicking in the doors
of the state-rooms. To this precaution
and to the ceol intrepidity of Mr.. Taylor,
NO lives were lost on the America. Our
tcwnsman, Harvey Foster, was on the
| United States, returning from Cincin-
natl. He informs US that he and a party
from this city had just left the ladies'
Inskeep and lady. Mr.. Foster was
standing in the cabin near the clerk IS
office; Mr.. Bright was on the outside
The latter came running in, saying the
steamers were coming together. They
felt the shock, and Foster looked around
Immediately, and seeing all forward was
in flames, with the help of a deck hand
loosened one of the tenders, on which
both fioated ashore. Mr.. Inskeep and
lady jumped from the United States to
the deck of the America, a distance OF
Is feet, and were saved, loosing their
clothing. The survivors of the terrible
accident unite in their praise of the
management of the America after the
collision. 1t was not thirty seconds af-
ter the boats collided before the United
/ States was a mass of flames from stem to
stern. The America might have been
saved had it not attempted, which was
/ her duty to do, to save the passengers on
the United States. Those saved owe
their lives to the coolness and courage OF
the officers and crew 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 he
left to avoid suffocation. The destruc-
ton of these fine and costly steamers,
land the most terrible result in loss oflife
have cast gloom over the community.
We still hope that our missing friends
have made the shore at some poiHt be-
low and have been saved.
CINCINNATI, Dec. 6.
Further particulars from the steam
boat collision yesterday, show larger
loss of life than at first supposed. Inn
mediately after the collision the United
States was enveloped in flames, which
instantly communicated to the America,
both steamers being completely destroy
| ed in less than five minutes. There
were about rs cabin passengers on the
! United States, more than half of whom
were lost. The reports of the officers are
very conflicting. AS near as we can
learn As passengers, including Is ladies
and in addition seven of the officers and
cabin crew were lost, while only four
out of % deck hands are known to be
saved. The accident is attributed to a
mistake in the whistles. The passen-
gers on the United States known to be
saved are: NJ. Zickler and wife, Fremont,
Ohio; James Prick and brother, Louis
vile; Lee Kahn and DR.. Leslie, Cincin-
natl; B. Nelson, Allegheny City, Pa;
Master Pearce saved, but mother and
brother lost; Capt Joseph McCamont,
Cincinnati, burned about the neck; r.
Nelson, Newport, KY, slightly injured;
]. II. Green and lady, and Sol. Harris,
Louisville; George a. Middleton, w. w.
Hauley and VIM. Chamberlain, Cincin-
natl; Mr. McFaran and wife and Mr..
Hays, Nashville; J. B. Fisher, New
York; s. r. Clark, Memphis.
The following are the missing, but
Mr. Ragge and wife, Mr.. Hiddle and
wife, and daughter, B. F. Morris, B.
Slessinger, Mr.. Otter j. Maddox, P.
Hartman. Those lost on the United
States were Mrs. r. A. Jones and her
daughter Eva, of Waynesville, Ohio,
Elijah Forte (colored). The list of the
United States passengers cannot be cor
rectly given, owing to the loss of the
clerks Iegister. Rev. Mr.. Parvin and
Rev. Mr. Risley, of New York, are miss
ing: also Mrs. Harriet Warning, of New
Albany, and young lady in her EN-
ploy, Mr.. Bigley, j. F. Burns, J. M.
Lewdender, NJ. j. Cook, VIM. Garvin,
L. r. Johnson, Mrs. Geo. w. Giffiin, s.
Heidelberg, Miss Mary L. Johnson, S.
Bright, o. B. Lappington, l.. H. Vance,
Mr.. Elfews, Mr.. Hammers, Mr.. Briggs,
Charles Runk, Mr.. Pope and Mr.. Hogan
are supposed to be saved. The officers
lost are John Fennei, Steward; Richard
Marshal, I'd Steward; James Johns, Sd
Clerk; James Fennel, barkeeper; Dan,
was severely bruised. Out of ten fire.
men OH the United States only three
were saved. Ole Bull was among the |
passengers saved. Vice President Smith,
of the indianapolis & Cincinnati Rail-
road, rendered the Mail Company spe-
cial train for the wounded. The wife of
Commodore Thompson and lady trav
cling with her were lost. Mrs. Hays, of
Nashville, is missing. John Morse, of
Owensville, Ohio, is lost. H. Bruins
wick, a billiard manufacturer of this
city, is missing. A yawl boat of the
United States, was swung upon the stern |
derrick, when the deck hands made a
rush for it, upsetting it, throwing them
all in the river. Many of them were
drowned, There were So passengers on
the America, only one of whom is known
to be lost.
Political Items.
The majority for negro suffrage in
Iowa was "a ,576.