Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-12-08

he asst eleven o'clock. The America strucl
ph the States little at. the capstan, ,c.lttin
deeply into her bow.
The forward guards of the States wer
he taken up with coal oil, quality of freigh
10 | which requires TO be carried where The al
will get at it,.
'' Almost simultaneously with the collision
10 the flames arose from the bow of the States
~ reaching up az high as her hurricane roof
n. 1t flashed up like the explosion Of gun
:, powder. The fire ran up the stairway and
IN avery few moments the whole forward
% part of the boat was on fire.
r The shock OF the collision bursted some
i OF the oil barrels and the oil took fire from
the lamps. The boats struck, full head
on, and SO violent and tremendous was
= the shock, that the bow of the America
e was driven into the guards Of the States
10 the coal box. One passenger on the
states says that the progress of the FIRE
from the bow of the States TO the stern,
was about as fast as a man could walk.
The America after striking the States
began TO back towards the Indiana shore.
and the States swung round, so that both
boats were along eide all night The tow
boat REINDEER came up few minutes after
! the collision, and rendered some assistance
n rescuing the passengers from the burn.
ing steamers. The Madison packet Lady
Grace, bound down, arrived at the scene of
The disaster about one hour after it &C.
Cured, and conveyed many of the passen-
gers OF the States TO Madison. -..-
II is the opinion of Capt Whiten that
nothing more serious would have resulted
from the collision than the sinking of the
States, but for the combustible coal oil
carried by that boat.
The two boats we're not over one hum
dred feet from the Indiana shore when the
collision occurred. The boats coming along
side undoubtedly enabled MANY on The
States TO escape that would not otherwise
probably have been saved.
Passengers leaped from the cabin guards
of The States then almost completely
enveloped in flames to the lower deck of
the America which got in near the shore,
where she burned 10 the waters dge The |
pilot OF the States, who remained at his |
post to the last moment, endeavored 10 run |
her into Indiana shore, but as the boat was |
| IN sinking condition he was enable to |
manage her and she settled down hut |
| short distance from whore the coITisi n oc. |
Cured
Capt Whiten of the America was in the
| pilot house just before the boats came to-
gether. He says the America gave two
blasts OF her whistle, but neither he nor the
pilot heard any response from the States.
The America signaled, blowing twice
for the Indiana side Of the river, and but
one whistle was heard from the States.
which was not the proper response 1t was
not what river men call< bad night, though
the wind was blowing strongly up stream,
which was probably the cause of the mis-.
understanding of the singnals.
The America was entirely uuiniured in |
her tmbers by the collision. The water
there is shoal and the States would not |
have sunk above her cabin floor, and none
on board would probably have been lost ,
but for the fire.
The Captain of the States remained on I
the roof of that steamer until he was com {
pletely surrounded by the flames. He es. /
capped by jumping 10 the boiler deck {
guards OF the America. When the two
boats came together he says but for the FIRE 2
he could have run the boat ashore and {
saved everything. r
Capt. Wade says that the boat left here I
with only sixty five passengers on board /
thirteen Of whom were ladies, and seven i
OF these lady passengers are known 10 be n
saved. Very few of the passengers on the
States had retired. S
There was a wedding party aboard and v
the passengers rendered them q serenade. Il
Capt. Wade found it necessary but a very q
short time before the collision occurred to .
go down from the texas to the cabin to re- i,
press to some extent the noise of the mer. q
rlment they were making. II
The flames drove many of the passen-
gers to the aft end of the States, and many f.
Of them took refuge in the yawl, which W
was suspended by derrick at the stern Of q
the boat. So many Of them crowded into C
this boat that the derrick broke down, and II
let theyawI and those who were in it into n
the river. I
As many as twenty or twenty five per. N
sons were in the yawl when the derrick | h
fell, and il is supposed most of them were 81
drowned. One Of them, Captain Joe. | o,
well known pilot, held on
10 the yawl when it fell and was finally res y,
,ued. He was found to be very badly II
burned, and his strength was almost ex- n
hausted when assistance reached him. al
Owing to the extraordinary exertions Of n
Capt. Written and Mr.. VIM TAYLOR, head n
clerk of the America, severaI lives were al
'ayed. Among them was Miss Barton. of ri
The DE Bull Concert Troupe Miss Barton m
was in her slate room at the time, aud o,
seemed TO be completely bewildered. Mr.. "
Taylor warned her of her danger, but she m
seemed 10 pay no attention to him. Final ri
y he burst open the door, and by main n
strength carried her aft and down through
q small halchway. N,
Oae man, name unknown, who occupied ST
4 room ia the aft part of the America, be- n
came completely bewidered. He was g
warned OF the danger, but paid no atten.
lion 10 A.. Mr.. Taylor at the last moment fr
sndeavored TO rescue him, but ii was too h
ate. He became sutfOcated and fell | E,
through the hatchway. This was the last n
seen Of him. h
Another man, name unknown, also lost ! IL
bis presence Of mind as t. entirely forget r.
he terrible predicament in which he was Of
placed and also persisted in the flames.
Mr. Taylor and Capt. Written remained on | tr
he boat till the very last.moment and only 81
eff when the flames were surrounding W
KEN on all sides. The former secured the
'egister of the boat and all the Valuables fir
rom the safe, except a hundred or SO dol til
airs belonging TO a enc legged man from at
Atlantis, Georgia. M
None Of the valuables of the United III
'tstes were saved, the fire spreading with la
uch frIghtiul rapidIty a. TO make 1t utter III
' impossible TO save them. Both CAPTAIN
Written and Capt. Wade state that the
ire although awful WAS grand in the ex-
RENE.
Let the reader imagine two hundred N
1ales Of cotton saturated with coal oil u
III IN blaze, aud then the petroleum 90
he water in a Iiyid glare, and lac can form fir
ome IDEA of The awful grandeur of the al
cene. til
Among the passengers on the America, &c
coming up 10 this city, were Mr.. W. +. W
Iriswold and w. Davidson, Of the firm Of nc
,. w, Hough, Wait & Co. New York.
Mr.. Davidson had Just retired 10 his 4
taie-room, had divested himself Of his
lothing, and was about TO get in his berth
when the collision took place He imme- an
halely stepped out upon the cabin guard OF
4 The bost, and on seeing the situation.
10Th boats being on fire, he Ieaped over NJ
BOARD and swan ashore. His money was Sc
in hiseloIhes and his gold watch he had la
placedapder his pillow, all Of which were III
lost. W
Mr.. trrswold had not retired with Mr.
D., bu, was in the cabin talking with the AZ
bar keepetwhen the whistle sounded and pl
tbs bell eve The alarm, and from the W,
sound, he vas convinced that something bt
was wrong, Ne no sooner came TO that bs
conclusion thantle boats collided and he in
passed ont upon q csbin guard in time n