The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1868-12-10
TERRIBLE CALAMITY ON
THE OHIO RIVER.

| TERRIBLE CALAMITY on
.THE OHIO RIVER. !
Collision Between the Steamer
United States and America.
MADISON, IND, Dec. 5.
The Madison Courier says of th,
| terrible accident on the Ohio Rive
last night AT half past II O'CLOCK
the fine steamer, United States de
scending, and the America, ascend
ing collided at Rayrs landing, abou
. two miles above Warsaw, on the In
4 diana side. The United States hal
a quantity of petroleum oil Oh he
guards. The America struck th'
United States on her starboard Oh
the right hand side, forward of th'
steps, cutting into her considera
BILE distance, and sinking the, United
States to about the main deck. Fir,
was communicated in some way t(
the oil, and as soon as the boats co
lided they were in flames. 1t is sait
some mistake was made in the sig
nails. The America blew her whis
tbs twice, which the pilot ON the Un
tied States apparently did not hear
The America again siganled by two
blasts of the whistle; then the Uni
ted answered, but it was to late, a.
the steamers were at the point o.
collision.
The excitement Was terrible L
is supposed that seventy five or eigh
ty persons have lost their live. Sew
eral of of our citizens were on the
United States returning from Gin
| cinnati. Three of these, Mr.. Stee
Bright, Lew. Vance, and o. B. Sap
piEgton, are among the missing
The receiving clerk, James Johns
of the United States, is also missing
1t is estimated, but under the cir.
cumstances this must BE mer,
guess, that thirty-three women on
United States were lost. W. c.
Taylor, clerk of the America, after
securing the books, register and
valuables, went through the cabin
kicking in the doors of state rooms
Owing to this precantion and. the
cool intrepidity of Mr.. Taylor, no
lives were lost on the America. Our
townsman, Harves Foster, was on
the United States, returning from
Cincinnati. He informs us that he
and party from this city had just
left the ladies cabin where they had
serenaded Mr.. Inskeep and lady.
Mr.. Foster was standing in the
capin near the clerks Office. Mr..
Bright was on the outside, The
latter came running in, saying the
steamers were coming together.
They felt the shock Mr.. Foster
looked around Immediately, and all
forward was in flames. He ran aft
and wit. the help ola deck hand
loosened one of the tenders, on
which both foated ashore.
Mr.. Inskeep and lady jumped from
the United States to the deck of the
America, a distance Of fifteen feet
and were saved, losing ali their
clothing. =,
The survivors ofthe terrible acci-
dent unite in praise of the manage
ment of the America after the colli-
sion. 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 she not
attempted, which was her duty to do
to save the passengers on the Uni
ted States. Those saved owe their
lives to the GOODNESS and courage Of
the officers and crew of the America.
her engines were kept moving until
the boat was made fast to the shore.
and the pilot stood at his post until
the pilot house was burning around
him, and then lef to avoid suffoca-
ting.
The destruction of these fine cost
ly steamers, and the most terrible re
suit in loss Of life and the fate of the
missing friends, have cast a gloom
over the community. We still hope
that our missing friends have made
the shore at some point below and
have been saved.
LATER