Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-12-17
his Escape freHa Tie = Gamer
United St:EfsS.

u OF MS experience on h steamer
United States during the "Grest Disz1-
terri 1t will be inlsrss ing 70 the read
ers of the APPEAL IS tile narrative of g
gentleman well known TO all OF a., and
who writes as gnodsstiy es TO himself As
he does fssljDgjy OF the name!ess tor
lures and suferings Of those who weai
cut OF the world IN that fatal night
through fire and water. lie says:
1 was rather late getting aboard the
boat, IS I had been dining thai day
with David Gibson s.ad z. Knight,
Esqs., of C%incinnsti. [ Purchased my
ticket on the boat from Cincinnati 10
Memphis, and while at the Office met 3
gentleman, who introduced himself as
mir. Hutchens, Of Conclrd, n. II who
w2s seveDty-one years OF age, and with
bis Wits was Masking bis frat trip uCon
IA Western waters. liz. II. was anx
ioGs 70 got all the points regarding the
modes CT travel; was about 20 visit q
on OF his in New Ocieans, aud intended
1 sensiDiug over the sabbath in Memphis
During the conversation hetwesn the
above named gentleman and myself, the
-abiss were clsared Rod spread fcC cup
ser. / retired TO my statsrosm, No. 80, |
brew nv hat upon ths bsrth, sud TO-
ended EkiBg 2 seat ct he table abreast
d nay room but there we're some bridal
parties aboard, and the lsdies, with the
gentlemen Ia company, continued
allen back to about No. IS.
Having taken = cup Of coffee 1 arose,
md passing 90 the orEard cabin saw
apt. Jake Reml!D, t1e pilot OF the
United States, seated al the lower table.
IEd Travelled on the b9st with this gen
iemau eighteen years sg0, and often
since, and reminded hitA Of the fact as l
,Sssed. Seeing no other old friends
stunned to nay stateronm and prepared
for bed, removing more OF my clothing
nan / usually do on steamboats,. When
retired the 0aud Wss playing upon the
ne gallery about anidships Of the boat.
After going to sleep l was aroused by
music and G2nciBg, and after 2 moments
hesitation as TO whether / should arise
and join ia the GmCssmea1s OF the
evening, determined % get q good nights
est % be prepared Tor 9us,ness Ia Louis
vile the next dag. Twas next aroused
y the crashing snd strfiainZ of timbsrs,
me sudden Stopping o. The boat, allowed
1y an instant Of fearful silence.
Sprung 10 the door o. my stster0Cn1,
and as I opened It, was ]sgPaiisd By the
sight Of q solid wall Of flame, which oc-
supied and hsd tsksn POSSESSION OF the
TEO'a forward psrt Of tls boat, including
u. ~ AZ A4A@@ AaAhLE-aaEA a. k[1As I
-as hast would bs landed, aud as I was
sitbOu. CloEhing, that I could hgrrisdly
hr0w something on wlleh would pre-
serve me from peEishiDG with cold bat
IS l seiz q my clothing, I beams aware
II the fSet tbst time was too precious TO
waste. In fact, the Whole Of that por-
don of tine cabin was 81 once sBv5iopsd
% smoke, AID the flames, famed in by
The strong wind blowing Ct tie time, fell
5corchiDgly on my body, IS l hastily re-
treated aft. Before reaching 2 door TO
be ladies' guard, I fell exhausted and
s~u1iOoated, Is I clutched the bAlustTsds as
cenGiny to the upper tial Of ssatFroOms
Be8ildersd end gsspiuy for breath, |
rushed fOr tbs UEper gallery, only 10 be
met Dy tangible bodies % Said smoke,
crushing me once more TO the hJ0F.
by fellow passeGgsrs, most Of whom
sre now In eternity, Vsrft0 be seen Iu5n-
ing by some t0wsrd tia approaching
hamss, 6cTOss the cSbiii, through the
galleries, into state rOums-spy6herei
anywhere!
An instant OF consciousnsss. and ]
passed down the staiTV'Sy 10 see the
strange sight OF q man in full health be-
Siidered and craZed viii. terror, walking
against tDs PIER glass Of the iSdles' cabin,
and apparently imposed with the idea
that he was passing THOUGH 81 open
spscs. Calling 10 him loudly 10 foHoy
ale, I reached Q door optaing on the lar
board ladies' guard, aud for an instant
ureathed the clear sir-Deysr 10 be ap-
prsCiated bot by those who have once
been deprived OF il IS | had been.
There were me- snd women, some
with iife-preseTyers, e6Ds CiurChiDg I
madly Gt tie glass sssh il the state room
door frames, tearing thei' hands 70 pieces ,
in v&in efforts to cpen tie bGltei doors.
[ u1hiDged q shutter and called to the
balance 10 90 the same.
At that instant Va saw the steamer
America swinging toward Us, "a !
thought, II OH relief. I then spTsng
upon the railing Of the quart. When
the America has sguog Witbin ten feet I
Of u, ladies and men issped fof her -
some Tor Gss fender nek:ihe wheelhcuse,
as they ciSspa,. i in their bands the
Of their bodies cssT.ed them Z
l8wD, and they pared frsvsc from Oug :
beneath the dTsa,i waters. Men j..
md women INSIDE fcsffdl issps from boat 9
o boat, -znd-4SsinE Sae.r ~s-isees SoPPlA
,ud fell bowen them aud sank 70 Kiss !,
30 more. Tbefs was 81 last but three OF .
1s let spon that portion OF the guard. !,
the Aoeries closed pith US we dis 1
for the first tiL1s that she too =,
n 81 III AAA0 81 - t1Wf WAN& ~ ~ 80 / ~
lpoa the river beneath that, too, vas u
1ns great Sea OF nge-th'l oil had spread
and was burning OSer he face Of the
o
TIE alternative between burning and %
ming vas no longer within our 81
choice. As lhs LDsts closed, the lady >
and gentleman teside NE Jumped snd y
.ucceeded IN reaching thu mGin deck of :
.he America. At that instant / was
20 the deck 10y s man whO had
iwuHg himself from the hurricane roof T.
over my head. / recovered myself, to .
iud the boats separated come six feet.
Somebody cried, For Gods sake, jump" &
when, making one Wild leap for life, l @
found myself ciiDging by my arms on the 3
Of the Railing OF the America,
Just forward Of her wheel-hoUse, On the
Haia deck, 3
TIE balance Of my story Is short. OJe I
mau, assisted by Ia Tree OF four ne
Zross, were at work ihdustTi0usly ,Tuuning
cut hose, carrying water in buckets and
wash psns, vsiHiy striving to subdue the
asmes. These brave meU, whose names
have not teen able 10 obtain, only !,
saved themselves and directed Us In the Z
course for safety, after every effort G
10 save the America.
We reached shore IN that darF, tenn .,
Destuous night With thgDlss to God upon =
lur lip8-s0ch as are never uttered by
mortal man, unless after such psIi s Is n
We had passed through. \
Ny seorohed feet, bruhIed llmbs and n
eoncussed vitsis yet bssT evidence of )
that fearful struggle for life. Nightly, q
dreaming, ] Gm awakened from my r
by the crashing, and tearing q
Of huge timbeTs, as the United 7,
States and America coiiided. Nightly, q
| escape 10 that cabin, 10 ind myself be. !,
ing surrounded by walls ofIiving fire. r
Oncs more fall 10 the i5o', exhausted by i
and sItfOcated by smoke, while my :,
fellow passengers fit bssTlderlngly by, =
Rstering = hopeless Sod help u.s." from =
tsspsiriug lips thst are nsyer TO open Ia \
life sgain. a
/ once more look upon that river Of 2
burning Wqter, 10 see the %upturnej, be- =
seeching faces Of those who pass forever Il
from cur kighf, Is their last sppeal to n
is made. Once more / take that 7
leap from boat to boat, from fire G
10 fire, and once moIe hD0k for the LAST a
lime upon that sea OF hrt, dotted with 3
mothers, husbands, wives sons {,
md daughters, 81 they pass forever from
DIR sight.
We who heard the last Departing cry q