The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-12-07
BY TFLFGRAPH.
BURSIAG OF THE AmERICA Asp
USIHED STATES,
netWeen seventy.avo anG Eighty
Lives Lost.
MAp1soN. IND. Dec. s.

MADISON, IND, Dec. 8.
The Madison Courier saws of the ter.
rible accident on the Ohio River: Last
night, at about hall. 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 steps, cutting into her a
considerable distance and sinking the
United States 10 about the main deck
In two minutes. Fire was >communi-
Gated in some way to the petroleum oil -,
and'as soon as the boats collided they
were In flames. 1t is said some mistake
was made In 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, bur ii was too
lalei the steamers were at the point of
colllslon. The excitement was terrible.
IT is supposed that seyenty-five or
eig hty persons have lost their lives.
Several of our citizens were on the
United States. returning home from
Cincinnati. Three of these, Mr.. Steele
Bright, Lew Yarce and G. B. SApping-
ton, are among the missing. The Re.
ceiyinS Clerk, James Johns. of the
United States, Is also missing. 1t is eS.
timated, but under 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, andvaluables,' went through
the cabin kicking in the doors of the
state rooms. TO this precaution and
to the cool intrepidity of Mr.. Taylor no
lives were lost on the America. Our
townsman, 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' cabin. where they had serenad-
ed Mr.. Inskeep and lady. Mr.. Fos-
ter was standing in the cabin near the
clerks Office; Mr.. Bright was on the
outside. The latter came running in,
saying the steamers were coming to-
gether. 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 hoRted
ashore. Mr.. Inskeep and lady jumped
from the United States to the deck of
the America. distance of 10 feet, and
were saved, losing their clothing. The
survivors of the terribible accident
unite in their praise of the management
of the America after the collision. II
was not thirty seconds after the boats
collided before the United States was a
mass of flames from stem to stern. The
America might have been saved hadit
not attempted, which was her duty to
do, to save the passengers on the Uni
ted States. Those saved owe their lives
to the cooIness and courage OF the ofd-
GERS and crew of the America. Her en-
gines 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 destruction
ofthese fine and costly steamers and the
most terrible result in loss of life have
cast gloom over the community. We
still hope that our missing friends have
made the shore at some point below aud
have been saved,
Further particulars from the steam
boat collision yesterday, show larger
loss of life than at first supposed. I'm
after the collision the United
States was enveloped in flames, which
communicated to the Aneri-
"a. both steamers being completely de.
in less than five minutes.
There were about as cabin passengers
on the United States, more than half of
whom were lost. Ths reports OF the
officers are very conflicting. as near
as we can learn 45 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
to n mistake III the whistles.
The passengers on the United States
known to be saved are: NJ. Zickler and
wife, Fremont, Ohio; James Price and
brother, Louisville; Lee Kahn. and DR..
Leslie, Cincinnati; 3. Nelson, Alleghs
nv City, Pa; Master Pearce saved, but
mother and brother lost Capt. Joseph
McCamont, Cincinnati burned about
the neck; Robert Nelson, Newport, KY,
sIiphtly injured; j. II. Green and lady,
and Sol. .aarris, Louisville; George a.
Middleton, w. w. Hauley and VIM.
Cincinnati; Mr.. McEaran
and wife and Mr.. Hays, Nashville; j.
B. Fisher, New York; >. II. CLARK,
Memphis-i
The following are the missing, but
supposed saved: j. Crawford and
lady, Mr.. Ragge and wife, Mr.. aiudle
and wife, and daughter, b. +. MoTrlse
b. Slessinger, MIR. Otter j. Maddexl Z.
Hartman. Those lost on the United
States were Mrs. r. a. Jones and her
daughter Eva, of Waynesville,O o., Elijah
Forte (coioredO. The list of the United
States passengers cannot be correctly
given, owing 10 the loss of the clerks
register. Rev. Mr.. Parvin and Rev. Mr..
Risley, ofNew York, are misslngi also
Mrs. Harriet Warning, of New Albany,
and a Young lady in her employ, MI
Bigley, ]. F. Burns, j. NJ. Lewdender,
NJ. j. Cook, VIM. Garvin, u, X. john
Eon. Mrs, Geo. w. Griffin, 8. Heidelberg
Miss Mary L. johnson, Steele Bright,
o. b, Lappington, LII. Vance, Mr.. FL
fews, Mr.. Hammers, Mr.. Briggs, Chas'
Runk, Mr.. Pope and Mr.. Hogan are
supposed to be saved. Uhe officers lost
are John Fennel, Steward; Richard
Marshal, I'd Stewards James Johns, I'd
Clerk; James Fennel, barkeeperi Dan,
colored barber. Mr.. Hays, of Nash
vile, was severely bruised. Out OF ten
firemen on the United States only three
were saved. Ole Bull was among the
messengers saved. Vice President
Smith, of the heIndisnapolis q Cincinnati
Railroad, rendered the Mail Company
a sDecial train for the wounded. zoe
yIfe of Commodore Thompson ana
lady travelling with her were lost. Mrs'
Hays, Of Nashville, is missing, Jonn
Morse, of Owenyille, Ohio, is lost. ID:
Brunswick, billiard manufacturer OF
this city, is missing. a yawl boat oil
the United States, was swung upon me
stern derrick, when the deck hands
made a rush for it, upsetting it,
throwfng them all in the river. Many
of them were drowned. There were
o6 passengers on the America, only
one of whomis known to be lost
ILLIaOIs.
CHICAGO, December 5.