New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-11-01
THE MISSISSIPPI HORROR.

BURNING OF THE OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES OF
THE DIsAsTER-REGIsTRY LAW CALLED FOR.
The 81. Louis Republican Of Friday has the
following details OF the terrible disaster near Cairo. on
the Mississippi River. last Wednesday evening. The
stonewaIl was sdewheel steamer built IN 1885, regis.
terng eco uns feet in length with AZ feet BEAM II
has been engaged the Missouri Mississippi and Red
River trades She accommodation for rs cabin pas
sengers, aud could ut times accommodate l25. IL was
allowed carry 2oO deck passengers The boat has been
Remarkably unluCky one, and the cOnhagraton only
the elimination of long series OF disasters. She left ST.
Louis at o'clock on "Wednesday morning AZ near rs
following persons: Cabin passengers 50; deck passen-
gers 1885, officers II; deck crew. 49, cabin crew, 2G total
s As cargo the stouewall had when II left St LOUIS
about 5000 barrels OF -FOUR 900 sacks OF oats about 10
bales of hay and a largo quantity OF bacon and pork
There was also some petroleum Gu board There were
900 100 tuus Of freight. The boat was not feRhted
10 s full capacity There about $50 mules on Il.
Al about afpast o'clock on Wednesday evening the
cry Of fire was gwen by OF the deck passengers. who
ran 10 the engneoOm and shouted 10 George W. Fulton
the first gncer who was then duty Darkness had
set IT, md the alarm came win Terrible slgnlncahee
Here the point where the riyer " aud
half miles wide, with much that was cOmbustiblo ON
board and with no means OF escape except what might
be obtained by running the vessel AGAINST tue gshk
The alarm was given immediately upon tne origin "
o omf n and saw saw bale Of hay IN the afS portion
Of the boat burning; SO small was the fire that
u could have been exuguscd With one or two buckets
there The hay piled up 10 the boiler deck and the
space occupied by freight was well nled. The flames
spread with great rapdity danced rom bale bale OF
hay communicated to the dry WOODWORK OF the boat and
The majority Of the deck passengers at the time
congreg gated aft and panic which rendered them pow
erless To do anything prevent the impending destruc
ton eSsued among them. Fulton ieft his engines,
aud unaidcd. except by one or two persons 9s'
ment He got the section hose and went over TO the dom
less The people had become frantic and moved rapidly
in dcnsG stream forward. Fulton found that he
conId not advance aft one STEP aud he gave Il
up IN despair Previous 10 this no had
shouted through the speaking trumpet 10 fukerson the
pilot 10 land the boat as possible. when ho
could do nothing with the hose he went back 20 his
gnes aud spoke again to the pilot through the trumpet
telling him 10 run the boat against the bank Immediately.
The boat was rounding toward the Missouri bank When
1t grounded reef called Tea Table bar, and re-
shore with deep intervening In five minutes after
the aarmthe hamCs had exehdSd over all the at por
ton, aud considerable part OF the forward portion OF
the boat The deck passengers rushed toward the fore
and droadGlly afrIshed mass OF humanity To complete
the general CONSERVATION tho mules dashed among tho
people ma@PsS on ge crushing 'ISn 70 death Inc
terrible turmoil arose aud they learned az once thgs tho
boat twas on fire. In THAI awful moment they
fate which threatened them. Below. aft and
s s1Sn S9 Ma waste hs Ts
passengers were Obliged to Jump from the boiler deck
the river as they became more aud more hoty pressed
by the flames In ton minutes from the first alarm, tho
from main deck 60 pilot house-a vast funeral pyre. By
this time all who could had Jumped on the boat and were
able To- save themselves The great majority WERE &c is
feared, drowned almost immediately There were
had the presence Of mind to seize. While the deck
enges nndcrew were huded together Oh the forecaste
r. Il Watson the carpenter or the boat, endcayorod
TO get OF them 70 asss him la putting the stage
plank overheard IL would have 1oated It was believed
100 the land but the passengers were struck
helpless by the prospect Of the horrible fate staring them
10 the face and failed 70 launch the plank Fifteen feet
6f IL was pushed the side. About twenty persons
got some were pushed on and about 40 managed TO
cling 10 IL until they taken OF 10 skin which
sentfom shore by Mr.. Harris The brief struggles OF
many passengers In the water among the frightened
mules are described aslappang One after another
stricken down by the hOofs OF these ANIMALS One little
group OF four or 1--WE, apparently deck hands.
40 down elnging TO each other In this chaotic macs
literally tTodden 20 watery grave.
George W. Fulton. the chief engineer. stayed at bis
post until he driven from 10 by the flames, aud
Jumped overheard. lie started 10 swim toward the
land but found tho mules so numerous
ia thu water that he colld mako no
progress, and so AVIAN into the wheelhouse.
lie chung hero in fahoed security until the
nos holding tho levers burned or aud tho wheel CON-
meDced 10 revolye 10 made three revolutions, and no
was caught by and considerably bruised While he was
IN tho wheel steam Pipe seven Inches I'm diameter con
meeting the ongnes with the boilers, burst aud stopped
the engines Tbs Quiekoned tue destruction VI tho boat