The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1869-11-03

for q minute. Then came reflection.
GOODNESS, and presence of mind, which
under the circumstances. We're most
remarkable. Captain Scott immedi-
ately, upon sseertaining that the
steamerswas on fire, ordered the pilot
to head her for the shore. But the
pilot was nervous and excited. In.
stead of Running near the shore he
grounded the vessel on bar which
did not reach to the shore.
WILD EXCITEMENT.
When the boat struck the bar, and
became fast, it was found that there
was SIX feet of water on each side of
the steamer, the bow only projecting
on the bar for few feet. A number
were assisted to gain the bar, which
was TWO or three feet deep, and they
proceeded along the bar toward the
shore, when the first suddenly sank
When hut slight distance from the
steamer, and it was found that the
la only ran a short distance and
That considerable interval still sep
GRATED them from the shore. When
these two facts became known, II
scene of the widest confusion and
terror ensued. Strong men, who up
10 this had remained cool, collected.
and calm, now became pale, nervous.
and excited. The women and chill
uren, tear-stricken before, were now
doubly so. Death stared them in the
Iace. Before them was a glowing
furnace, behind them the cold, dark
waters ofthe Mississippi.
PROGRESS OF THE FLAMES.
The flames spread with great rapi-
ulty. Scores of men Sprang into the
water and attempted TO reach the
shore by swimming. Nearly all of
these We're lost. Every conceivable
object that could be obtained was
thrown into the water, and to these
the passengers clung with all the
tenacity Oflife.
HELP.
AT 8 o'clock the steamer Belle
Memphis, Captain Crane, on her way
to st. Louis, reached the scene du-
ring the fire, and picked up from the
water all that are known to be saved,
Fhe pilot, engineer, stOker, carpenter.
and forty-four passenger are known
TO be saved.
THE LOST.
The captain, the clerks and other
| officers, the deck hands, and about
| one hundred and fifty passengers
| other freight on board. A number
OF persons died after making the shore
from exposure in the water, There
was no explosion.
HEROIC CONDUCT.
The conduct of the officer and pas.
sengers is said to have been heroic.
such an appalling scene has not been
witnessed on the Mississippi for
many years. The saved were kindly
cared for by the officers of the Belle
Memphis, and were carried to ST..
Louis. The following is the
STATEMENT OF THE ENGINEER.
The alarm was given at $3.50 O'Clock,
and in ten minutes the boat was in a
sheet of flame, and every person had
deserted her. All that were lost
we're drowned; none were burned.
| Of eleven women on board. but three
were saved. But one yaWI was seen,
and that was taken possession of by
some deck passengers. No other life
boat or Hte-preServerS were seen.
The boat grounded geo yards from
| the shore, in about sip feet of water.
There were forty cabin passengers
and sixty Of the crew, in all about $50
souls. About fifty only were saved.
STATEMENT OF A PASSENGER.
ST. LOUIS, October 28.-Mr. Phelps
! i printer, of Shrevepor, La, has ar
rived here from the wreck of The
StOnewalI, and furnishes the follow
ing particulars of the terrible disas-
! ter to the boat:
The boat caught fire from a candle
which the deck passengers had placed
near some hay, while they were en-
gagged playing cards. Tho StonewaII
was run on gravel bar, the pilot
SuppOsing that the passengers could
| wade ashore. Unfortunately, at the
md of the bar there was a slough,
and here it W?s that the large num-
Der were drowned. The boat was
| run on the Oar bat two feet, and the
ShallOWest point about her had five
Ir six feet Ofwater. She had so much
hay on board that she burned like
Under. All attempts to extinguish
the fire were without avail. The
Belle Memphis cameup at $50 O'Clock
| (three hours after the accidentl and
rendered all the assistance possible.
The last seen of Captain Scott he was
seen floating down stream on log.
eThe people at Neely's Landing saw
the light and hastened to assist the
unfortunate passengers. One man
rescued sixteen persons with a skiff.
Had 1t not been for help all would
have been lost.
A gentleman, from Padncah, XIV,
SWAN ashore with lady on his back,
| and at her entreaty, returned to save
her child. While swimming to
shore he was grasped by a drowning
man, and was compelled to shake
him off in order to save himself. One
man was taken from the wreck so
badly burned that he died as soon as
he reached the shore. Captain Dan
dy, ofShreveport, La, was saved.
There were quite a number of
ladies on board, and all are supposed
to be lost except one Patterson.
THE LATEST.
ST, LOUIS, October George W.
| Fulton, chief engineer of fthe steamer
Stonewall, arrived here on the Belle
Memphis, and gives some further
particulars. Sixteen persons were
saved by clinging to planks, and six
| teen more swan ashore. These are
all out of between 250 and 260 souls
on board of whose safety there isrny
certainty. One man, named Bennett
was picked up and brought ashore,
but he died soon after. The ONLY
| officers OF the boat known to be saved
are George w. Fulton, chiefengIneer;
Edward FulkersOn, pilot; and E. P.
Watson, carpenter. Monroe Wander
vert, the stOker, and Charles Viii
liams and John Churchman, deck
hands, are also among the saved.
OF the ladies on board, only-one
Mrs. Gregg-Was saved.
Captain Scott was last seen floating
on spar. Men on shore rode seven
miles down the stream, in hopes of
finding him, but he was not found.
The scene on board was heartren-
deriDg in the extreme. The flames
spread with wonderful rapidity, un-
der the action of strong wind, and
the passengers in wild terror crowd
ed the Iorecastle until forced over.
board in a mass, and drowned each
other in desperate struggles to free
themselves. Others would Jump into
the water, whirl around in the strong
current for an instant, and disappear
from view.
Mr.. Fulton jumped overheard and
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