The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-10-29
MISSOURI.

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MISSOURI.
BURNING OF TIE STEAMER sToNEwALL.
ST.. LOUIS, Oct 28.-Mr. Phelps, a planter Of
Shreveport, La, has arrived here from the
wreck of the steamer Stonewall, and furnishes
the following brief particulars of the terrible
disaster to that boat:
The boat caught fire at G. 80 Wednesday eve
ning little below Nee,y's Landing, anil one
hundred aud twenty-five miles below ST. Louis,
from a candle which the deck hands had while
engaged in playing cards. The Stonewall was
on sand bar, the pilot supposing that the pas
sengers could wade ashore. At the end of the
pier there was a large slough, and the reason
that the larger number were drowned, was that
the boat was run on the bar but two feet, and
that the shalowest poiat about her had five or
six feet of water. She had so much hay on
board that she burned like finder, and all the at
tempts to extinguish the fire were without avail
The Belle of Memphis came up at half past
nine o'clock, three hours after the accident,
and rendered all the assistance possible. Out
of 252 passengers and crew only 80 are known
to be saved. Tue last seen of Capt Scott
he was floating on a log. The people at
Neely's Landing saw light and attempted to
assist the unfortunate passengers. One man
saved sixteen persons with skiff Had it not
been for their help all would have been lost.
A gentleman from Paducah, KY, swan ashore
with lady on his back, and at her entreaty
returned to save her child. While returning
ashore he was grappled by 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 be died as soon as
no reached the shore. Capt. Dandy, OF Shreve-
port La, was saved There were eighty-nine
cabin passengers and forty of the crew. There
were quite number of ladies on board, and
all are supposed to be lost except one Falk-
erson, the pilot, and Carpenter were the only
ones of the crew saved. The Stonewall was
valued at $45,OOO; insured for $4,000 She
had about 800 tons of fire. ght, including go
cattle, horses and mules.
ANOTHER Acco UNIT.
A Chicago special says that the steamer
Stone wall, which left ST. Louis Tuesday even
ing for New Dreams, heavily laden with pas
sengers aud horses, mules, hay and other
freight, took fire last night, and despite of all
efforts to save her she burnt to the waters edge
When the fire broke out every effort was made
to land but she was so heavily laden that she
could not be brought nearer than one hundred
yards from shore. General confusion and ter
ror prevailed. There were two hundred cabin
and deck passengers on board, quite number
of whom were women and children. The
flames spread with great rapidly. Some of
the men sprang into the water and attempted
to reach the shore by swimming. Nearly all
of these were lost. Every conceivable object
that could be obtained was thrown into the
water, and to these the passengers chung with
the tenacity of life.
The steamer Belle, of Memphis, Captain
Crane, on her way to St. Louis, reached the
scene during the fire, and picked up all that
are known to be saved. The captain, engin-
eer, stokers, carpenter and thirty-four passen-
gers were rescued. The captain, clerk and
many other officers and deck hands and many
passengers were lost. The books and papers
of the boat, the cattle and other freight on
board were lost. A number of persons died
after reaching the shore from exposure in the
water. There was no explosion. All of the
women and children were lost, nearly if not all
being burned to death. The conduct of the
officers and passengers 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 of Memphis, and were carried TO
st. Louis.
Later.-An interview with the assistant en-
gineer of the Inflated steamer by telegraphic
correspondence at Carbonate, gets from him
the following statement:-The alarm was
given at halfpast o'clock, and in ten min
utes the bow was sheet of flame and every
person deserted her. All that were lost were
drowned; none were burned. Of eleven wo
men on board but three were saved. But one
yawl was seen, and that was taken possession
of by some deck passengers. No other life
boat or life preservers were seen. The boat
grounded 200 yards from the shore in about
six feet of water. There was party of cabin
passengers, $50 deck passengers and 60 Of the
crew, in all about $50 souls, only 30 of whom
were saved. -
STATEMENT OF THE CHIEF ENGINEER.
George w. Sutton, chief engineer of the
steamer Stonewall, arrived at st. Louis on the
Belle OF Memphis, and gives some further par
ticulars:-Sixteen persons were saved by
clinging to planks and sixteen more swan
ashore. They are all out of between $50 and
260 souls on board of whose positive safety
there is any certainty. One man named Bent
was picked up and brought ashore, but he died
soon alter. The only officers of the boat known
t, be saved are George w. Fulton, the chief
engineer, Edward Fulkerson. pilot, E. p Wat
sou, carpenter, Monroe Vandervest, stoker
| Charles Williams and John Churchman, deck
| hands are also among the saved. OF the ladies
on board only one MRS. GrefO was saved.
| The scene on board was heartrendirg in tle
extreme. The flames spread with wonderful
| rapdty under the action of the strong wind
1 and the passengers in wild terror crowded the
forecastle until they fell overheard in m ass,
| and drowned each other in their desperate
struggles to free themselves. Others would
jump into the water and whirl around in the
strong current for an instant and then disap-
pear forever. Mr.. Fdlton jumped overheard
and attempted to swim ashore, but coming in
contact with a number Of mules he swan to
and climbed into the wheel of the boat While
there the steam pipe burst and the wheel re-
volved three times He chung to it, however
and was finally taken ashore in skif.
Charles Williams, deck hand, says he tried
to smother the fire when it was discovered will
blankets, but the wind blew so strong he failed
An effort was made to bring her engine to play
on the fire, but the crowd Of frenzied passenger!
rushed with such irresistible force upon th,
men having it in charge that they were obliged
to give it up. Williams then threw overheard
bale of hay and getting on it drifted to the sterl
of the boat where he encountered the boat
yawl containing six men and woman. HI
was taken on board, but having no oars the,
could not stem the current. Williams pu
ashore and the remaining men made anothe
attempt to reach the steamer, using the seat
of rhe yawl for paddles, but the tide was to
strong and they were carried down the strear
e and were seen no more. Williams think
o there were not more than thirty persons saved
1t is hoped many were able to reach the shor