The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1869-11-05
Horrible Tragedy 22O Ii
I.ooT,

Horrible Tragedy 22O Lives
Lost.
On the evening Of October 81, the
steamer Stonewall, which left st.
Louis, Tuesday evening, for New Or.
leans, heavily laden with passengers,
horses, mules, hay and other freight
generally, when near Neely's Land
ing, 10 miles from Grand Tower, took
FIRE, and, despite all efforts to save
her, was burned to the waters edge.
When the fire broke out every effort
was made to 4snd, but the steamer
was so heavily laden that she could
not be brought nearer than 100 yards
of the shore. Great confusion and
terror prevailed There were about
200 cabin and deck passe ngers
aboard. Quite a number of them
we're women and children. The
flames spread with great rapidity
Scores of men sprung into the water,
and attempted to reach the shore by
swimming. Nearly all these were
lost Every conceivable object that
could be obtained was thrown into
the water, and to these passengers
clung with all the tenaeity of life.
Sixteen persons were saved by
clinging to stage plank, and sixteen
more swan ashore. These are all,
out of 2oo or 26O souls on board, of
whose positive safety there is any
certainty. One man, named Bennan,
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, chief engin-
Ger; Edward Fulkerson, pilot, and E.
?. Watson, carpenter. Monroe Van
dewert, the striker, and Chas. Will
liams and John Churehman, deck
hands, are also among the saved. OF
the three ladies on board, only one,
Mrs Gregg, who was going to New
Orleans with her family to meet her
husband, was saved, Ca7t. Scott
was last seen floating on a spar, Men
on shore rode seven miles down
stream, on horseback, in hopes of
finding him, but he was not3fpund.
The scene on board was heartrend-
ing in the extreme; the flames spread
with wonderful raPidity, under the
action of a strong wind, and the pas
sengers in wild terror crow ded the
forecastle, until they were forced
overheard in a mass and drowned
each other in their desperate strug-
giles TO free Themselves. Others
would jump into the water, whirl
around ia the strong current for an
instant, and disappear forever.
Mr.. Fulton jumped overheard and
attempted to swim ashore, but com
ing in contact with number Of
mules, he swan to and climbed OF
the wheel of the boat. While there
the steam pipe burst, and the wheel
revolved three times. He clung to
it. however, and was finally taken
ashore In skiff.
Charles Williams, 4 deck hand,
says he tried to smother the fire
when it was first discovered with
blankets, but wind blew so strongly
he failed An effort was also
made to bring the hose to play on
the fire, but the crowd of frenzied
deck passengers rushed with such ir-
resistible force upon the men having
it in charge that they were obliged
to give il up. Williams then threw
yer board a bale of hay, and getting
upon it, d1ifted to the stern of the
boat, where he encountered the boats
yawl. containing six men and a wom-
an He was taken in, but having no
oars they could not stem the current.
Williams and the woman were put
ashore, and the remaining men made
another attempt to reach the steamer,
using the seats of the yawl for pad
dies. but the tide was too strong and
they we're carried down the stream
and seen no more.
The origin of she fire, etc., is given
as follows
The boat caught on fire at 81
O'Clock Wednesday evening, at