Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1869-11-20

scenes and Incidents Connected with
the StonewsHl Catastrophe.

From the 50. louis Democrat, Nov. sth.l
Many will wonder, and especially
river men, why so few reached the
shore, when the bank was only two
hundred yards distant. There arc
several reasons why the difficulties
were so great: The water was In
tensely cold. The wind was strong,
blowing from the shore. The eddy
formed by the boat lying on the bar,
also strong. So that none but stout
swimmers, or men with life-preser-
vers, stood any sort of y chance of
reaching the shore. Those who were
picked from the water were nearly
chilled to death, and fell exhausted
upon reaching the boat that picked
them up, or the bank, where the hos
pitable fires warmed life into them.
The heat was Intense, the smoke
dense, the panic perfectly uncontrol-
liable; Furthermore, the clothes of the
unfortunate victims became iced
and frozen, and seriously impeded
their swimming, and this fact alone
would have prevented many from
reaching landing places. Thus much
for those who jumped from the stern
Of the boat among mules, horses,
and panic-stricke crew of the lower
deck. Those who jumped below the
bar went into the deep water and
were carried away by the current and
drifting to the land, quarter of mile
below the bag, were too far gone Ia
reach the shore, and aid there was
out of the question for them. There
is bleak desolation Of cottonwood
The wonder Is that any reached the
shore-and the facts show that very
fingers ends-by swimming. Those
that were saved then owe their Lives
almost entirely to the heroic exer
tions Of MI. West, who manned the
little skiff, aided by two trusty ne
groes, Dave Williams, lively roust
about, and Derry Hays. These wert
the men who brought the parties from
the gang-plank, making ten trips
and picked up exhausted fioaters In
the water, and last, but not least, res
cued the plucky engineer, John NJ
Fulton, from his perilous position IL
the wheel-hotise.
The morning of the first day hat
not dawned before diminutive pirates
from the Illinois shore--''yahoes,'
who live, God knows where cam,
forth from their dens In the wood
J and underbrush, and steaithily crawl
ing into their skiffs, visited the seen,
of plumber, and CARRIED Off wha
they could lay hands to. Noiselessl,
they glided out from the coves AM
hooks Of the Illinois shore, and pad
ding, almost noiselessly, reaches
their destination, and quickly reap
ing their ill-gotten harvest, hastil,
l shot across the dark waters, and sool
: concealed themselves I'm the dens
1 shubbery of the Illinois shore. The,
had heard the cries the night Of tn
4 fire, had seen the heaven-illuminat
ing blaze, and remained in conceal
4 ment until they could get the benefi
i Of their stealing. Some Of then
: were bold, indeed genuine Captain
e Kyds, and first-rate Jack Sheppards
4 In broad daylight they mounted tn
ruins, rolled off barrels of -four an
sacks of oats--embraced barrels q
whisky and sherry, and logged Their
offin triumph, slowed them away i
e their skiffs that sunk TO the water
edge with the weight. Flour, baco
and whisky for the men-oats for tn
horses-trinkets, old knives--burne
+ and charred nickles for the children
~ and burnt sacks of coffee for tll
wives, with here and there a waite
or finger-ring-it was harvest f
wreckers, salvagers and Illinois p
i rates that does not come every day.