Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-10-29
FRIGHTFUL DISASTER
The Steamboat StOnewaIl Burned
Between ST. Louis and Cairo.
Two Hundred and Forty Lives Lost
Terrible Suffering.
Boat and Cargo, Including Large
Number of Valuable Horses,
a Total Loss.
Particulars as Related by Pass
enger on Board the
Burned Steamer.

| SPECIAL TO THE MEMPHIS APPEAL
CAIRO, October 28.-The steamer
Stonewall, from st. Louis to New Or
leans, was entirely destroyed by fire
at six O'Clock yesterday evening, neal
| Neely's Landing, fifteen miles below
Grand Tower. The fire caught from
a candle in the hands of a deck pas
senger, who incautiously placed il
upon, or among some bales of hay il
the after part of the boat. Out o
thirty-eight cabin, one hundred ano
sixty deck passengers, and sixty mer
of crew, only thirty-eight souls are
known to have been saved.
Capt. Scott was asleep at the time
the fire broke out, ard was not seer
afterward. The first and second clerks
are known to have been lost.
Andrew Shultz, Of New Orleans
saved neice of Capt. Scott.
As soon as the pilot discovered that
the boat was on fire, he headed hel
toward the shore, but she struck the
bar and swung down stream, wind
blowing up stream, and, in a few sec
Onds, the boat was in a sheet OF fame.
Following are names Of passengers
saved, furnished by Mr.. Matte, Sec
Ond clerk of City of Cairo: Jas. Griffin,
John Pearce, Dennis Moriarty, DIR. A.
w. Washburn, DR.. S. B. Innes, t. II.
Carroll, John H. Lyon, second en-
gineer, Z. Fulkerson, pilot, Il. W.
Fulton, first engineer, Philip Frisbee,
]. Swane, Mike Breney, Michael
Marx, J.Swan, D. joints, w. S. Cook,
Mr.. Boode, of New Orleans; V. Cook,
of Texas; NJ. C. Swine5s, P. Heron,
T. Stewart, J. Conway, Geo. Helmer-
cross, Louis George, Nick Peret, B.
Peri and wife, \. H MOsbery, L.
Sevan. Jas. Schwarz, Mr.. Harmon,
Mr.. Phelps, of Shreveport; J. Con-
ross.
ST. LOUIS, October 2S.-Mr. Phil
lips, a planter of Shreveport, La, has
arrived from the wreck OF the Stone
wall, and furnishes the following brief
particulars of the terrible disaster to
the boat:
The boat caught fire at half past six
o'clock Wednesday evening, at a
point a little below Neely, one hun
dred and twenty-five miles below St..
Louis, from a candle which the deck
passengers had near some hay while
playing cards. The steamer was run
on ii gravel bar, the pilot suppO5-
ing that the passengers could
wade ashore on the bar. UnfOrtu-
nately at the end of the bar there was
a slough, and here it was that. the
largest number was drowned. the
boat was not run on the bar but two
feet, and the shallOweSt point about
her had five or six feet Of water. The
boat had so much hay aboard that she
burned like finder, and all efforts to
put it out were unavailing. The
Belle of Memphis came up at half
past nine, three hours after the
accident, and rendered all the
assistance possible, Out Of 253 pas
seHgers and crew, only thirty are
known to have been saved. The last
seen of Capt. Scott he was floating
down stream on a log, The people
at Neely's saw the light and hastened
to assist. One man rescued sixteen
passengers with a sSiff Had il not
been for their help all would have
been lost. A gentleman from Pa
ducah, KY, SWAN ashore with a
lady, and at her entreaty returned
to save her child. In swimming
ashore he was grasped by drowning
man, and would have been himself
drowned had he not shook him of.
One man was taken from the wreck
so badly hRFned that he died as soon
as he reached the shore. Capt. Dow
dy, of Shreveport, was saved. There
were thirty-nine cabin passengers,
four guests, and one hundred and fifty
deck passengers, and crew of sixty.
quite a number of ladies were on
board, all of whom were probably lost
except one. Fulkerson, the IDIOT, and
the carpenter, were the only ones
saved.
Tha StOnewall was comparatively
new, and was owned by Capt. John
Shaw and Dennis Long, the latter Of
Louisville. She was valued at S45,-
eco, and was insured. She had about
500 tons of freight, including 30 cat
tie, horses and mules, which were iIi-
sured. Capt. Shaw had stopped off
this trip, and Capt. Tom Scott was in
command. The other officers were as
follows: Milton E. Ebert, first clerk;
w. II. Click, second clerk; Josh. Les
tor aud Elr- hagtyaanav..s I'D
al Il Frank Murray, pilots;
Wilson Beep mate; George Fulken,
ARA John Lyons, assistant
engineer. ar
Geo. II. Fl son, the chief engineer
on the Stonehnll, arrived here on the
Belle MemJkis tonight, and gives
further part 'ulaTs. Sixteen persons
were saved sby clinging to a stage
plank, and 81 teen more swan ashore.
These are az out of between zoe and
260 souls on lSoard of whose positive
safety there is any certainty. One
man, named Brennan, was picked up
and brought ashore, but he died soon
after. The only officers of the boat
known to be saved are Geo. w. Full
ton, chief engineer, Ed E'ulkersOn,
pilot, and L. 2. Watson, carpenter.
Monroe Vandever, the striker, and
Chas. Williams and John Churchman,
leck-hands, are also among the saved. /
Of the three ladies on board, only
Dne, Mrs. Gregg, who was going to
New Orleans with her family to meet
her husband, is known to be saved.
Capt. Scott was last seen float
ng on q spar. The men on
shore rode seven miles down
stream on horseback in hopes of find I
ng him, without success. The scene (
On board was heartrending in the eX-
IRENE. The flames spread with Won
lerfGl rapidity under the action Of a
strong wind, and the passengers, in 4
wild terror, crowded the forecastle un- Z
Ill they were forced overheard Ia a
mass, and drowned each other in their 4
desperate struggle tc free themselves. +
others would jump into the water, {
Yhirl around in the strong current for 1
IN instant and disappear forever. Mr.. 1
Fulton jumped overheard and at /
empted to swim ashore, but coming /
n contact with a number of mules, 1
le swan to and climbed into the /
Wheel of the boat, and while there /
he steam pipe burst and the wheel I
evolved three times. He clung to it, I
and Was finally taken ashore /
n a skiff. Chas. Williams, a deck /
land, says he tried to smother the fire (
when it was first discovered, with .
but the wind blew so strong
hat he failed. An effort was also 4
made 10 bring the hose 70 play on the /
ire, but the crowd of frenZied deck .
rushed with such irresisti- /.
de force on the men having it in
,harge that they were obliged to give I
t up. Williams then threw over
board bale of hay, and getting
IN it, drifted to the stern OF /
he boat where he encountered the /
9oat's yawl containing six men and