The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-11-03
THE srONEwALL CALAMITY.

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The Rubicon arrived In port at 10 O'Clock
yesterday morning from New Orleans.
Among the passengers there were J. II.
Lyons, second engineer, aud Louis Young,
head cook Of the stonowall, and one or two
others Of the survivors Of the late catas
trophe. II Is still the prevailing opinion
that about $50 persons persisted, and II Is
feared that quite number were burned to
ieath on the boat. The body Of one lies
near the boilers.
NJ. Brennan, reported as having died from
cold and exhaustion, has been Identified as
Francis Brennan, of Galveston, Texas. An
Inquest has been held on the body BY j. X.
acting coroner at Neelcy's Point,
who also held another inquest on the body
Of one Of the vic inns of the con0agratiou.
the statements of survivors fully verify pre-
vious reports as 10 the horrible nature Of the
Below We give the thrilling
OF the second engineer
STATEMENT OF JOHN II. LYONS, SECOND EN-
GIsEER.
reside at No. {, 1903 North Tenth street. |
/ was second engineer Of the steamer Stone |
wall. was sitting at the table In the cabin, |
at supper, about o'clock, when the fire |
broke out. The alarm Of fire was given aud |
l started forward; as / did so, l saw Mr.. |
Ebert, the clerk, unlocking the safe as III to
take out the valuables. i went up In the
texas and met three or four OF the cabin
crew coming down with their valiscs. i
went mp Into the head engineers room and
got his valise and my own, and came down
to the forward end Of the boiler deck.
could not get down, as the steps were blocked
up with people, and the smoke was nearly
snffocating. l started back on the larboard
aide and went up on tho hurricane roof.
The only mau on the roof was Capt. Scott.
went back toward the stern and cav him
trying to carry q ladder forward. / set
down my things, took hold Of one end OF the
ladder and helped him to take 1t forward.
He put II over the roof and started down
the ladder to 60 down to the forecastlc, and
was burned. i do not think he ever reached
the deck alive. think he was burned be-
fore he reached the deck. He never spoke q
word, and seemed to be perfectly cool. That
was the last saw Of him.
started back then to the stern, aud got
opposite the wheelhouse. I saw Frank Muir
ray In there and make Tor the wheel. / ran
back, took my valise, and swung down from
the hurricane roof tothe boiler deck. Then
got hold again, swung down as far as
could, and Jumped to the lower deck.
threw my valise In the river, grabbed a
wheelbarrow, and jumped over with 1t from
tho stern, where there were very few people.
saw that ten men had got into yawl, and
cut the painter. IL was not more than ten
feet from me when jumped in the river. /
caught my valise and struck out for the
shore. ] got pretty nca the shore when a
man told me he was drowning. threw him
my valise, and in doing so lost my hat He
got hold of my vallsc, which | think would
have supported him, but he was much ex-
hausted and was drowned. The ten men In
the yawl landed, bnt there was only one OF
their number who would 90 back. He was
an 1rishman. He took piece Of wood three
feet long aud started back alone, padding
with the board. He passed close to INC and
picked up five men alive. He also picked
another up, who expired as soon as he was
got into the yawl. The head cook, Young,
was ore OF the five men. He took them on
the shore at Vancil's Landing, where he built
o IRE for them In a cabin.
got within hfteen or twenty feet OF the
shore, near point of rocks, when the cur
rent struck me aud carried mo 1fteen fcct
further In the river. Then Submarine No.
Is, Captain Washington, came down, and the
swell caused by It nearly drowned me.
thought would have to give up. did not
see the name of the boat, but we all knew II
was No. IS coming right behind us. The
river was full OF people at that time. was
not excited. saw her coming down, and
thought some help was coming. | WASH never
more surprised In my life as to sec her pass
by. She never stopped a wheel; can prove
1t. The boat was burning when she passed.
They could have saved a cool many lives II
they had stopped, and their waves no doubt
drowned good many people. l could Just
see them throw up their hands and sink
when they got the water in their mouths they
were gone. finally got to the shore anC
crawled out on my hands aud knees on tn,
bank, near a ledge of rocks. l laid Their
half an hour; / crawled on my hands ant
knees nearly half mile; stood up as much
as a dozen times, and fell right ever back
ward. think II was nearly mile from the
wreck, lower down, where ! got ashore.
When / got so that could walk, wen
up the creek, as saw light opposite tn
wreck. tried to get to it, aud found that
could not get across the creek. | knew
was not far from vancil's Landing, and
struck out over the bluffs for ii. Before
did so halloocd, but could not halloo yer
loud, and no one heard me. got to Vancll
Landing about O'Clock on Thursday morn
ing. / had walked, think, about fOu
miles. i went to q vacant house where ther
were six incentive men who had been pickle
of crates Of cabbage and bales of hay by tn
Irishman, their rescuer. | could not tell h
name, but he was q whole soulcd man
there ever was one; he was u deck lassenge
About Q o'clock three men came down In
skill from Feeley's Landing, of whom NJ
Sheppard was one. They had not been O
the stonewall, but came down to sec II the
could do any service. They went about
mile below Roblnson's Landing and got d
some hot coffee, crackers, cheese and a bottl
OF whisky. That revived us considerably
We stayed at the house until the break Q
day commenced, and all started back In til
yawl to Neeley's Landing. We picked Ii
one man on the way; he was under ledge {
rocks. He was an Irish deck passenger au
very near dead.
When we got to Seeley's Landing NJ
Sheppard took us out aud gave us a b
breakfast. He worked all night nobly.
I'm nnF lRUN 4 =
men -one Mr.. Brennan and the other an o
man, unknown. We buried them aboi
1880. The City of Cairo came down, and
got aboard TO 20 to Cape Glrarleau. Til
second engineer, Mr.. Paley, give me u Ia
and the chief engineer, Mr.. Gray, gave me
coat. There was an old lady and gentlema
there who had been picked up by the yaw
They had lost seven children. There We
also there a stock dealer from Fort Gi
son, and one or two other men. We {
to Cape Glrardeau, about Thursday moo
and went on board the Rublcon, which W
coming up. At Neeley's Landing we pick
upa German girl, about eighteen years
age, who was rescued by person in n SIX
while she was holding on to a line of t
stage. Her hand was sCorched. We al
picked up an Irish deck passenger, who {
not know how he got to shore. We tn
started for st. Louis. Captain Doty W
lost. did not see him, but | know We
VIGIL there was no one else saved. VI
Brennan died Of lockjaw. lie dashed hir
self to the bow Of the boat, aud vi
picked up.
When we left Neeley's Landing there vi
nothing but spar or two, and portion
the name Of the boat and the wheels. d
not think there were over forty saved.
near as they could calculate II there we
800 on board at the time of the fire. l THU
Mr. Elbert, the clerk, WAS burned. do n
think any Passengers were left at Medley
Landing. As to the cause of the fire,
deck passenger told me IL was caused by u
oil the number smoking upon Il bale Of Ia
Passengers were on the top ofthc hay. ri
man told Inc that IL was so small that
blanket would almost cover IT,. lie thre
Two blankets over II, and he thought II
had had another he could have put il on
but the fire extended. | was In the wat,
as near as ! can tell, about three Quartcrs
an hour. Fulton was the last man oil t
boat. ! saw the second barlivcper, Gcor
Lester, In the water. lie says, GLOW {
you getting along partner" ! said, sc
pretty we'll" lie said, "The water 10 aw
cold" aud passed him them. think
had hold Of bale Of hay. could sec I
nj on 4. linn, Nva