The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1869-11-13
q. S. Official Paper for Oregon.

STEAMBOAT DIsAsTER.-The follow
ing is partial account of the burning of
the steamer iStone,caH, on the Mississippi
river, October 9th:
The boat caught fire about halfpast
six o'clock on Wednesday evening, about
As miles above Cairo, in the Mississippi
river, from cahdle which deck pas
senger had near some hay, while playing
cards. The steamer was run aground on
q bar, the pilot ,supposing the passengers
could wade ashore. Unfortunately, at
the end of the bar was slough, where
large number were drowned The boat
was only run upon the bar about two
feet, aud the shallowest water was about
the bow, five Or six feet deep There
was SO much hay on board that the boat
burned like tinder. The Belle, of Mem
phis, came up at half past nine and ren.
dered all the assistance possible. Out OF
252 passengers and crew only 80 are
known to have been saved. When last
seen, Captain Scott was floating down
stream on log. The people at Neil's
saw the light and fastened to their as
sistance. One man rescued sixteen per
Ii.
their help all would have been lost.
A gentleman from Paducah, XIV.
swan ashore with lady, and at her en-
treaty returned to save a child. Ii
swimming ashore he was grasped by
drowning man, and would have himsel
been drowned had he not shook him off
One man was taken from the wreck 5,
badly burned that he died as soon as h,
reached the shore.
The iStone,coH was owned by Captain
Shaw and Dennis Long. She was valued
at $4,000, and insured for $4,000
Seventy cattle, horses and mules aboart
were burned
From St. Louis, under date of Otcobe
2sth, We have the report of George Full
ton, chief engineer of the iStoneraU, VIII
has arrived and gives the folowin:
further particulars of the disaster:
Sixteen persons were saved by cling
ing to the stage plank. There were il
all 250 or go souls on board, of whose
positive safety there is no certainty On
man was brought ashore but died soon
The only officers of the boat known 10 bt
saved are George Fulton, chief engineer
Edward Faulkerson, pilot, and E. 2
Watson, carpenter. Captain Scott va:
last seen floating on a spar. Men OF
shore rode down the stream in hopes O
finding him, but he was not to be found
The scene aboard was heartrending il
the extreme. The flames spread with
wonderful rapidity under the action of
strong wind. Passengers in wild terror
crowded on the forecastle until they
were forced overheard en- masse ane
drowned each other in desperate strug
giles to free themselves. Others woule
jump into the water, whirl around in
strong current for 4 moment and ther
disappear. Mr.. Fulton jumped over
board and attempted to swim ashore, bu
coming in contact with a number o
mules, swan to and climbed on the whee
of the boat. While there the steam pip
burst and the wheel revolved three times
but he clung to it and was finally takel
ashore in a skiff. Charles Williams,
deck hand, says he tried to smother tn
fire when he first discovered it wit
blankets, but the wind blowed so har
that he failed in his efforts Hose wa
also brought TO play on the fire, bu
the crowd of frenzied passengers rushe
with such irresistible force ON the me
having it in charge that they were oblige
to give it up. Williams then thre1
overheard all of the hay and getting upo
it drif.ed to the stem of the boat, wher
he encountered the boats yawl contain
six men and woman. He was take
in, but having no oars could not stem tn
current. Williams and the woman wer
put ashore, and the remaining men mad
another attempt TO reach the steamer b
using the seats of the yawl for paddles
but the current was so strong that the
were carried down stream and seen n
more. Williams thinks not more tha
thirty persons were saved, but it is hope
that more of them reached the shore