The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1869-11-17

Narrative of a Female
Passenger Who Escaped from
tIle StOneWaI IIeartIess Com
duct Terrific Scene.
[FrOm the St. Louis Republican, soth.l
Among the rescued passengers OF
the Stonewall who arrived here yes
terday on the RubicOD, was brave,
lily hit hearted woman, named Anna
Gurney. Our reporter met her tasI
night at No. 100 South LeVee. Mrs.
Gurney, German by birth, is now
Is years of age, and was in business
for herselfiu tins city. Four months
ngo she married an Italian fruit deal.
er on Fourth street. Finally he
sold out his peanut stand, and she
sold out her laundry, with a view Oi
going to New Orleans, where she
has II sister engaged in the millinery
business. The money was all plac-
ed ia her trunk, and they embarked
for New Ore aus, on the StOneWall.
Her husband had his aged father and
mother and their st ven children,
who went on the StOnewall at the
same time. As stated, all her money
wa7 locked up in the trunk, except
fifteen dollars, which she had tied
up in The bosom of her chemise.
There Was II young lady on board
of the SIOneWall about II years Of
age, with whom Anna was well &C
quainted, and they kept together.
On Wedmesday evening, after sup
per. Anna invited her companion
10 go down with her on the main
deck aud sleep with her, as she mad
a comfortable berth. The women,
being tired, divested themselves of
their outer clothing and went to bed.
On the deck there were several Itali-
aus who were drunk and noisy; one of
which had Il candle IN his hand, and
carlessly placed it on a bale of hay,
setting it on fire. The alarm was
immediately given, and in d second
The boat was perfect sheet of fame.
Anna jumpeI up in her night
clothes to save herself. All was
CONSERVATION and confusion. She
stood on the guards of the boat as
long as it was safe, during which she
felt perfectly calm and self possessed.
A gentleman came up and proposed
that if she would jump off with him
into the wtaer, he would try and
save her. She said, ''No; try and
save yourself, / think I can save
myself" He jumped off and she
saw him drown. she stayed on the
guards until she was forced to Jump
into the river or burn to death, as
The boat in the quarter became near
~ enVeloped iu flames. She made
the plunge aud went to the bOttem.
When she came up she caught hold
of rope aud thought that it led
TO the boat, but 1t was rope attach
ed to the spar, which had tumbled
over into the water. She pulled
herself along by the rope until she
came TO the spar ChHt had drifted
under the burning steamer. While
there post of The burning cabin
overhead fell down and q portion
struck her On the shoulders, injur-
ing her severely. By this time she
gOI on the spar, and while holding
her hand Was burned by drops of
melting pitch which trickied down.
She being under the guards, was
saved from being crushed by the
falling spars and smoke-pipes, a
gentleman, at this time, who was
tIuggling in the water, managed
also TO get astride of the spar. Al
this time the bursting of the coal oil
cans covered the water with a IiuuId
sheet Of fire, As she expressed il,
the water was On fire." She and
her companion held on 10 the spar
until boat came from Neeley 8
Landing to their rescue, mile and
u half distant their safety being due
to their position under the guards.
| After getting to shore the gentleman
diSd i'll halt am hour from lock >ia w.
He Was I'D perfectly benumhed thai
| he became insenSibIP ard never
| spoke after being rescued from The
| boat. On arriving at the landing
| Instead of finding her husband, the
p'anut Vender,. burned to a crisp OF
| drowned, thefo he stood, hale and
hearty, on the bank, without a wet
| thread on him. There also WAS his
fhl her and mother, but all the chill
dren were drOW ned except one. She
| ascertoined that her husband was
one of the ten who cut the yaWl loose
and escaped To shore. They went
ashore with but ten people, when the
yawl could safely hold from forty to
| fifty passengers. After they got
ashore none of them offered to ga
back with the yawl and rescue their
wives and reitiVes, much less their
fellow passengers. Anna was taken
| TO a house, but she made up her mind
that this would be the end of hel
marriage relation with the gallant
peanut man, who ran away with :
boar, leaving her to perish. Yester-
day morning, when the steamer City
of Cairo passed down, her husband
told her that he wonld get the ole
people aboard for New Orleans, and
then he would return to her and give
her big attentions. Instead of which
he got aboard the City of Cairo, and
| left her alone and destitute. Anne
has decided never to speaEe to him
again, or to have any Communicate,
tion with him whatever, The fif
teen dollars which she had in heI
bosom was washed away, except &
two-dOlLar bill, which was dried out
and restored to her by the people or
shore. With this she purchased 9
pair of shoes, but the citizens put in
u contribution and bought her 6
dress. She told our reporter that she
sank three times before getting Oh
the spar. and it was her opinion
from experience, that a " ON could
stand cold water better than a man
sTATEMENT OF JOHN H. LYON
| SECOND ENGINEER.
I reside at No. 1903 North Tenth
street. l was second engineer of tht
| steamer StOnewall. was sitting al
the t. Bile in the cabin, at supper,
about O'Clock, when the fire broke
out. l threw any Valise into the
river, grabbed WheeIbarrOw, anC
Jumped over with it from the stirn,
where there were very few people. j
saW that ten men had got iuto d yaWl
and cut the painter. [ got within
fifteen or twenty feet of the shore
near a point of rocks, when the cur
rent struck me end carried me fif
teen feet further into the rive r
Then Submarine No. 1a. Captain
Washington, came down, and the
swell caused by it nearly drowned
me. thought 1 would have 10 give
up. did not see the name of thu
boat, but we ali know it WAS No. I:
coming right behind us. The rive
was tuIl Of people at that time.
was not noticed. 1 saw her c. minl
down, and thought some heIpSwsI
coming. l was never SO surprised
in my life as t. see her pass by. Sht
never stopped u wheel can prove
it. The boat was burning when shC
PASSED. They could have saved {
good many lives if they had stopped