The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-10-31
r H E STO N z w ALL.
Particulars of the Horrible Calamity
on the Mississippi River.
The Scenes and Incidents on the Burn
ing Boat-The Lost.

From st. Louis papers of Saturday morning we
CLEAN the following particulars relating to the hor-
rble catastrophe which occurred on Friday evening"
on the Mississippi river, OIL Neeley's Point,
The StOnewnlI
The Stonewall strongly built freight and
passenger steamer, OF one thousand tons capacity
She was built at Jenersonville Indiana March, 1866
by the Howards, for Dennis Long John s. Shaw
L. +. Dix and j. p. Mckinney. She was OF these
dimensions Length, 23O feet; 81 feet hold; aud
over 40 feet beam. Her value in February 1861, was
noted by the underwriters $4,000, and in Febrl
airy, 1869, $4,000 At the time of the disaster she
was the property OF John s. Shaw and Dennis Long
each one half. Her insurance amounts to $4,000
in all,
She was - loot beam and foot hold she had four
boilers 40 inches in diameter and 26 feet long; she
ran in the Red river and Missouri trade, and has
been on the Mississippi since the middle of August;
during the summer she ran in the Omaha Packet
Company, that is, from spring TIL August; the engine
cylinders were feet stroke, the wheel IS foot and
the bucket IL feet she had been quite recently in
the docks and had been newly fitted up with new
bedding, etc. IN July last she had met with mis-
hap, and her texas and chimneys were destroyed;
she was on the docks only four weeks ago. she
only two days. the boat capable of holding in
the cabin 10 passengers or on pinch, by the aid of
passengers; she was a sidewheel boat, and at the
time of the mishap ran independent, though intend
ing to 60 into the Red river trade as soon as the river
raised.
The Stonewall left st. Louis Tuesday night at
about six O'Clock, and having freight anu pas
sengers to prevent the crew from leaving she sailed
foot of Elm street, and set sail from the Elevator at
East ST. Louis, on wednesday morning at O'Clock.
She lrst landed at Chester, Illinois, where she TOOK
in 500 barrels of -four on "Wednesday forenoon, be-
tween 10 and II O'Clock. Many of the deck passen-
gers laborers who had howled the night before
along the doggeries of the Levee and taken their
last spree on earth, and were bound for the New
Orleans leyees to lie beneath welterlng sun, or
worse, to lnger into eternity by feVers disease, and
pestience. The boat next stopped at Grand Tower
and took in 500 or 1000 bushels of COAL but no pas
sengers and her next stop to have been at Cape
GiIaT0eau, from which the OF the cataStrOphe
is about fifteen or twenty miles.
The Place Ofthe Catastrophe
is Just below Harris Landing, nearly opposite not
more than two hundred yards from the Missouri
Shore and at point in the river where the width is
T a e D6a aos to se saors MaeR the
from the shore. but by wheeling she landed on Tea
Table Bar, Just opposite Neeley's landing, about two
hundred yards from the shore.
The Scene.
1t beggars description words fail-maginaton is
at fault Two hundred and eighty souls ushered into
eternity. blazing fire behind them and death
amid icy waters before them. 1t was about half past
six in the evening In the cabin the supper table was
! thronged. Some had left and were smoking their
! evening cigars-Others chatting near the stove.
Few were on deck, for the night was dark and the
motley crowd OF hundred and fifty emigrants
and working people were gathered Many had
Gi9s eo eg a9 e v0nT S
hand, broke out on pile of hay and solitary deck
| hand ran forward and cried. "Fire fret" From
mouth TO mouth the sOul-stirring cry ran, and in
moment the deck passengers palsied with
! fright and desperate with excitement. Hardly
heard in the cabin, the first cry regarded only as
use-perhaps row among the deck passengers
some were little full OF liquor-then in a second
dealening yell of HFlre Gre fire that pierced the
! deck, and rang through the ears of the supper
eaters IKE death kne ,vn M1W there could be no
| cry meant life or death, and every one felt
it. To the upper deck, to the cabins fore
and aft people ian. Panic, fear, and frenzy ruled
| the hour There We're seventy-hve life-preseryers
| in the state rooms but only one man secured one
There was yawl, but some OF the deck passengers
seized it, and without oars ndiscrminatey piled in
| and padded ashore with their hands From the
small blaze on the hay near the boiler deck the fire
spread to the coal oil, and the whole ship was In n
nlaze; The boat was loaded with bacon and other
| rapldity soon found the solid cOmbustibles and an
| intense heat was generated
statement of Elisha r. Watson, Carpenter OF
The first knew of the fire was thus THE officers
| including myself, had Just sat down 10 supper and
we heard one OF the negroes call out "Fire fire. the
| doesn't stop hoering, I'll Kill the son OF gun
The mate was irritated, as negro had given false
| alarm Of fire once before. second or two after
| this there was a cry OF fire again, intermingled
| with sound OF excitement and confusion,
Conscious fhat perI existed. We all iumped si"S my
| from our chairs and scattered. / ran to the for
ward steps, aud descended amidst wild stream OF
| passengers officers, and crew-one mady rushing,
| struggling closely jammed mass, impeed by
common desire, and only desire-to escape
| from the horrors OF burning Mississippi steamer.
saw the fre-we could all see it-gathering headway
rapidly, as some OF us had seen it before on other
boats, and as all had read of it, The boatwas under
| way, with the wind from the south, blowing the
| lames rapidly from room to room and stanchion TO
deck AT the wheel was Ed. FqlkeTson, who opromptly
rounded the boat to, and ran her up on gravel bar
as the only resortto save life. This bar or lump Is
near Tea Table, and just below the place called
| Neeleys. The fire was now making dreadfully quick
neadway the wind blowing through the boat from
te stern Ihe stage plank protruded over the guard
IN launching 1t overheard, but attention was
| made to my request.
Icouldnt get EN- to hear to anything; they were
panlc-struck and jumping and tearing and strug-
gllng and running over one another: / was tumbled
over on the deck and trampled till hardly felt
any breath IN my body; got up as soon as possible
ana Threw on the heavy coat had put ON previously
ran along the stage, as l thought this the only
chance for my life, and jumped into the river; the
| water was deep and couldn't swim, but got hold
OF what seemed 10 me TO be bundle of clothes; the
boat was about 200 yards from the bank of the river
u ~ A-sseGIl side aLa ! Ts -. ~ e.. 49,