, 1869-04-19
TERRIBLE CATASTROPHE.
sinking and Burning of tho Steamer
ass A. 1h0nHon-SeFenteen Lives

sinking and Burning of tho stea me,
@. A. Thomaon-Seyent 1tv..
Lost-pnrstcutnrs and 1ncidcnya.
From the Littlt Goek Repub.iean. Apro1a
The steamer G. A. Thomson ]rft f.,nr,,ns., ~,
this port on the 11st day OF March win mn ~, ~
9nfa1S r.. anf o. aSIf escGn nms ne,uhaadlse
commanded By Captain Fraxsstz, and Messr1 Kl1
and Perkins, clerks Her pilots were Messra r =
hspa nj g. eea @ j fs PSs sat6 q
time Of the accident Saturday morning. Arm iatS
nao met with no serious drawback lad On hoard
A. me tine OF ne caiassfopne. seventeen pasxen-
The children were al saged.
s1A1EAESr ~ @ oF TIE ri1or, M pEzsoSe
shock woke ne, aud upon looking =. nv Hatch teh
found 1t Was twenty minutes past O'Clock q. n.
This E ~ = on Saturday mos,ling april 1oth- she
board boiler, tearing bacf; she Bunt il aboat 19e
mlhntea, in nine feet: Of water. On her sinkIns
the lime on board Stacked and ignited setting nre
cylinders, the wiad blowing from that qns,ter ter
straight toward the bow. Thern WAS no timp to
he lost In saving the passengers Every moment
eoo1Is Until lie flames drore tnem 81 tie So. n'a
STATEMENT or PASSENGER +. P. wnoo1-
The steamer left Pine Dlun at O'Clock, Friday
afternoon, running up serelal miles and landing,
ported shat thc1c were one hundred and thirty
pounds Of steam On when sae enagged- She
VII A44C vi kuG NQk VI k4G E1AU
nel md settled down In nine teet Of water ID about
the I'VE WsIe consds1ei @ oeJond hasa a poaer os1e1e
lhe mates woffed nooly to save the passenaeTs. ~
Passengers lost everything. All who got ashore
were cared for, In most instancea free Of charge
CArTAIN J. <. DUKCH's STArEHENT.
We vent nboa1d the Thomson at Pine Rlun for
wo56 s% ,a, o. Psa1a!ea went te BED q: io ooloeE
was discovered 10 be on IRE soon after. Tha Cap
tAtn and the other officers used every effort pos-
able to keep down all excitement which would
Captain went ashore IN the nrst boat with the
Fotnen and chAdtuu. Atcrward the stfebost re-
turned for It's last load and receiving ia precious
before getting swny from the bnEnins
,, Az 5saas ifztas . IS seesn, q hes u tSs @
1rundle and others, all Of whom were drowned.
Remained With Ar. Trunale as long as there was
Possibility of Saving h!s liie The cabin doors and
service "a assisting many who we're IN the water
70 reach the shore. Nj. Burch lost his money aud
some clothes. Nothing On shc boat saved. Ne
thirty minutes and landed hree- quarters Of mile
below the wreck. Came from East Tennessee, and
hns resided In this State twelve mDnthA
ECESE In TEE CABIN. .. ...
The scene In the cabin Immediately after the
ntEt shock can be more easily Imagined than de-
scsibea. Past The hour Of midnight, reposlns
sWectly in their be1ths, With no thoughts Of danger
or Of death. the seepers Tere suddenly aroused
70 learn that death Bas staring them In the fsre.
crying, and the circumstances Of thelr condition
their llycs. Everything else for the moment Was
secure ani trinIets Or Clothing slowed s away IL il
trlnfs and satehels. Mothers folded their little
ones tightly In their arms, determined to save or
bracing each other and staring the doubts and fcars
Of each Jointly. 1t VAS terrible scene to behold.
THE REsCCH
The life boat was launched ly the order OF p!lOt
DeGnoinea Hho stood at the gang1aE, pistol In
hand, RsinK his orders, threatening toahoot down
the rrst mau who attempted to pass him until the
II landed The boat made two or three tips safely,
and was leaving the burning steamer With her last
Load when the pilot Wus gTasPed around the neck
ETo shot by and jumped Into the river, mule for
the tlifchont, and while attempting to get aboard
upset md all on board rertsned. number Of the
ashore-
TIE CASUALTIES
Eight white persons were drowned, viz: the two
clerks, MessrB. Ely and Perkins, Nj. Trundle, Of
Red Fork, and three other passengers, whose
names VIC could not learn; ono Of the cooks and
lame cab!n boy. OF the colored crew one was the
humber lost, seventeen Their cries lor assiatance
were hea5tTendlug, and those rescued were pow
sisss 70 sye aE ana Wife and
OTHER PARTICULARS ...
The survivors were properly cared for by the IN
haldtants in the Immediate neighborhood OF tho
casualty. Mr. G1lttsou and NJ. Hugh Core de-
Beryc especial praise toE their kindness and human
1T toward all who sought shelter at their planta-
tlonA Their Kindness Was spoken OF By several
OF the recipients In our hearing.
Where people bJ accident nfe compelled to tres
pass upon private indtyidnals, 1t s a duty they
owe to mankind az well as the God who made
them, to relieve the distressed and administer to
their wants as far % their abilities will permit and
the necessities Of the unfortunates may
require. But get there arc, members q
their duty and are disgrace To the ago
In which they lre Several Of the Eu syoss Of that
terrible scene lSst Saturday morning we're most
shaMefully treated BY man Of the name OF Pen
nington, who charged one Of the passengers and
bis wife and little child nFe dollars for few hours
lodging, and also took the last tHo dolIata one
poor woman bad sared from the burning WRECK
That man has evidently lost bis SOUL aud his heart
can be no bigger than . peanut
TIE STEAMER WAS sSAGGEp
opposite the Plaee Known as Ewlas Landing, and
ls BY far the most distressing accident cyery oc-
curing upon our river.
TuR SURVIVORS.
Those desiring to 20 below were taken down
SUNDAY morning bJ the Thomas Il. Allen: md
steamer Caldwell without chatEe, and passed on
up the river on the American last evening" The
omeera Of the boats named, deserve hearty thanks
for their hosp!tabc treatment Of the unfoF1uRates
The boat Is total loss, together with her books
and papers, estimated worth about s. s0c0 partially
insured. Her cargo Is said to be worth In round
numbers, El10 ,N1, fally Insured. Insurance COM
panles have suffered BY this accident yet the large
amount Was distributed among several companies,
and the loss each sustained viii not anect their
general business VIC beeye our home companies
haTa suffered Ii1e by the Casualty.