, 1870-05-17
THE FIRE At LA CROSSE

burglar, this act is cHIeain ono Oh uuP0A AAeleu
pluck and heroism.
THE FIRE AT LA CROSSE.
Full Pn1ttcuInxs-A Number Of Lives
Lost Tho Fecuninry Damage
82jO,OOOs
Prom ue La Ctoass Rxp+stttoan tErtrul, kay Is.
On Saturday night, or about = quarter to
O'Clock Sunday morning, within an hour afte1
tho arrival at La Crosse OF tho passenger ans
mail train from Milwaukee, and the transfe1
OF its passengers, baggage. and mails on bonrt
tho steam packet War Eagle, lying At the Z.
Croeso Itailroad wharf, and abon. 70 Lave a tol M
that steamer, while the mon were driving tht
| lloopn to prevent leakage Of the oil. Some in,
hint that spark Of fire from the cold-chisel o.
hoops ignitod the oil; othcss say the bottom
! Of a lantern or lamp waa broken In the imue:
diato proximity. UnauccoHsfn1 efforts rere
board into tho river.
l. Ono empty tnrgo waa attach Cd to tho stearnt
er. Tho latter had miscellaneous freight
with ko8s OF powder. In less time than thf
lacta can be narrated, tho Var Eagle was en-
,veloped In 1lamea- or the actual loss Of life
| II III difficult at present 10 make any accurate
| statement There were yentJ-seven kegs Of
| R1lnpowder in the boats magazine.
Some Iunhed from the bo1t to the water,
| bargeH, and wharf, without attempting to eaye
anything but their Lives. Mcssrs. Frank Hub
bard and Dr. Sam Bugt wero engaged in sort
ing tho up-1ivcr mail matter, in one Of The
forward state-rooms ssaigned for thatpurpose,
and barely had tma to get ashore, without
saving any Of tho mails, Of which over Il ton
from LaCroase, And from tho South aud East,
the money packages and registered letters.
Nj. Hubbard elected hls escape by jumping
from the front rn4in-deck into = wagon that
wRs swung up over the fore-castle, as be found
it impossible to get down by tho cabin and reg
ular stairway, which were 10 full OF smoke az
to Buffoc1te any one who would attempt tc
grope through their dArkness. Dr.. Bugh FOR
tl1nateIy found the stairway, he being fatailia.
with the construction Of tho boat.
The clerk Of the War Eagle, G. Burrage, hac
no time or opportunity TO save the books OF
| passenger list Of the boat, but saved the boats
| money.
The express messenger was not able to aava
| anything. The loss Of the express company
| is estimated at from $40, 900 to ia15, 600.
One gentleman, who did not retire to bed,
but sat up to onjoy the beautiful night, hur-
ned to his ststs room rs soon &s the alarm Was
given, and brought out some thiugs, which he
threw into a chair in the main cabin, and 1e-
TUNED to his room to get his hand bag; but,
when he reached the cabin, the lights were out
OF emothered by the smoke, and the fire Was
coming up through the floor where he left and
". !. B. p shaw. !: Esq., q Milwaukee, who en-
barked on The War Eagle, altar passing Satur-
day in La Crosse, escaped in safety.
One large woman, OF about 200 pounds
weight, escaped BY sliding down from the cab
in-deck to the rudder, from which she was e1-
tricated by snau boat, after struggling ae-
.ve1e1y for her life
From the difficulty Of escape experienced by
those who wero up sud maasu17bly prepared
for the emergency, the most painful conjec-
tu1ea are formed in regard to all who were in
bed and asleep.
About thirty passengers were transferred
from tho midnight tr2fn to Milwaukee to the
War Eagle, besides the passengers who went
aboard from Lacrosse, and those who came up
from lower ports on the steamar. OF those
who went On board from La Crosse, one young
1dy, who WIS reported safe, is missing She
was Miss MaH Ulrich, the accomplished niece
stsrn She Was going to Fountain City to yistt
Some friends, Miss ulrich, we learn by ono Of
the stewards, occupied EtAteroom "a" On
the starboard side, being the first state-room
intthe ladies' cnbin as one antered from the
gentlemen's or front cabin; and her death,
relatives and large number Of devoted
friends. =.
One elderly and heavy gentleman from Ken-
tucky, who occupied stateroom No. 8, on the
starbonrd side Of the boat, is supposed to have
been burned. He was going TO ST. Paul In
pursuit of pleasure, and intended to whit
Northern Minnesota on dshing and shooting
excursion. g.
Thirteen cabin passengers from lower ports
took supper On the War Eagle Saturday even
ing, three of whom paid for their tickets, bo-
cause they had reached their placo Of destina-
ten "<hrough cabin passenger on board be-
fore receiving paasangera at La Crosse, OF
whom it is ea1matcd about thirty arrived on
the midnight TRIM. This would make about.
forty cabin passengers from tho South aud
East
Besides the cabin passengers, there were, on
the lower deck, Bcore or two Of deck pas
sengers, some of whom were German and;
Norwegian immigrants, the most OF whom
were, doubtless, saved.
During the fire On tho steamer, an explosion
took place, sccommpanied by ser1ible con-,
Some Of the crew think it MAS . keg Of powder;
in the rear Of the boat, and between the two;
decks Others are Of the opinion it W1s the
gasoline.
We have conversed with the ship carpenter
OF the War Eagle, ". T. Bennett, OF VIoqua
{son Of John Ii. Bennett, Esq, Of Hillsboro,
Wis, Hho lost an ann by injuries received
1865, and learn that he was driving the hoops
close on the 1eaky gasoline barrels, in accord
ance with orders from Captain Cnshing; and
Mr. Bennett attributes the fire to tho ignition
Of the gas arising from the caak to the light OF
the lantern, which wss exploded. Mr.. Bennett
wes slightly injured by fre on his faee:
which we're lying slongside Of the War Eagle
when the fire broke out, barely escaped BY
haviug steam enough at the timo to get out Of
the way. Doth Of these boats were badly
scorched.
The wharf-shsd between the War Eagle md
tho railroad depot communicated the fire to
elevator, consuming both Of these large build
ings and their contents. There we're in the
lower warehouse, on the south end OF the
depot, betreen forty and fifty tons Of ms1ch-
andise for La Crosse aud various pontB on the
rjye5. T In the upper varehouse, OF north end
stored On the dock were about twenty reap-
ers and little miscellaneous freight In t6e
elerstot there were between fve and s1I
bushels Of Hheat.
About 100 tons Of miscellaneous freight were
on board the Var Eagle.
The empty barge Webb, which the Keokuk
had just brought down from the boat-yard to
tho War Engle, waa destroyed.
Nothing outside Of the two IRON ssfeB in the |
depot was saved, and the loaa OF books, rec
ords, &C., cannot be estimated
Railroad and steamboat tickets, to the e1- |
tent OF nearly quarter Of million Of dollars,
nearly all tho principal lines in |
tho United States, were also consumed.
The Caahier's safe at the railroad depot has |
bean opened, and Mr. Redwood found ita con- /
tents in good order. The safe OF Captain !
Moulton, tho agent Of tho II. 4 St. P. Rail
road, is out OF tho water, and opened good.
Tho Fire Department OF La Crosse WAS |
promptly on hand, md at work within ffteen
minutes after the tap OF thn bell, aud first at
tempted to Bays the elevator; but, finding
that hopeless task, and the fro driving them
from their position, they directed their efforts
toward saving the express passenger train,
which arrived at midnight, and by their efforts
The two finest cars belonging to the company |
we're saved. 4 second-class coach, the mai1,;
express, and baggage car were consumed. SiI |
freight cars, which had just been unlo3ded, |
we're aiHo destroyed. !
Captain Moulton, who WAS in Milwaukee On |
Saturday, resched La Crosse Sunday imorning |
1t 8 o'clock. He was, we regret to stato, un- |
fortunate enough to 1oso S25, Goa worth OF |
jalt; besides somo other personal property.
Captain Thoms Cushing, and the officers md |
rev OF the War Eagle, ara entitled to great
praise for their noble exe1tions to save tho !
ives Of passengers, and none sAred any !
slothe8 except such as wero on their bneks-
! The total va1ue OF property destroyed can !
not be less than quarter Of million Of dol
nts.
- The Christian Conferences.
FIuns the London IInsts-
! 4 "General Conference OF Christians" un- |