Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-03-10
The Burning Of the Emma No. 3.

The Burning of the Emma No. 3.
Mr. James Lynch, who was passenger
on the steamer Emma No. 3, gives the
following account of the disaster to that
ill.fated steamer. Mr.. Lynch boarded the
boat at Memphis, and says that when the
boat left that port she had about sixty
passengers, most of whom were in the
cabin. He says:
81 was on the lower deck of the Emma
No. 3 at the time she struck the snag, and
Immediately went up stairs and found the
passengers there not in the least alarmed
or excited The water was not deep, and
therefore not much fear of loss OF life
from the vessel sinking. AS she was
settling she suddenly careened, throwing
the cabin stoves, which were well filled
with fire, over, setting fire to the floors
and furniture. The wind, which was
blowing pretty fresh at the time, carried
the flames to the upper works and the
roof, and less than eight minutes from the
time she struck, Che Emma was one mass
of flames. Everybody seemed paralyzea
with fear when the boat took fire, and the
rush for the river Immediately took place,
and overheard majority Of them went,
regardless of the fate which awaited them
in the death cold water. The mate, as
sisted by some Of the crew, went to work
to lower the yawl when the boat first be-
gan sinking, but for some reason stopped,
and the yawl was not lowered until the
boat had careened. As soon as possible
after the breaking out of the fire we passed
the ladies' into the yawl, with the excep-
ton of one lady, Miss Mary Lewis. AS
soon as the ladies were in the yawl the
men rushed also to get in, but only succeed
ed in swapping the yaw and throwing
the whole party into the water, and, be.
leve, drowning all the ladies and most OF
the men The Captain swan to the stern
of the boat, and got on. the wheel, after
the yawl sank. He was in the yawl, help
ing the ladies to get on board | die not
90 into the yawl, as | thought it safer to
wait until it showed of, and then | could
have jumped into the water and chung to
it. | saw Miss Lewis on the aft guard,
and tried to get her to go with me, and l
would save her, but she refused, saying
that her aunt was drowned, and she
wished to go with her. The flames Gu
yeloped her, and | attempted to extin-
guish them and jump with her into the
river, but she chung to one of the stan
chions and would not let go and | was
compelled to throw myself INTO the river
to ouench the fire which had caught my
! clothes; and, moreover, it was impossible
to stand any longer on the deck on ac-
count of the flames. While / was in the
water heard cry for help, and saw two
men near me in the water struggling for
| the possession of piece of board.
They were both cabin passengers; one
! of them was Mr.. Mcfarland,
who died upon reaching the shore,
and believe he was cut by the other man
during the fight. fioated down a few
| rods and got upon snag, where l re-
manned until the cold drove me into the
water, when swan for shore, and was
carried a long ways down the river before
reaching it. When got on the land at
tempted to walk, but tell five or six times,
and then dragged myself along until |
reached farm house. The steamer 20.
lurlbia came up about p. M, and offered
to bring anybody to Cairo who desired TO
90. Miss Lewis was playing the piano
when | went up stairs, after the boat
struck. She was young lady, and was
! going to Covington, KY, with her aunt
Mr.. Lynch was badly scorched by the
fire, and is suffering terribly from cold and
exposure Nothing was saved from the
boat, and many OF the passengers saved
! had but scanty clothing
Placing the number COT passengers on
board at 60 and the crew at about 90,
| would give total of those on board at
| 115 souls; and of this number only about
| 6(lv are known to be saved The loss OF
| life, therefore, is much greater than ut
first supposed Missouri Republican fe6'
4 n.
CAPTAIN james II. Marratta, of the EN-
ma No. 3, writes the following account OF
| the disaster:
The wind was blowing very strong AZ
the time and very cold. The boat struck
q snag on a pile Of logs. Immediately all
| the numps were put to work, but the
whole bottom of the bow being torn out,
! il was of no avail. In less than ten min
ntes the steamer careened, nearly capSz'
/ ing. and upsetting the cabin stoves. In a
moment the boat was sheet Of flame.
The vawl was lowered and the ladies' all
mt in. but at the instant it was let 20,
over fifty jumped for it, sinking it inn
mediateiy. One lady caught Captain
Marratta and pulled him under the water
two or thies times, but as he was floating
mast the Wheel the colored porter caught
him and dragged him up. He remained
there in an awful state of suspense, almost
scorcbed to death until rescued by skill
in about an hour afterward.
The mate Caleb Marratta, and pilot At
tenborough, remained on the forecastle,
almost perishing by the smoke and fire,
until rescued by skif.
The remainder of the crew took TO the
water, but only four succeeded in reach